Windows, Android to get Apple's best feature thanks to Snapdragon Seamless cross-platform linking

At the recent Snapdragon Summit held in Hawaii, Qualcomm made several significant announcements, including the unveiling of its flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. In addition to this powerful mobile platform, the company introduced an innovative cross-platform technology called Snapdragon Seamless.

Snapdragon Seamless aims to facilitate seamless connectivity between various devices, making it easier for Android, Windows, and Snapdragon-powered devices with other operating systems to interact. This technology enables these devices to discover each other, share peripherals, and exchange data, enhancing the user experience.

While Windows already includes a Phone Link feature, the cross-platform integration between Android devices and PCs has not reached the same level of seamlessness as Apple’s ecosystem.

Apple’s products have become known for their smooth cross-device connectivity, allowing users to effortlessly link multiple Apple devices and use their services across various platforms. With Snapdragon Seamless, Qualcomm is striving to offer a similar level of connectivity between Snapdragon-enabled mobile devices and Windows PCs.

Qualcomm emphasizes that supported devices will be able to work together as an integrated system, bridging the gap between devices from different manufacturers that often struggle to communicate effectively. This technology aims to provide consumers with more choices and reduce the feeling of being locked into a single manufacturer’s ecosystem.

Snapdragon Seamless has several practical applications, such as enabling mice and keyboards to function seamlessly across PCs, phones, and tablets. It also allows users to drag and drop files and active windows between devices and intelligently switch earbuds based on audio source priority.

Qualcomm has garnered the support of several major companies in this venture. Collaborators include Microsoft, Android, Xiaomi, ASUS, Honor, Lenovo, and OPPO, among others. Snapdragon Seamless is set to become available on a global scale later this year, though the exact release date was not specified.

According to Qualcomm, this cross-platform technology is integrated into its mobile platforms, including the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, its latest flagship mobile processor. It is also a part of the Snapdragon X Elite platform for PCs. In addition to this, Qualcomm plans to extend the technology to XR (Extended Reality), Auto, and IoT (Internet of Things) platforms in the future.