Anduril and Qualcomm unveil BlueChip, a US-made hardened laptop

Anduril founder Palmer Luckey is vowing to bring computer manufacturing back to the US, meaning not just assembly but production of every individual component, some of which are exclusively made in China today. Anduril is partnering with Qualcomm on a new computer called BlueChip, the companies announced Tuesday, and it will be available for preorder in 2027. Technical details are scarce, and Luckey said Anduril hasn't finished contracting with all its component suppliers yet.

The first product will be a hardened laptop designed to withstand grueling physical environments and meet security-conscious needs of the military, government, first responders and law enforcement. For the first generation, Anduril says about 90% of components will be made in the US or in allied countries, most notably its CPU. BlueChip will run on a Snapdragon X Series built at TSCM's new facility in Arizona, and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said the CPU uses the same architecture that powers other laptops, including the Microsoft Surface.

Luckey said the laptop's bill of materials is about 90% US and allied countries, with a technical roadmap to get to 100% domestic over time. He said the long-run intent is an option made entirely in the United States, including displays, metallics and magnetics. Luckey said he has found an American supplier for the glass that covers the display, but the display itself is one of several components he says are only manufactured in China.

Luckey said consumers are welcome to order a BlueChip, and the company may even create a waiting list, but the first PC isn't designed for them: as a hardened computer it will be heavy and have battery-life constraints due to engineering needed to withstand rain, dust and other rugged conditions. The bigger point is to offer US government agencies a product that complies with regulations requiring them to buy US-made computers, with a transparent supply chain customers can track and audit. Luckey described them as the anti-surveillance computer that you fully control, where you know every component and every software component running on it.

Anduril is working to ensure the Arm-based machine works well with Windows apps, apps built for certain Linux distributions used by the government, and archaic software various agencies still run. While pricing hasn't been announced, Luckey estimates it will cost about 20% more than typical high-end PCs. Luckey said that as a normal consumer making a rational decision without a patriotic basis, he'd be better off buying a Dell laptop because it will be cheaper, referring to the average consumer who doesn't have any real need for this. He said the product is the first in what he envisions as a full line of BlueChip computers, noting he began his career making virtual reality headsets for consumers.