BlueChip is a new line of laptops coming in 2027 from Anduril and Qualcomm, starting with a rugged military-focused model.
BlueChip is a new line of laptops coming in 2027 from Anduril and Qualcomm, starting with a rugged military-focused model.
Anduril and Qualcomm are partnering on a new line of laptops called BlueChip, launching in early 2027. The first prototype is a ruggedized model using Arm-based Snapdragon X series chips and aimed at the US military, but the ultimate focus of the joint venture is to make laptops entirely in the US. Eventually.
The global supply chain of computers and laptops normally involves China, Taiwan, and many other countries, so the first BlueChip laptops will only be “designed and assembled in the United States,” per Anduril’s official press release. Assembly is planned to be done at Anduril’s Arsenal-1 facility in Ohio.
Anduril and Qualcomm aren’t sharing many details on how they’re going to build enough manufacturing in the US for a laptop that’s 100-percent domestically made. During a virtual Q&A session with media that included The Verge , Anduril CEO Palmer Luckey and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon laid out the motivations for American-made (or at least, American-assembled) laptops. It’s the talking points you’d expect: keeping US money in the US, the potential for creating domestic jobs, minimizing technological / economic reliance on other countries, and reducing national security vulnerabilities.
When asked what percentage of the BlueChip laptop’s components will be made in the US once it launches in 2027, Luckey said, “TBD. . . Those questions are not settled.” The components Luckey specified that are planned to be American-made from the start are the display glass, the frame around the display, and parts of the ribbon component. “I think most likely the thing that we ship is not going to be 100-percent American.” It sounds like BlueChip’s first laptop will be well below the 65-percent requirement to count as American-made under federal procurement rules.s A promo image provided by Anduril shows hardware stamped with “Built in America.”
As for the chips in BlueChip, Qualcomm’s Amon told The Verge it intends to manufacture processors for this laptop at TSMC Arizona. When The Verge followed up to ask how much money Qualcomm is investing into that, Qualcomm communications rep Yelena Tebcherani said, “We don’t have any more details to share at the moment.”
Anduril’s first potential customer for BlueChip laptops is the same as its drones: the US military. The prototype is a ruggedized computer aimed at military personnel, complete with a rifle strap-style carrying handle — presumably so a soldier can slam the laptop shut, quickly grab it, and get on the move. It will run Windows or two undisclosed versions of Linux.
During the Q&A, Luckey indicated that BlueChip is funded entirely by Anduril and Qualcomm, not government subsidies. He mentioned that Anduril is starting with a military laptop to first service users with the most stringent hardware needs and software security demands. It’s also likely for pursuing those valuable government contracts that could call for large quantities of expensive computers. After the government and defense sectors, Anduril’s next target will be first responders and public safety, before eventually getting to consumer-level laptops — the lowest on the priority list. Luckey mentioned offhandedly, “I’d say the worst case here is that this is going to be a low volume laptop for critical industries and government needs that desperately need something like this to exist.”
Palmer Luckey is of course a controversial figure, with his history of fueling right wing troll farms motivated by his political beliefs . Anduril is better known for making drones and autonomous weapons , while Luckey continues making consumer-facing products like Game Boy clones — often polarizing the communities they’re meant to serve. Bringing a supply chain for computers back to the US and one day manufacturing a fully American-made laptop sounds a tall order. It’s complicated even further once you consider the person and company behind it.
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