Inside the Acer-Qualcomm alliance: Reimagining laptops for the AI age

As laptops evolve to meet the demands of an AI-first, always-connected world, partnerships like the one between Acer and Qualcomm are shaping what the future of personal computing looks like. In this exclusive conversation with Digit, Sudhir Goel, Chief Business Officer at Acer India, and Saurabh Arora, Head of Mobile, Compute and XR Business, Qualcomm India, share how their deep co-engineering effort is redefining what users can expect from their devices. From on-device AI to all-day battery life, fanless designs, and 5G-ready platforms, they unpack how Snapdragon-powered laptops are changing the rules of mobility, productivity, and performance in the hybrid work era.

Digit – In your view, what differentiates your partnership from other collaborations in the tech industry focused on laptop innovation?

Sudhir Goel – What sets our partnership with Qualcomm apart is the shared vision to redefine the laptop experience, not just improve it incrementally. By integrating Snapdragon technology, originally built for mobile, we can deliver laptops that are ultra-thin, fan-less, and exceptionally power-efficient. This unique architecture unlocks real advantages for today’s users: extended battery life, always-on connectivity, and responsive AI-driven performance. It’s not just about specs; it’s about reimagining what mobility, productivity, and seamless user experiences can look like in a new generation of devices. Together, we’re building solutions that meet the evolving demands of hybrid lifestyles and work-from-anywhere expectations—something traditional PC configurations struggle to match.

Saurabh Arora – As a global tech leader, we have proven expertise in innovative technology. Our vision is to drive the convergence of mobile and PC, bringing the best of innovation to your laptop. The partnership between Acer and Qualcomm goes far beyond a typical collaboration. This is a deep co-engineering effort, where both companies work hand-in-hand on every layer of development, from hardware to software integration.

This level of integration allows us to unlock the full potential of Snapdragon. Together, we are redefining the personal computing experience and enabling developers to efficiently create apps for this new generation.

Digit – Can you discuss specific Acer devices or product lines that have significantly benefited from Snapdragon technology integration?

Sudhir Goel – The Acer Swift 14 AI laptop stands out as a prime example of how Snapdragon technology has significantly enhanced our product offerings. Powered by the Snapdragon processor, this device benefits from exceptional power efficiency and thermal management, which allows for a sleek, fanless design that keeps the laptop slim and lightweight. Unlike traditional processors that generate more heat and require bulky cooling systems, Snapdragon’s system-on-chip architecture helps us create devices with longer battery life and greater portability, key factors for today’s mobile users. This integration enables the Swift 14 AI to deliver next-generation performance and mobility, making it ideal for professionals and consumers who demand style and substance in their laptops.

Digit – With the integration of AI into Snapdragon-powered laptops, what specific productivity enhancements should end-users expect? We’ve seen local LLMs being incorporated by multiple brands.

Sudhir Goel – At Acer, we are redefining intelligent productivity with Snapdragon-powered laptops built to anticipate user needs and adapt in real-time. AI-driven features like real-time noise suppression, smart auto-framing, background blur, and lighting correction elevate virtual collaboration with a professional touch.

By offloading AI tasks to the Neural Processing Unit (NPU), these devices boost system efficiency, conserve battery life, and maintain responsiveness. With large LLMs running directly on-device, users enjoy fast and secure generative AI capabilities without needing internet access. This seamless integration of performance, privacy, and intelligence marks a new standard in PC productivity.

Saurabh Arora – The new generation of Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Series processors are fundamentally changing how we interact with our PCs. Whether you’re an enterprise user or consumer, you can push the boundaries of what’s possible across productivity, creativity and entertainment with entirely new on-device AI accelerated capabilities.

Not only has Snapdragon X Series been built to enable these experiences, but it’s been optimized for these new workloads with all the benefits of running AI directly on the device, including increased responsiveness, more personalization, greater reliability and enhanced privacy.

· Faster, More Responsive Experiences: Thanks to on-device AI, tasks like summarizing documents, drafting emails, or organizing your calendar happen in real time without needing to connect to the cloud.

· Smarter Multitasking: AI can now anticipate your needs like suggesting the right app or file at the right time, making your workflow smoother and more efficient.

· Always-On Productivity: Snapdragon X Series processors are built for all-day battery life, so you can rely on your laptop to keep up with your pace whether you’re in meetings, traveling, or working remotely.

With workloads like Agentic AI and large language models requiring significantly more compute and memory, our Snapdragon X Series processors are built to handle these demands efficiently, empowering a broad range of devices to support breakthrough capabilities like real-time generative AI, intelligent assistance, and more.

Digit – How does AI-driven computing in your devices contribute to improved security features and data protection for users?

Sudhir Goel – AI-driven computing in our Snapdragon-powered laptops is redefining security, making it more intelligent, responsive, and privacy-focused than ever before. At Acer, we see AI as a performance enhancer and a critical layer in safeguarding the user experience. By handling sensitive processes locally through the NPU, our devices reduce reliance on the cloud, significantly lowering the risk of data exposure and improving response times in detecting abnormalities.

This localized intelligence also enables features like real-time threat detection, behavior-based anomaly tracking, and faster biometric authentication—all happening seamlessly in the background. It’s about giving users peace of mind without interrupting their workflow. In a time when privacy and security expectations are higher than ever, we are proud that our AI capabilities deliver a proactive, deeply integrated protection layer that elevates confidence and convenience.

Saurabh Arora – Security is foundational to the Snapdragon computing experience. By leveraging on-device AI, we’re able to process sensitive tasks like authentication and threat detection locally, keeping personal data private and reducing reliance on the cloud. With built-in hardware-level security and a dedicated NPU, Snapdragon-powered laptops can intelligently detect malware, block phishing attempts, and adapt to user behavior in real time, all without compromising performance or battery life. It’s a smarter, more secure approach to computing that puts users in control of their data

Digit – Could you provide examples of unique user-experience innovations enabled by Qualcomm’s AI capabilities integrated into Acer laptops?

Sudhir Goel – Qualcomm’s advanced AI capabilities have allowed Acer to deliver a more intuitive, seamless user experience on our latest laptops. Features like real-time noise suppression, auto framing, and intelligent image enhancement make virtual meetings feel more human and less fatiguing, elevating day-to-day collaboration.

Also, AI enables background blur and removal, enhances multitasking with Windows Copilot, and intelligently optimizes power usage for all-day performance without constant charging. Because all AI processing happens locally on the Snapdragon NPU, users benefit from enhanced speed, responsiveness, and privacy. These innovations create a laptop experience that naturally adapts to the way people work and live.

Saurabh Arora – What’s truly exciting about Snapdragon-powered laptops is how AI is enabling entirely new ways to engage with your device, not just enhancing what already exists, but unlocking experiences that weren’t possible before. Features like Click to Do help streamline task execution with intelligent suggestions, and Intelligent Windows Search makes finding files, apps, or information faster and more intuitive than ever.

These capabilities are powered by on-device AI that learns how you work, prioritizing frequently used apps, optimizing performance in the background, and adapting to your environment in real time. We’re also seeing AI make a meaningful impact in areas like accessibility and contextual awareness, helping the device respond more intelligently, conserve power without disrupting workflow, and adjust seamlessly to different usage scenarios.

It’s these subtle, intelligent enhancements that make the experience feel more natural and less manual. That’s where true device intelligence begins, and it’s only possible with the deep integration of Snapdragon and Windows Copilot+.

Digit – What role does Qualcomm’s 5G technology play in enhancing the mobility and connectivity of Acer’s laptops, particularly for remote and hybrid working scenarios?

Sudhir Goel – At Acer, we view Qualcomm’s 5G technology as a breakthrough for professionals working in remote or hybrid setups. With built-in 5G in our Snapdragon-powered laptops, users enjoy secure, reliable connectivity without relying on public Wi-Fi or mobile hotspots.

This constant, high-speed access supports a truly mobile workstyle from airport lounges to cafés or during commutes, while maintaining strong performance and battery life. In markets like India, where 5G coverage is rapidly expanding, it significantly boosts productivity. More than just speed, it enables a seamless, secure, and efficient computing experience wherever work happens.

Saurabh Arora – At Qualcomm, we see 5G as a foundational technology for the mobile-first experiences that modern professionals demand. While current Acer laptops with the Snapdragon X Series platform don’t yet include 5G connectivity, we believe the opportunity is significant.

As the ecosystem evolves and user expectations around always-on, secure, and high-speed connectivity continue to grow, we’re actively exploring how and when to bring 5G into future devices. Our platform is already optimized for seamless integration, and when the time is right, we’re confident that 5G will further elevate the Snapdragon PC experience, enabling uninterrupted collaboration, real-time cloud access, and true mobility without compromise.

Digit – Beyond work applications, what innovative entertainment experiences are Acer laptops providing users, specifically due to 5G connectivity?

Sudhir Goel – In today’s hyper-connected world, entertainment is just as critical as productivity, and 5G is unlocking a whole new level of on-the-go experiences on our Snapdragon-powered laptops. With Qualcomm’s ultra-fast, low-latency 5G technology, users can seamlessly stream 4K content, dive into immersive multimedia, and enjoy smooth, lag-free online gaming wherever they are.

This level of connectivity redefines entertainment mobility. Users are no longer tethered to home broadband or reliant on patchy public Wi-Fi. Whether streaming HD content during travel or engaging in multiplayer gaming from remote locations, Acer’s 5G-enabled laptops ensure uninterrupted entertainment with exceptional mobility, seamless connectivity, and high-performance computing—anytime, anywhere.

Digit – Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms have shown remarkable energy efficiency in laptops, is the competition far behind with the latest Lunar Lake and Ryzen 300 AI series?

Sudhir Goel – Energy efficiency has become one of the most defining advances in modern laptop design. Built on a mobile-first architecture, Snapdragon platforms offer significantly lower power consumption, enabling ultra-slim, fanless designs with all-day battery life that aligns with today’s mobile workstyles.

With new players like Intel’s Lunar Lake and AMD’s Ryzen 300 AI series entering the field, the landscape is evolving rapidly. However, Snapdragon continues to hold a distinct edge in sustained performance-per-watt, thermal optimization, and AI capabilities at the device level. This growing competition is a positive force – it’s accelerating innovation and pushing the entire PC industry toward smarter, more efficient computing.

Saurabh Arora – The Snapdragon platform, built on ARM architecture, is engineered for efficiency from the ground up. It enables ultra-thin, fan-less laptops that deliver multi-day battery life, without compromising on performance or responsiveness.

As low-power computing attracts new players, Snapdragon continues to lead with sustained performance per watt, tight thermal control, and scalable on-device AI execution. These aren’t just incremental gains, they’re the result of years of deep platform optimization and architectural leadership.

We welcome the growing energy around this category. It validates the direction we’ve been heading for years. But our focus remains clear: delivering reliable, high-performance, energy-efficient laptops that meet the evolving needs of modern users.

Digit – As Qualcomm expands its Snapdragon ecosystem into PCs, what have been the challenges along the way, and how have both companies worked together to overcome them?

Sudhir Goel – Bringing the Snapdragon ecosystem into the PC category hasn’t been without its challenges. Qualcomm has been known for the innovations in Mobile but they have built X series processors to meet the performance expectations and software demands of traditional laptops required deep engineering collaboration. One of the critical hurdles we faced was ensuring that Snapdragon’s architecture could deliver seamless compatibility and performance across a wide range of PC workloads, from productivity to content creation.

We have worked together at every stage, from system design and AI enablement to thermal tuning to extract the full potential of the Snapdragon platform. It’s this level of co-development that has allowed us to create devices that not only reflect the power of mobile-first efficiency but also meet the versatility and performance expectations of modern PC users.

Saurabh Arora – From day one, we’ve been focused on ensuring that Snapdragon-powered laptops deliver a seamless experience across the apps people rely on most. Through close collaboration with Microsoft and leading software partners, we’ve built a robust compatibility layer that supports a wide range of existing applications, right out of the box.

At the same time, we’re working proactively with top software companies to bring fully optimized versions of their apps to the Snapdragon X platform. This includes everything from productivity tools to creative and enterprise software. The progress has been tremendous. As the ecosystem continues to grow, users can expect even more responsive, efficient, and native experiences across the board.

Digit – What key trends do you foresee shaping the PC industry over the next five years, and how is your collaboration positioned to lead or adapt to these developments?

Sudhir Goel – AI, mobility, and sustainability will define the next phase of the PC industry. Users expect devices that are faster, smarter, and more efficient, with AI enabling real-time personalization and enhanced performance. As hybrid work becomes the norm, long battery life, strong connectivity, and responsible design are becoming core expectations.

Our collaboration with Qualcomm is aligned with these shifts. By integrating Snapdragon platforms, we’re building high-performance laptops that combine intelligent features, 5G connectivity, and energy efficiency, delivering solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern users.

Saurabh Arora – Looking ahead, we see three major forces shaping the future of the PC industry: AI-first computing, enhanced mobility, and robust data and security. As devices become more intelligent and responsive, AI will be central to delivering personalized, real-time experiences, and the Snapdragon X Series is purpose-built for this shift. With advanced on-device AI processing, we’re enabling powerful capabilities without relying on the cloud.

We also anticipate a rise in hybrid computing models, where devices intelligently balance local AI execution with secure cloud access for more complex workloads. This is where Snapdragon’s low power, high performance, and deep software ecosystem give us a distinct advantage. Our collaboration with partners like Acer positions us to lead in this next era of intelligent, secure, and highly mobile computing.

Digit – How are both companies addressing sustainability and environmental concerns through your combined efforts in next-gen computing?

Sudhir Goel – Sustainability is no longer a parallel initiative; it’s an integral part of product innovation, and both companies are approaching it as a shared responsibility. On the hardware side, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X series platforms offer a distinct advantage with their power-efficient architecture. By reducing the energy draw at the processor level, these platforms naturally extend battery life, which in turn contributes to a smaller carbon footprint over a device’s lifecycle.

Here at Acer, we have aligned our product design and manufacturing processes with aggressive sustainability goals, which include integrating post-consumer recycled materials, optimizing logistics to lower emissions, and ensuring our packaging is environmentally friendly. When these efforts converge, energy-efficient silicon and sustainable product engineering, we are not just building advanced laptops; we are actively shaping a computing future that’s as conscious as it is capable.

Saurabh Arora – Sustainability is a key focus for both Qualcomm and Acer as we shape the future of computing. Snapdragon’s energy-efficient System-on-Chip (SoC) architecture allows us to build thinner, fan-less laptops that not only consume less power but also require fewer physical components. This streamlined design helps reduce material usage and minimize environmental impact across the device lifecycle.

Additionally, the extended battery life of Snapdragon-powered devices means fewer charging cycles and lower overall energy consumption. Combined with reduced reliance on active cooling systems and compact motherboard designs, we’re able to deliver platforms that are more resource-efficient from both a manufacturing and usage standpoint.

Digit – How significant a role do you expect ARM-based processors, like Snapdragon X Elite to play in reshaping the traditional laptop market currently dominated by x86 architecture?

Sudhir Goel – ARM-based processors like Snapdragon X Elite mark a major shift in how laptops are designed and experienced. Unlike traditional x86 architecture, which has long delivered performance at the cost of power and heat, ARM platforms are built for efficiency, enabling fanless, ultra-portable devices that support all-day use.

This new approach eliminates the need to choose between performance and battery life or between connectivity and portability. ARM allows for more flexible, forward-looking designs with features like on-device AI, instant-on responsiveness, and built-in 5G. As adoption grows, ARM is set to play a key role in redefining what users expect from their PCs.

Saurabh Arora – ARM-based processors like the Snapdragon X Elite are poised to play a transformative role in reshaping the traditional laptop market. The future of the PC industry is modern Arm-based architectures and Snapdragon compute platforms will continue to lead and define the future of productivity, education, and connected entertainment. Our early investments, collaboration with Microsoft positions Qualcomm Technologies to drive this industry wide transition. Snapdragon X Elite is redefining what’s possible in modern PC design. By delivering exceptional performance-per-watt, we’re enabling full-scale computing in thinner, cooler, and quieter.

Digit – Looking forward, how do you see this partnership evolving? Are there plans to extend the collaboration beyond laptops into other computing segments? Any applications for the Snapdragon G3/G2?

Sudhir Goel – Looking ahead, our partnership with Qualcomm is set to deepen and expand beyond laptops. With a shared focus on driving innovation, we are exploring new device categories such as detachable PCs, tablets, and other emerging segments powered by Snapdragon G3 and G2 platforms.

These platforms offer adaptable performance and connectivity suited to diverse user needs beyond traditional computing. By combining Qualcomm’s advanced chip technology with our design and engineering expertise, we aim to create a broader ecosystem of devices that integrate AI, 5G, and energy-efficient performance, delivering more powerful, versatile, and connected experiences across multiple form factors.

Saurabh Arora – While our current focus is on delivering exceptional experiences in the laptop space, the potential for Snapdragon platforms extends well beyond. With solutions like Snapdragon G3 and G2, we’re exploring new frontiers in consumer technology, from high-performance gaming devices to AI-driven edge systems.

These platforms are designed with versatility at their core, combining performance, energy efficiency, and advanced connectivity to power a wide range of next-generation experiences. Our collaboration with Acer is rooted in long-term innovation, and we’re excited about the possibilities that lie ahead, not just in computing.