Short answer
Microsoft is no longer highlighting the 'Copilot+ PC' label while introducing its newest Surface computers, even though the new models meet every requirement for it. The on-device AI processing power stays the same, but the marketing name is being pulled back. The shift lands as broader enthusiasm for the AI-PC category appears to be cooling across the industry.
Highlights
- The new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models go on sale October 13; both meet Copilot+ PC requirements but are not marketed under that name.
- Copilot+ PC requirements are at least 16 GB of RAM, 256 GB of storage, and an NPU rated at 40 TOPS or better.
- The new models' Qualcomm Hexagon NPU is rated at 80 TOPS — twice the required threshold.
- In January 2025, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said Copilot+ PCs made up 15 percent of premium laptop sales in the US.
2 min readEditor-in-chief: Uğur Deniz İlhan
Microsoft has quietly stopped using the 'Copilot+ PC' brand it introduced in 2024 on its newest Surface computers. According to Ars Technica, the change is showing up on product pages and in launch messaging.
Why aren't the new Surfaces called Copilot+ PCs?
The Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch, going on sale October 13, run Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Plus with an 80 TOPS Hexagon NPU — well above the Copilot+ PC bar of 16 GB of RAM, 256 GB of storage, and a 40 TOPS NPU. Surface corporate VP Brett Ostrum told Windows Central the devices "meet all the requirements of our previous bar" but are no longer described that way.
Why is the branding fading?
- Qualcomm's Kedar Kondap, SVP of compute, said the label was meant to define a certain NPU performance bar, and that experience is now offered without the name attached.
- Dell has largely dropped the 'AI PC' branding it launched in 2025 from its 2026 laptop lineup.
- IDC's Jitesh Ubrani says general interest in on-device AI has been wavering as cloud-based AI options become more widely available.
What does this mean for IT buyers?
Buyers who have been planning hardware refreshes around the 'Copilot+ PC' label should shift to checking the underlying specs instead: NPU TOPS rating, RAM, and storage tell you what a machine can actually run locally, regardless of what marketing name is attached to it.
Frequently asked
- Does this mean AI PCs are dead?
- No — the new Surfaces still technically meet Copilot+ PC requirements. What changed is how prominently the brand is marketed, not the hardware itself.
Sources
- Ars Technica ·
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