Microsoft launched the Copilot+ PC marketing initiative in 2024. The program aimed to help buyers identify Windows systems approved to run local AI-accelerated workloads.
However, the new Surface computers announced this week omit the Copilot+ PC branding entirely. Brett Ostrum, corporate VP of Surface, confirmed to Windows Central that the new hardware is not called Copilot+ PCs despite meeting past requirements.
Ostrum stated that the devices meet the previous bar for Copilot+ devices. He added that the company still leans into the narrative around edge AI and hybrid solutions.
Read nextMicrosoft Launches Unified Copilot App with Enterprise Focus and New PricingCopilot+ PCs require 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and an integrated neural processing unit rated at 40 trillion operations per second or better. The Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch arrive on October 13. Both models run Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus processors and feature a Qualcomm Hexagon NPU rated at 80 TOPS.
Kedar Kondap, SVP of compute at Qualcomm, told Windows Central that the purpose of Copilot+ PCs was to deliver NPU experiences and define a specific category. He noted that the shift means offering the same experiences without using the specific terminology.
A Microsoft marketing page viewed in May described Copilot+ PCs as a class of fast, intelligent AI PCs and laptops. That landing page now redirects to a page for performance PCs that uses the label far less prominently.
Industry context suggests several reasons for dropping the branding. The label was marred by persistent security risks tied to the Recall feature, which worries privacy advocates. The marketing campaign also served its purpose by establishing the AI PC concept during a sales lull. In October 2024, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said Copilot+ PCs were winning customers. In January 2025, he reported they represented 15 percent of US premium laptop sales during the holidays.
Interest in AI PCs has since faded. Jitesh Ubrani of IDC noted in January that general interest wavered due to available cloud options and limited on-device use cases. Other manufacturers are also stepping back. Dell killed its 2025 laptop branding this year, and its 2026 lineup makes minimal mention of AI PCs.
Another factor is Nvidia’s incoming RTX Spark laptop GPUs. Microsoft confirmed a Surface Laptop Ultra featuring RTX Spark arrives this fall. This hardware may take marketing precedence over older Copilot PC concepts.
The new Surface Pro 12-inch (2nd Edition) and Surface Laptop 13-inch (2nd Edition) launch on October 13.
