Tech giants continued to battle this week. Arm canceled its license with Qualcomm, which could have long-lasting effects on smartphones and computers. The feud between the CEO of Salesforce and Microsoft Copilot also got a new chapter. Meanwhile, Microsoft CEO Nadella made an astronomical amount of money, thanks in large part to Microsoft’s success in AI.
It’s been a busy week in the land of Microsoft and Windows, and we have the latest news stories summarized right here. Catch up on the latest drama, plus the biggest deals and spiciest reviews right here.
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Arm cancels Qualcomm license
Arm canceled its licensing agreement with Qualcomm as part of an ongoing legal dispute between the two tech giants. If the cancelation stays in place, it could have a massive effect on the smartphone and PC industries. The cancelation is the latest part of an ongoing saga that began in 2021 and that centers around processors such as the Snapdragon X Elite. That processor and other chips in the same family power many of the best AI PCs.
Qualcomm has 60 days to comply with Arm’s demands, but the conclusion may take a different shape.
The end result of this corporate clash could be catastrophic for Windows on Arm PCs, though I’m not sure how likely the worst-case scenario is. Qualcomm and Arm have been in a legal battle for around three years, and the latest maneuvers and statements could very well be tactics that result in a new licensing agreement. Then again, Jerry Hildenbrand argued in a piece for Android Central that “Qualcomm needs Arm more than Arm needs Qualcomm.”
It appears unlikely that either side will back down voluntarily. Following initial reports of the license cancelation, both companies issued statements.
Arm offered the following:
“Following Qualcomm’s repeated material breaches of Arm’s license agreement, Arm is left with no choice but to take formal action requiring Qualcomm to remedy its breach or face termination of the agreement. This is necessary to protect the unparalleled ecosystem that Arm and its highly valued partners have built over more than 30 years. Arm is fully prepared for the trial in December and remains confident that the Court will find in Arm’s favor.”
Qualcomm later shared:
“This is more of the same from ARM – more unfounded threats designed to strongarm a longtime partner, interfere with our performance-leading CPUs, and increase royalty rates regardless of the broad rights under our architecture license. With a trial fast approaching in December, Arm’s desperate ploy appears to be an attempt to disrupt the legal process, and its claim for termination is completely baseless. We are confident that Qualcomm’s rights under its agreement with Arm will be affirmed. Arm’s anticompetitive conduct will not be tolerated.”
Perhaps I’ve grown jaded as I’ve gotten older and covered years of tech giants arguing over billions of dollars. I just want the best Copilot+ PCs to be excellent devices that push competition from Intel and AMD while also standing on their own as devices. I don’t especially care which billion-dollar corporation gets more money, as long as everyday users get more choices when shopping.
Microsoft CEO makes millions
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella shared a letter with shareholders recently. While much of the letter focused on AI and Microsoft’s successes, the main takeaway for many was the compensation figure for Nadella. The executive received a package worth $79.1 million for the last year, most of which is in the form of Microsoft stock. Many criticized the figure, since Microsoft laid off quite a few employees over the last 12 months.
It’s always unfortunate to see hard-working people lose their jobs, and those affected by Microsoft layoffs are no exception. But Nadella’s compensation is tied to company performance, and Microsoft became the world’s most valuable company recently. While there’s certainly a place for debate regarding the compensation of executives and how it compares to the salary of employees and the stability of jobs within companies, it’s not surprising to see Nadella earn so much.
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Salesforce CEO calls out Microsoft again
If you’ve been craving a battle between tech giants, the CEO of Salesforce is here to deliver. Mark Benioff, who has been critical of Microsoft and Copilot recently, tossed more shade Microsoft’s way. Shortly after claiming Copilot is “just the new Microsoft Clippy,” Benioff said Microsoft is in “panic mode.” Those comments came in response to Microsoft announcing Copilot agents, which automate tasks and compete with Salesforce’s Agentforce.
Benioff shared the following on X (formerly Twitter):
“Microsoft rebranding Copilot as ‘agents’? That’s panic mode. Let’s be real—Copilot’s a flop because Microsoft lacks the data, metadata, and enterprise security models to create real corporate intelligence. That is why Copilot is inaccurate, spills corporate data, and forces customers to build their own LLMs. Clippy 2.0, anyone? Meanwhile, Agentforce is transforming businesses now. Agentforce doesn’t just handle tasks—it autonomously drives sales, service, marketing, analytics, and commerce. With data, LLMs, workflows, and security all integrated into a single Customer 360 platform: This is what AI was meant to be.”
I agree there are valid criticisms to be shared about Microsoft’s Copilot branding, but Benioff is off base here. Microsoft did not rebrand Copilot as agents. Microsoft literally announced “Copilot agents.” If Microsoft was moving away from Copilot branding, the tech giant would not use Copilot in the name of its new agents.
Reviews
Our experts ran a ton of devices through the ringer this week, getting hands-on experience with the latest laptops, CPUs, and games. The Razer Game Room earned the best score of the week, though several pieces of hardware received high marks.
“Razer has been making some of the best RGB-lit gaming accessories for years, but I still didn’t expect the new Razer Gamer Room and its Aether family of products to be so immediately competitive with the biggest smart home lights players,” said our Zachary Boddy. “Razer isn’t targeting the budget end of the market, but each Aether product exudes quality in both setup and use.”
The HP OmniBook Ultra 14 made a strong case to be among the best AI PCs as it went through testing. “The HP OmniBook Ultra 14 packs AMD’s latest Ryzen AI chipset for incredible real-world performance, battery life, and AI capabilities,” said Boddy. “On top of that, actual Thunderbolt 4 ports and HP’s Wolf Security suite make this AMD laptop more versatile and secure. All the magic is on the inside, though, as the OmniBook Ultra 14’s design is average and its IPS LCD display is bland.”
With seven reviews the catch up on, there’s sure to be a device or game worth a closer look.
Deals
Each week, our team scour the web for the best deals. Luckily for those shopping this weekend, there are plenty of sales going on. Early Black Friday deals will save you hundreds of dollars on laptops, accessories, and more.
