Microsoft has decided that Windows 11 version 26H2 will be the last to support PCs with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 processor. The notice appears on the Windows 11 Home and Pro lifecycle page. 26H2 began rolling out on 29 September 2026 and these computers remain compatible with it, but they will not receive 27H2, the feature update due next year.
What changes in practice
If you own a laptop with this chip, nothing changes overnight. The device can install 26H2 and keep receiving security updates for as long as that version is serviced.
The dates given are as follows:
- Home and Pro: 24 months of support, until 10 October 2028.
- Enterprise and Education: 36 months, until 9 October 2029.
- Windows 11 24H2: support ends on 14 October 2026, so anyone still on that version faces the nearest deadline.
After those dates these PCs will no longer get official patches. 27H2 won’t arrive either, so there will be no new features from the next cycle.
Why it affects a niche, but a historic one
Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 850 in 2018 as the second generation of chips for Windows on Arm. It was the first processor the company designed specifically with PCs in mind.
These are therefore devices several years old. Anyone who owns one now has a firm end-of-the-road date.
What hasn’t been made clear
Microsoft has not explained the reason for its decision. It is also unknown whether 27H2 will be technically incompatible with the chip or whether the block will be enforced through requirement checks. None of the sources points to an official way out for those who want to stay up to date.
How to check your PC
Open Settings > System > About and look at the Processor entry. If it says “Snapdragon 850”, you are in the affected group. Then check which version of Windows you are running: if it’s 24H2, it’s worth installing 26H2 before 14 October so you don’t end up without patches.
What we think
The move was predictable: two years of guaranteed security is a reasonable stretch for a chip from 2018. Less clear is the silence over the reasons. Explaining whether it comes down to driver limitations, performance or simple rationalisation would help those who have to decide whether to replace their laptop.
The practical advice is simple. If you only use it for browsing and writing, you can keep it until 2028 without any trouble. If you use it for work, perhaps in a company, you should put its replacement in next year’s budget rather than leaving it until the deadline is close. For a broader picture of Microsoft’s choices in the operating system, see our in-depth piece on Windows 11 and the farewell to Control Panel.
Written by the SpazioiTech newsroom with the help of AI tools, from facts verified across at least two independent outlets, and checked before publication. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Translated from the Italian original. Read in Italian
