Microsoft announced a new range of Windows PCs carrying the “Copilot+” label ahead of its Build conference this week. Microsoft’s proprietary AI Copilot is extensively integrated with Windows 11 in these PCs, allowing them to run (partially) local workloads and making them less dependent on cloud functionality. PCs with this feature have also already been announced, both from Microsoft and other vendors. We list these below.
To qualify for Copilot+ PC status, the device must have an NPU capable of handling 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS). None of the PCs currently available based on x86 architecture meet this requirement.
Therefore, an important detail for all PCs now announced to have Copilot+ functionality is that they run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Series chips based on Arm architecture. This chipset contains the Oryon CPU, an integrated Adreno-type GPU, and a Hexagon NPU. Microsoft is providing an emulator called Prism to run software based on x86 architecture on these devices.
Recall function
The first PCs with this functionality are the latest Surface Pro and Surface Laptop from Microsoft itself and models from OEM partners Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung. Features include the newly announced Recall feature, which allows users to retrieve a snapshot of their usage and thus know exactly what they did and when.
A possible use case for this is when users, for example, can no longer remember exactly what a document is called or where they saved it, but still remember what it was about. Copilot helps surface the right document based on such ‘vague’ hints.
AI-assisted apps
The included NPUs will power apps and applications such as Adobe’s Creative Cloud Suite, including Photoshop and Illustrator, and the video editing software Da Vinci Resolve Studio. AI also makes it easier to remove unwanted backgrounds from videos via CapCut.
Cephable is an AI-assisted tool that provides non-traditional inputs such as head movements, facial expressions, motion control and voice acting. LiquidText is an application that enables smart and fast annotation in documents. The NPU is carrying out the workload for this kind of functionality. The first Copilot+ models will be available from mid-June, at least in the US.
Microsoft
For the Surface laptops, there is a choice of 13.8- and 15-inch displays and several colour variants. Customers can also opt for an OLED display with High Dynamic Range (HDR). The optional detachable Surface keyboard for the Surface Pro has also been updated. It no longer needs to be attached to the screen to be used.
Asus
Asus announced that the Vivobook S15 runs on the Snapdragon X Elite. The Qualcomm Hexagon NPU can handle 45 TOPS, just above the minimum of 40 (this is the case for all models from vendors mentioned in this article). A high TOPS rating usually indicates the ability to handle more complex calculations and larger data sets in real time.
Acer
Acer is releasing the Swift 14 AI, which comes with either the Snapdragon X Plus or the Snapdragon X Elite. The CPU in the first one has up to 10 cores; in the second variant, it has 12. Both variants include a GPU that can handle up to 3.8 TOPS and an NPU that, like Asus, neatly ticks 45 TOPS. AI features specific to Acer involve Acer PurifiedVoice 2.0 and Purified View. These provide enhanced playback and voice during video calls.
Dell
Dell is releasing as many as five devices equipped with the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus chipsets. These include the XPS 13, the entry-level Inspiron 14 and its bigger brother, the Inspiron 14 Plus. Also, two variants of the business Latitude line numbered 7455 and 5455, respectively.
HP
Then, it was HP’s turn to announce the HP OmniBook X and HP EliteBook Ultra G1q AI PCs. These are equipped with the Snapdragon X Elite processor and a dedicated NPU that can also handle 45 TOPS. In addition to a long battery life of 26 hours and fast charging time, HP promises a five-megapixel camera. This should work optimally with Poly Studio.
Lenovo
Lenovo’s first AI PCs equipped with a Snapdragon chip are the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x for consumers and the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 for the enterprise market. Both are equipped with the Snapdragon X Elite chipset. The Yoga Slim 7x is aimed at creative use and sports a 14.5-inch touchscreen, 3K Dolby Vision support, and optimizations for 3D rendering and video editing. The new Thinkpad can lock the webcam for privacy concerns and supports Wi-Fi 7 and up to 64GB of RAM.
Samsung
The Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge comes in 14- and 16-inch display variants with a 2x AMOLED display and 3K resolution. Samsung promises these PCs also offer Wi-Fi 7 connectivity and a battery that can handle up to 22 hours of video viewing. In terms of specific AI functionality, Galaxy AI features such as Circle to Search with Google, Live Translate, and Chat Assist will become available.
Also read: Microsoft may be the only one with a real AI PC this summer