Qualcomm Snapdragon Southeast Asia Summit Experience: Heralding AI PC Era in the Region

If there’s one thing that the Qualcomm Snapdragon Southeast Asia Summit made clear, it’s that AI-powered PCs are here to change the game.

I had the privilege of attending this exclusive event at the W Hotel, Sentosa Cove, Singapore, from February 25 to 27, 2025, where media from across the APAC region and industry insiders got a firsthand look at the next generation of intelligent, high-performance computing powered by Snapdragon X Series processors.

Qualcomm Executives and Industry Leaders at the first ever Snapdragon X Series Southeast Asia Summit

From real-time AI processing to extended battery life and seamless multitasking, Snapdragon X Series is leading a revolution in personal computing. Qualcomm is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, and I got to witness it all up close.

Members of the media from the across the region gathering at the grand ballroom of W Singapore Hotel at Sentosa Cove for the start of the Snapdragon Southeast Asia Summit with the theme "Bringing AI PC to Everyone"

AI for Everyone: The Snapdragon X Series Unveiled

The event kicked off with an engaging keynote by Kedar Kondap, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Compute and Gaming, Qualcomm Technologies Inc. He emphasized how the Snapdragon X Series is designed to bring AI-powered computing to more users while maintaining competitive pricing and top-tier performance.

“We are ushering in a new era where AI tasks will happen automatically and seamlessly, enhancing productivity and creativity for all users,” Kedar shared.

This announcement set the stage for an exciting showcase of how Snapdragon X Series devices integrate on-device AI to improve security, efficiency, and performance without depending on the cloud. Qualcomm’s vision is clear: the future of AI computing is now and it is for everyone.

Watch Mr. Kondap's Welcome Keynote at the first ever Snapdragon X Series Southeast Asia Summit in which he also explained the many advantages of Qualcomm's AI PC processors over competitors:

Mr. Kondap highlighted the explosive growth of AI-powered PCs (AIPCs) in Southeast Asia. He noted that in 2024 alone, over 8 million PCs were shipped in the region, underscoring the surging demand for AI-driven technology. "As AI takes center stage, the economy is set to add more than a trillion dollars in Southeast Asia by 2030," Kondap shared. He also praised Singapore as a "global innovation powerhouse," ranking among the top three on the global AI index. With consumers in the region leading the adoption of generative AI (Gen AI), AI spending is projected to hit $650 million by 2026.

Kondap highlighted the transformative impact of Gen AI across various industries, from manufacturing and operations to creativity and law. "There isn't a single industry that is not going to get impacted in a positive manner with the deployment of Gen AI," he said. He also shared Qualcomm's own experience, where engineers use CodeGen to automate coding tasks, and program managers leverage CoPilot and CoPilot Plus to enhance productivity. Kondap emphasized the return on investment of Gen AI, stating that integrating it into workflows "is going to generate a significant positive impact" on efficiency. Qualcomm's goal is to deliver on-device AI to every consumer, helping drive innovation and growth.

Looking ahead, Kondap revealed that 92% of employees in the Asia Pacific region plan to implement AI tools by 2028, potentially saving "more than 11 billion hours per week" in productivity gains. He described Qualcomm's close partnership with Microsoft in their mission to transform the PC market. "We truly believe that the PC is reborn," he said, explaining how Microsoft's next-generation operating system with CoPilot Plus offers exclusive features on Snapdragon platforms. To delve deeper into these advancements, Kondap introduced his colleague Adam AI, setting the stage for the event's next presentation.

Snapdragon Fireside Chat: Industry Insights & AI PC Adoption in Southeast Asia

One of the highlights of the summit was the Snapdragon Fireside Chat, moderated by ST Liew, Vice President and President of SEATANZ, Qualcomm Technologies Inc. The session brought together some of the biggest names in the PC industry, namely:

Jimmy Lin, Regional Director, SEA, ASUS

Paul Carter, VP Client Solutions, JAPAC & GCR, Dell

Tarun Relhan, Head of Advanced Computing Systems, Greater Asia Region, HP Inc.

Sachin Bhatia, CMO, Greater Asia Region, Lenovo Personal Computing & Smart Devices

Key discussion points included:

AI at the Core of the PC Revolution: The panelists discussed how Snapdragon X Series is making AI-powered features an everyday experience for users.

The Rise of ARM-Based Laptops: ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo shared how they are embracing ARM-based technology to drive the next phase of computing.

The Power of On-Device AI: With Snapdragon X’s NPU-powered processing, users can expect faster AI performance, improved security, and enhanced energy efficiency.

Consumer Adoption and Market Potential: Industry leaders project that ARM-based laptops will capture 25% of the market share by 2027, with Southeast Asia playing a key role in this growth.

Watch the full Snapdragon Southeast Asia Summit Fireside Chat panel discussion here to get a glimpse of how tech giants are planning to make AI PCs more accessible across Southeast Asia:

In a nutshell, the fireside conversation centered around the Snapdragon platform's role in driving AI adoption in the resion with its X Series chipsets' balance of performance and energy efficiency.

The panelists highlighted the region's openness to new technologies and the importance of addressing its diverse market with a range of devices and price points. They also emphasized the need for continued innovation in AI applications, particularly in the commercial space.

Key Quotes:

ST Liew (Qualcomm, Moderator): "The future of AI is already happening... The future is there for us... to make, and let's do it together."

Paul Carter (Dell): "Southeast Asia is a leading region when it comes to the adoption of new technologies... Consumers... are going to buy something that is powerful... that drives their use cases... and Snapdragon certainly does."

Tarun Relhan (HP): "When I go and talk to them [customers] about the new ARM architecture, they are more than happy to at least listen because the proposition that Snapdragon is bringing in today... is actually unbeatable."

Jimmy Lin (ASUS): "Education is the key to let them know the technology... We have to prove to them that this is the device worth buying."

Sachin Bhatia (Lenovo): "Innovation in Southeast Asia is incomplete without embracing new technology... Southeast Asia is opening its arms for ARM."

Key Themes:

Southeast Asia as a Leading Adopter: The panelists agreed that Southeast Asia is a key market for AI PC adoption due to its rapid growth, openness to new technologies, and diverse user base.

Snapdragon's Value Proposition: The Snapdragon platform's combination of performance, energy efficiency, and AI capabilities was seen as a key driver of AI PC adoption in the region.

Importance of Diverse Portfolio: To address the diverse needs of the Southeast Asian market, the panelists emphasized the importance of offering a range of devices at different price points.

Need for Continued AI Innovation: While acknowledging the progress made in AI applications, the panelists called for continued innovation, particularly in developing AI solutions for the commercial space.

Live Demos: Hands-On AI Innovation

Qualcomm didn’t just talk about the future of AI computing—it let us experience it. Attendees were invited to explore the Snapdragon X Series’ capabilities across two interactive demo areas: the Creative Zone and the Beach Zone.

Creative Zone

Live Music Creation: Snapdragon-powered devices showcased near-zero latency, allowing musicians to play and hear their performances instantly—revolutionizing music production on AI PCs.

Musicians showcased near-zero latency on Snapdragon-powered devices, demonstrating how these AI PCs could revolutionize live music performance. As one presenter noted, "There's no latency in changing the different sound," enabling musicians to seamlessly switch between audio effects while playing. The demo featured a pianist effortlessly transitioning between church organ sounds and other tones, showing how the technology allows artists to "choose whatever sound you want and then just play… without trouble in terms of the latency." This instant responsiveness ensures musicians can focus on their creativity without the typical technical limitations of digital audio workstations.

The guitarist also demonstrated how Snapdragon X Series technology could replace traditional equipment with a compact, AI-driven setup. Instead of lugging around heavy amplifiers and multiple pedals, musicians could use a single laptop loaded with every effect, amplifier, and gadget they needed. "Imagine... very big amplifiers but just here," a guitarist explained, emphasizing the convenience of carrying only a laptop for a full live performance. The demo highlighted how AI PCs can handle complex audio processing, including dynamic sound changes and multi-effect setups, without any noticeable delay.

Watch the full demonstation here:

Performance Benchmarks: Attendees saw firsthand how Snapdragon-powered PCs deliver consistent, high-performance computing, whether plugged in or running on battery.

Ultimate Productivity Setup: Featuring an impressive 15K total resolution display, AI-powered peripherals, and a seamless NPU-driven workflow, this demo highlighted the future of multitasking.

Beach Zone

Pro Headshot Photography: The auto-cropping and Match Look features, powered by Snapdragon’s Hexagon NPU, delivered professional-quality images in seconds.

Breakthrough Audio Experience: Moises Live and djay Pro showcased real-time AI-powered audio enhancements, allowing dynamic sound mixing with 5x faster performance.

Copilot+ AI Features: Snapdragon X Series PCs demonstrated enhanced AI-driven assistance, making tasks like image restyling, improved Windows search, and live captions more intuitive than ever.

Media Roundtable

During the Philippine media roundtable, which followed the keynote presentations, fireside chat, and product demos, Qualcomm executives ST Liew and Nitin Kumar discussed the company's vision for transforming the PC industry through its Snapdragon X Series chipsets, particularly focusing on the AI PC market. Nitin highlighted how the PC industry has seen stagnant innovation for years, with "nothing exciting" in terms of device experience. Qualcomm aims to bring the same premium experience seen in its Snapdragon mobile platforms to Windows PCs, delivering advancements in productivity, performance, and battery efficiency. "Our goal is to enrich the lives of the users that use our product, and we are on that mission," Nitin emphasized.

Qualcomm has been embedding AI into its mobile chips for over a decade, and this experience is now being brought into the PC space through the company's Snapdragon X Series processors. Nitin mentioned, "Microsoft Co-Pilot Plus has more than 40 AI models running natively on the NPU because of its low power architecture that we provide." This not only enhances performance but also ensures a longer battery life. ST Liew shared a practical example of this benefit, noting how a Snapdragon-powered laptop remained cool and functional during a long train ride, unlike traditional laptops that "cook your laps."

 ST Liew, VP of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and President of Qualcomm’s business in Taiwan and Southeast Asia, and Nitin Kumar, Senior Director, Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., with the tech media from the Philippines at the first ever Qualcomm Snapdragon X Series Southeast Asia Summit (Photo Credit: Edelman)

Qualcomm is also focusing on broadening the appeal of its AI-enabled PCs to various market segments, from consumers to commercial users. The Snapdragon X platform supports applications like large language models (LLMs) running entirely offline, offering unique benefits for productivity and convenience. "You can get your homework done if you're a student, write essays as a researcher, or even plan a family vacation," Nitin said, emphasizing the versatility of the platform. Additionally, Qualcomm's open developer strategy aims to empower smaller developers by providing tools that simplify application optimization for Snapdragon devices.

Addressing price sensitivity in the Philippine market, Qualcomm has been scaling its Snapdragon X Series to reach more affordable price points while maintaining robust AI capabilities. The introduction of lower-tier models, such as the Snapdragon X8, has helped bring the price down to around $800, making AI-powered PCs more accessible. "Our mission is to provide that AI capability to everyone, democratizing on-device AI," Nitin shared. With a strong roadmap and a commitment to innovation, Qualcomm is poised to reshape the PC market, offering a compelling alternative for users seeking powerful and efficient devices.

You can watch the full Philippine media roundtable with Qualcomm executives here:

Snapdragon X Series Powered Devices

Snapdragon Southeast Asia Summit held in Singapore, several leading PC manufacturers showcased their latest AI PCs powered by Snapdragon X Series processors. These cutting-edge devices highlight the growing trend of incorporating artificial intelligence into everyday computing, offering enhanced performance, improved efficiency, and smarter features. 

The event featured presentations and a panel discussion, followed by an up-close look at a wide array of AI-powered PCs from popular brands like Asus, Lenovo, Microsoft, Acer, and Dell.

Among the showcased devices, Asus brought several AI PCs to the table, including the VivoBook S16, ProArt EZ3, VivoBook 14, and ZenBook A14. Lenovo also impressed attendees with its ThinkPad T14s, Yoga Slim 7x, IdeaPad 5x 21, and IdeaPad Slim 5x models.

Microsoft introduced the versatile Surface Pro, while Acer highlighted the Swift Go 14 AI. These devices demonstrate how AI integration can offer smarter multitasking, personalized experiences, and enhanced productivity for users.

Dell had a strong presence as well, presenting models like the Inspiron 5441, Latitude 7455, and the premium XPS 13. With Snapdragon X Series processors at the core, these AI PCs promise to deliver seamless performance and next-level computing experiences.

As the PC industry embraces the future and continues to move forward, the Snapdragon Southeast Asia Summit provided a glimpse into the future of AI-powered devices, where enhanced processing power and intelligent features are becoming the new standard.

Snapdragon X Series powered laptops can be thinner and lighter than the Apple Macbook Air, which was proven at the product demo area of Snapdragon Southeast Asia Summit. This is made possible in huge part by the energy-efficiency of Snapdragon X Series chipsets.

The AI PC Era in APAC Begins Now

The First Qualcomm Snapdragon X Series Southeast Asia Summit officially heralded the beginning of the AI PC Era in the region. From groundbreaking discussions with industry leaders to immersive hands-on demos, this summit proved that Snapdragon X Series is redefining what users can expect from their PCs.

Qualcomm Snapdragon Southeast Asia Summit gathered tech media from across the region.

AI-powered personal computing is no longer a futuristic dream. It’s here, it’s intelligent, and it’s only getting better. Qualcomm is leading the charge, and after witnessing the innovation firsthand, I can confidently say that the AI PC era has officially begun.

Thanks for having me, Qualcomm and Edelman! I'm happy to have met and conversed with other tech media in the Southeast Asia region about the future of AI PCs, powered by Snapdragon X Series.