Dive Brief:
- Anduril Industries and Qualcomm Technologies launched a computer hardware product line, dubbed BlueChip, that will focus on rebuilding domestic computer manufacturing, the companies announced Tuesday.
- The first product under BlueChip will be a laptop, scheduled to ship in 2027, according to a news release. Anduril will assemble the circuit board at its Arsenal-1 facility in Ashville, Ohio.
- The laptop will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Series chip, which will be manufactured at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s facility in Phoenix, Qualcomm’s spokesperson said in an email.
Dive Insight:
The BlueChip laptop will be designed for the U.S.’ “most critical industries,” including the government, defense, first responders and public safety based on their specific needs.
As such, the laptop will be designed for “sustained performance in demanding conditions,” according to Anduril’s website.
Qualcomm is a fabless semiconductor company, working with third-party foundry entities to manufacture its chips.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Series chips will provide the laptop’s core computing capabilities, including processing, graphics and on-device artificial intelligence, per the release.
The San Diego-based entity provided Anduril early access to its Snapdragon X Series processor, a Qualcomm spokesperson said. The company is also sharing the chip’s reference-design documentation and technical support to help the defense startup develop the BlueChip product line around its technology.
“Qualcomm has an opportunity to demonstrate how our platforms can support a new class of devices and experiences where performance, efficiency and intelligent computing matter, while Anduril brings deep expertise in building technology for demanding environments,” the semiconductor company said in a statement.
Anduril is developing domestic production capabilities for enclosures, battery components and other computer hardware while verifying suppliers and preparing for production, according to the press release.
Anduril will work in phases to reshore BlueChip’s supply chain, starting with expanding domestic sourcing and manufacturing and working to eliminate reliance on foreign suppliers.
The BlueChip line “has been funded entirely” by both entities,” Anduril founder Palmer Luckey said during a Bloomberg interview Tuesday. Both company spokespersons declined to disclose the investment amount.
“We’ve both been putting our research and development dollars into this because we think that this is an important thing,” Luckey said.
While Anduril works on domesticating its BlueChip supply chain, Luckey added that the initial laptops shipped off will “most likely” not be “100% American.” BlueChip’s supply chain includes components sourced from the U.S. and allied countries, which account for over 90% of the computer hardware line’s prototype component procurement cost, according to the press release.
“I’m being honest with the government on this, too,” Palmer said in the Bloomberg interview. “I’ve had conversations where I’ve said, ‘Listen, I would love to give you guys [a] 100% American laptop right off the bat, but that is not the environment the U.S. government has created or U.S. industry has created. I can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”
Anduril will begin taking orders for the BlueChip laptop in 2027, with a goal to ship it in the same year, a company spokesperson said. A “more specific” delivery schedule is forthcoming.
