Microsoft has moved away from its "Copilot+ PC" branding for the new Surface computers announced this week, according to Windows Central. Despite meeting all the technical requirements for the label, the new devices—including the Surface Pro 12-inch (2nd Edition) and Surface Laptop 13-inch (2nd Edition)—will not carry the designation.
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Microsoft moves away from "Copilot+ PC" branding on new Surface hardware
Copilot+ PC requirements include 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and an integrated neural processing unit (NPU) capable of 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS) or higher. The upcoming Surface models, scheduled for release on October 13, feature Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus processors with an NPU rated at 80 TOPS, comfortably exceeding these standards.
Brett Ostrum, corporate VP of Surface, stated that while the devices meet previous requirements, the company is shifting its narrative toward "AI on the edge" and hybrid solutions. Qualcomm's SVP of compute, Kedar Kondap, added that the purpose of the Copilot+ PC label was to define a category based on NPU performance metrics, and the focus is now shifting toward offering the same experiences without the specific terminology.
The shift coincides with a broader trend where consumer interest in "AI PCs" has shown signs of wavering. Industry analysts note that the availability of cloud-based AI options and limited use cases for on-device AI may be influencing demand. Additionally, the branding previously faced scrutiny due to privacy concerns surrounding the "Recall" feature.
Sources
- Microsoft stops insisting you need a "Copilot+ PC" （Ars Technica AI, 2026-09-25）
- Microsoft Wayback Machine