Google and Qualcomm are adapting Android 16 for Snapdragon X laptops, paving the way for Samsung, ASUS and Lenovo devices. First models could appear by 2026.
© A. Krivonosov
Android looks ready to step beyond phones and tablets. Qualcomm and Google have begun working together to adapt Android 16 for laptops built on Snapdragon X chips—the same silicon that had previously been aimed exclusively at Windows 11.
An insider using the handle Jukanlosreve posted screenshots confirming that Android 16’s code now includes support for a system-on-chip codenamed Purwa, part of the Snapdragon X series. That change effectively opens the door for full-fledged Android notebooks from Samsung, ASUS, and Lenovo.
If the project goes ahead, Samsung could, for the first time, assemble an ecosystem on par with Apple’s, where laptops, phones, tablets, and watches operate within a single software environment. Today, Galaxy devices run Android, but Samsung’s laptops are confined to Windows and ChromeOS, which keeps true, deep syncing out of reach.
Android laptops could shift the market’s balance—so long as Google delivers optimization of key apps and professional tools for a desktop setting. The announcement timing remains unclear, though industry watchers believe the first models could arrive as soon as 2026. The real test will be execution: without desktop-grade software readiness, the promise won’t translate into everyday gains.