John Lewis and Currys PC World to sell ARM-based Windows 10 laptops

John Lewis and Currys PC World to sell ARM-based Windows 10 PCs

John Lewis and PC World will be among the major stores stocking Qualcomm ARM-based Windows 10 PCs when they are released - possibly as soon as April.

The devices - laptops and netbooks - ought to offer greatly enhanced battery life in a slimmer form factor at lower prices than conventional laptops.

In the UK, the "always-connected" Windows 10 PCs will be available to pick up at Asus stores, the BT Shop (what used to be known as Dabs.com), John Lewis, Microsoft stores and Currys PC World.

The first devices to go on sale will no doubt be the already-announced Asus NovaGo, HP Envy X2 and Lenovo's Miix 630. But there will almost certainly be a flurry of announcements of Qualcomm-powered laptops at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade show next week.

There's no word on exact availability as yet, with Qualcomm sticking to its previously-announced "Q2" release date.

EE will be Qualcomm and Microsoft's exclusive network partner in the UK. The chipmaker also announced today that in the US, where ARM-based Windows 10 PCs will be available to buy via Amazon and Microsoft, customers will have a choice of either Sprint or Verizon.

"Microsoft and Qualcomm Technologies have worked closely with leading PC manufacturers to push the boundaries of what a Windows PC can do and how it performs, while still offering the features and innovative experiences that Windows 10 users expect," said Matt Barlow, corporate vice president of Windows and Devices at Microsoft.

"We are thrilled that consumers around the globe can now experience Always Connected PCs to enjoy incredible battery life and great performance."

Microsoft previously experimented with ARM-based processors when it launched the Surface RT in 2012, but these didn't prove wildly popular due to the fact that they could not run conventional Windows apps, while software could only be installed via the Windows Store.

The firm's partnership with Qualcomm see the firm giving ARM-powered laptops another shot. The devices, which run Microsoft's Windows 10 S operating system, will offer 'always-on' LTE connectivity, and Microsoft claims that Qualcomm-powered PCs will resume "instantly" once opened, unlike traditional x86-powered laptops.

What's more, with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 processor powering them, Microsoft claims that, in terms of battery life, these devices will blow traditional laptops out of the water, with users set to get "20 to 30 hours" of juice from a single charge.