Qualcomm exclusivity deal for Windows on Arm is coming to an end

We've seen multiple laptops and 2-in-1 PCs with ARM-based processors running Windows, but they've all had one thing in common – Qualcomm processors. This week, we finally found out why this has been the case. As it turns out, Microsoft and Qualcomm hashed out an exclusivity deal for Windows on Arm. 

Although this deal was supposedly signed a long time ago, we've only learned about it recently, thanks to XDA. Apparently, the deal is expiring soon, meaning we should see other ARM chip manufacturers jumping in, including MediaTek, which is already reportedly working on a chip for that purpose.

Besides MediaTek, there's also a chance that we will see Samsung trying to snatch a piece of the market share, as well as Apple. The exclusivity deal may have gotten in the way of offering Windows support on M1-based Macs.

As this deal is coming to an end, the much-talked Windows transition to ARM might speed up considerably. It's still not clear exactly when the deal will expire, but it would seem that more ARM chip makers will have a chance to offer support for Windows in the near future.

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KitGuru says: It is odd that a deal like this is only just becoming public knowledge now, but either way, once the deal expires, we should see a big influx in Arm-based systems running Windows. 

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