Lost laptops cost money and sleep. Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon Guardian aims to fix that with hardware-level control that works even when a PC is off or won’t boot. It ships as a secure subsystem on the Snapdragon X2 Elite family announced at Snapdragon Summit 2025. Expect stronger manageability, always-connected reach over Wi-Fi and 5G, and tools to locate, lock or wipe devices at scale. First systems are expected from OEM partners starting 2026.
How Snapdragon Guardian works
Snapdragon Guardian blends hardware, firmware and cloud services inside the X2 platform to keep a control path open. That enables out-of-band actions when the OS is down or the device is powered off.
- Built as a secure subsystem on Snapdragon X2 Elite
- Uses Wi-Fi and 5G for out-of-band reach
- Locate, lock and remote-wipe lost PCs
- Designed for consumers and enterprise fleets
Guardian pairs on-chip logic with always-connected radios so admins can push critical commands even if Windows is unresponsive. The promise is simple: control the device, not just the OS. Qualcomm positions this as an extension of its always-connected PC push, but now with deeper device-level control.
What’s new with Snapdragon X2 Elite
The X2 Elite is Qualcomm’s second-gen Arm laptop silicon, following this year’s Copilot+ PCs. It adds more cores, faster clocks and a much bigger NPU.
- Up to 18 CPU cores and peak clocks up to 5.0 GHz on select SKUs
- Fabricated on 3 nm for better performance per watt
- 80 TOPS Hexagon NPU for on-device AI
- Improved GPU performance over first-gen X Elite
Qualcomm also introduced an X2 Elite Extreme tier. Together, these chips target longer battery life and faster AI workloads while keeping systems always connected. You can read more about the Snapdragon X2 Elite specs and 80 TOPS NPU in our detailed coverage. The first laptops are expected in the first half of 2026, with broader OEM coverage than the first wave.
Enterprise manageability at scale
Guardian is pitched as a relief valve for IT: fewer truck rolls, faster incidents closed, and better compliance.
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- Push policies and updates over cellular or Wi-Fi
- Recover or wipe machines that won’t boot
- Improve asset visibility for remote teams
- Reduce loss exposure and help with audit trails
Always-on connectivity plus a separate secure control path means devices can be serviced beyond the OS. This aligns with Qualcomm’s long-running “always connected PC” vision, now with a security and fleet-ops slant. It’s also a clearer answer to what Windows on Arm brings to IT beyond battery life.
Timing and what to expect
OEM partners will ship X2 systems next year into 2026. Expect Guardian-equipped Copilot+ laptops from brands already active here, with Wi-Fi 7 and 5G options. Pricing will depend on configuration and NPU class; for context, our recent coverage of the Acer Swift Air 16 Copilot+ shows mainstream AI laptops starting around AED 3,399.
Who should care
- IT teams needing remote recovery and faster incident response
- Retail and field staff that lose devices to travel and shared use
- Consumers who want a find-my-laptop that actually works when the OS won’t
Guardian’s pitch is less about specs and more about certainty: the device answers the call, even when Windows doesn’t.
Can Snapdragon Guardian work if the laptop is powered off?
Yes. It’s designed as a secure subsystem on the X2 platform with Wi-Fi and 5G paths for out-of-band control, including locating, locking and wiping even when the OS is down or the device is off.
When will Snapdragon X2 Elite laptops reach stores?
Qualcomm and partners signal first devices in the first half of 2026.
How is X2 Elite different from the first-gen X Elite?
More CPU cores, higher clocks, a much faster 80 TOPS NPU and broader performance gains across CPU and GPU, plus the addition of Snapdragon Guardian for manageability.
