Mike Peterson
Microsoft isn't making a version of Windows 11 compatible with ARM-based Apple Silicon because it has a secret exclusivity deal with Qualcomm, according to a new report.
ARM-based versions of the Windows operating system have reportedly only been made available on devices with Qualcomm chips because of a previously unreported deal between the two firms, according to XDA-Developers.
Sources told the outlet that the deal might expire soon, but there's no clear date for when that will happen. XDA-Developers notes that the expiration will allow other vendors to create machines with ARM-based versions of Windows.
Boot Camp is currently not accessible on M1, M1 Pro, or M1 Max machines. That's because there's a lack of Windows support, and there doesn't appear to be plans to bring an ARM-based version of Windows to Apple Silicon Macs.
Microsoft and Qualcomm have had a strong relationship over the years, XDA-Developers notes. Both companies announced Windows on Arm back in 2016, and Microsoft also sourced Qualcomm chips for its Windows Phones.
Qualcomm, for its part, has its sights set on competing with Apple Silicon. The company, through its acquisition of startup Nuvia, is aiming to take on Apple's proprietary silicon in the laptop chip space in "nine months.
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22 Comments
There is a lack of Windows on ARM for Qualcomm or any manufacturer. By that I mean that you cannot buy a released version of Windows 11 or 10 from Microsoft for any ARM device. Having said that, the Microsoft Windows 11 Insider Preview for ARM, which is pre-release software, runs just fine in a Parallels VM on an Apple Silicon Mac mini. Please note that there is no guarantee that Microsoft will actually release such pre-release software but obviously they could if they wanted to. (And it runs great!)
I wonder if MS is going to wait for Q’s chips? I mean Apple has systems out there now. MS could be selling Windows for them now. There’s no promise that even if the chips come out in nine months, that they will be in hardware within a year, year and a half. And that’s assuming the chips don’t get delayed, conceivably pushing the competition out to two or more years. That’s leaving a lot of money on the table.
Is Microsoft desperate enough to have the (full version of Windows) run native on a Qualcomm owned product? Will others want to have anything to do with Qualcomm when they can roll their own chip and avoid a FRAND Qualcomm scenario? Qualcomm is worse than Intel in that respect.
I think Microsoft is more interested in Windows 365 Cloud