Note that this is not the first time that ASUS has made an ARM-based computer. Last year the company launched the ASUS NovaGo laptop which was powered by a Snapdragon chipset from Qualcomm, so this latest piece of news doesn’t really come as a surprise. However apart from the use of the Snapdragon 1000 and its use of Windows 10, not much else is known about this device.
It is actually an interesting shift because we’re starting to see more companies develop computers that do not necessarily use Intel’s processors. If this trend continues, it is easy to see how and why Apple could be looking to do the same. There are advantages to using ARM-based chipsets in place of Intel’s regular processors.
This is because they tend to be more energy efficient (think about your phone’s battery life versus a laptop), and will also do away with the need for active cooling, such as fans, which can result in a device that’s thinner and lighter. In any case take it with a grain of salt for now, but hopefully we’ll have more details to share soon.