For years, the promise of a Windows laptop with MacBook-like battery life has felt just out of reach, held back by slow performance and poor software compatibility. In late 2025, that has finally changed. Thanks to the widespread adoption of laptops powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chip, ARM-based Windows laptops are now, for the first time, truly competitive with Apple’s M-series MacBooks.
The Game Changer: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite
Previous ARM chips for Windows were essentially modified smartphone processors. The Snapdragon X Elite, however, was designed from the ground up to compete with Apple’s M-series, and the results are impressive.
- Performance: In multi-core performance benchmarks, the Snapdragon X Elite is a beast, trading blows with and often beating Apple’s base M3 and M4 chips. While Apple still maintains a slight lead in single-core speed, the real-world performance difference for most tasks is now negligible.
- Efficiency and Battery Life: This is the headline achievement. Laptops from Microsoft, Dell, and Lenovo featuring this chip are the first Windows machines to consistently deliver true all-day battery life (15-20 hours of real-world use), finally matching the legendary endurance of the MacBook Air.
The Software Problem: Is It Finally Solved?
The biggest historical weakness of Windows on ARM has always been software. Early versions relied on slow emulation for most apps, leading to a frustrating experience.
- The Current State (Late 2025): The situation is dramatically better. Spurred by Microsoft, a huge number of major applications now run natively on Windows on ARM. This includes all major web browsers, the full Microsoft Office suite, Adobe’s Creative Cloud apps, and many other essential developer and productivity tools.
- The Emulation Layer: For older legacy apps that haven’t been recompiled for ARM, the “Prism” emulation layer in the latest version of Windows is now remarkably fast and seamless. While native apps are always better, the emulation experience is no longer the deal-breaker it once was.
Step 2: Offer Next Step
The article on ARM-based Windows laptops is now complete. The next topic on our list is a review of the best noise-cancelling headphones. Shall I prepare that for you?