Microsoft has announced that the just released Windows 11 version 26H2 will be the last version to support Qualcomm's second-generation Windows 10 on Arm SoC, the Snapdragon 850 from 2018.
The news was published on the Windows 11 Lifecycle Policy page, where a notice now says "Windows 11, version 26H2 is the last version that will support devices with Snapdragon 850 processors."
The Snapdragon 850 is notable as being the first "built-for-Windows" chip from Qualcomm. The Snapdragon 835 that powered Windows PCs first was a recycled smartphone chip.
Windows 11 had already dropped support for the Snapdragon 835 a while ago, and now it seems the Snapdragon 850 is next on the chopping block. Windows PCs with the Snapdragon 850 under the hood are eligible to install the latest version update, but will not get version 27H2 next year.
Windows 11 version 26H2 will be supported for 24 months, meaning devices with the Snapdragon 850 inside have two years of security updates remaining before they'll be left behind in an insecure state.
It's unclear why Microsoft is dropping support for this SoC. This likely implies that the 27H2 release next fall will be based on a new version of the Windows platform, and not an enablement-package like 26H2 is.
It's also unclear whether or not this limitation will be artificial in nature. Just because an SoC is no longer supported doesn't mean it can't run newer versions by bypassing system requirements. Many people have enjoyed running Windows 11 on unsupported chips for many years.
Either way, we know that officially, the Snapdragon 850 will no longer be supported on future versions of Windows. Windows 11 version 26H2 is the last version that is officially supported.
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