Tuxedo Computers, a known name in the Linux hardware space, has put its ARM-based Linux laptop plans on hold. The company spent over a year developing a system powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite SoC, but now says the chip is “less suitable than expected” for Linux-based machines.
Tuxedo hits pause on Snapdragon X Elite for Linux laptops
Back in 2024, Tuxedo announced it was working on a Linux laptop built around Qualcomm’s 12-core Snapdragon X Elite platform. The goal was to create a true Linux-native ARM notebook a rare thing in a market dominated by Windows on ARM devices.
After 18 months of development, that plan is now paused. Tuxedo says the project ran into several blockers that made the platform a poor fit for Linux.
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Key issues with Linux on Snapdragon X Elite
In its announcement, Tuxedo listed several major concerns that ultimately led to the decision:
- Battery life gains seen in Windows on ARM systems didn’t translate to Linux
- BIOS updates and firmware integration were either missing or incomplete
- Qualcomm’s support for Linux features was limited compared to Windows
Another key factor: the X Elite platform is aging. Qualcomm has already announced its next-gen Snapdragon X2 Elite chips, making continued work on the older model harder to justify.
Not a full cancellation, yet
Tuxedo emphasized that this isn’t a total shutdown of ARM-based Linux development. If the company can reuse a “significant portion” of its current work, it plans to revisit the project with Qualcomm’s newer Snapdragon X2 Elite chips pending Qualcomm’s cooperation.
In a show of goodwill, Tuxedo confirmed it will make its development work public. That means the open-source community may still benefit from the groundwork, even if the hardware never launches.
Why it matters for ARM on Linux
The suspension highlights a larger challenge: ARM hardware still isn’t fully ready for prime-time Linux laptops, especially when it comes from vendors focused on Windows. Without first-party support, features like power management and firmware updates can fall short even on expensive silicon.
Until that gap closes, Linux-focused manufacturers like Tuxedo may keep pushing pause.
