Redmond, Wash. — Microsoft Drops Copilot+ Label From New Surfaces

Microsoft's newest Surface laptops will not carry the "Copilot+ PC" label the company spent two years pushing, even though the machines meet every technical requirement for it, according to Ars Technica.

The change affects two laptops arriving next month and signals that Microsoft's AI-PC marketing push, launched in 2024, is winding down.

What is a Copilot+ PC and why does the label matter?

Microsoft introduced Copilot+ PC branding in 2024 to flag which Windows machines could run AI tasks locally, on the device, instead of sending data to the cloud. To qualify, a computer needs 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a neural processing unit (NPU) rated at 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS) or better, Ars Technica reported. The label told shoppers, at a glance, that a laptop could handle features like on-device image generation or Windows' Recall search tool without lag.

Which new Surface models are affected?

The Surface Pro 12-inch (2nd Edition) and Surface Laptop 13-inch (2nd Edition), both set to ship October 13, run Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus chips paired with a Hexagon NPU rated at 80 TOPS — double the Copilot+ minimum, per Ars Technica. Despite that, Microsoft is not calling either machine a Copilot+ PC.

What did Microsoft say about dropping the branding?

Brett Ostrum, corporate vice president of Surface, told Windows Central the new machines "are not called Copilot+ PCs" even though "they do meet all the requirements of our previous bar for what Copilot+ devices are," according to the Ars Technica report.

"We still lean into the narrative around AI on the edge and being able to have a hybrid solution out there," Ostrum said.

Qualcomm's senior vice president of compute, Kedar Kondap, offered a similar read, telling Windows Central the goal was always to define a hardware bar — "a 45 TOPS NPU," as he put it — rather than a permanent brand name. "So from that perspective, it's more offering the same experiences, probably without just using [Copilot+ PC] terminology now," Kondap said, per Ars Technica.

Why is Microsoft moving away from the Copilot+ name?

Ars Technica points to several factors. The Copilot+ rollout was tied closely to Recall, the screenshot-based search feature that drew sustained criticism from privacy advocates over security risks. The branding also arrived when PC makers needed a reason for consumers to buy new machines after a post-pandemic sales slump. A Microsoft marketing page that called Copilot+ PCs "the fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever" as recently as May now redirects to a broader "performance PCs" page where the Copilot+ name appears far less prominently, according to the Wayback Machine archive cited by Ars Technica.

What should Windows shoppers do now?

Buyers looking at the new Surface Pro or Surface Laptop don't lose any capability — the 80-TOPS NPU still supports on-device AI features. What's gone is the sticker that used to make that clear. CEO Satya Nadella said in October 2024 that Copilot+ PCs were "winning new customers," and in January 2025 he said the category made up 15 percent of premium U.S. laptop sales during the holiday season, Ars Technica reported. Two years later, the phrase itself appears to be fading from Microsoft's own marketing, even as the underlying hardware keeps improving.

Timeline

• 2024: Microsoft launches Copilot+ PC branding and hardware requirements.
• October 2024: Nadella says Copilot+ PCs are "winning new customers."
• January 2025: Nadella cites 15 percent of premium U.S. laptop holiday sales.
• By May 2026: Microsoft's Copilot+ PC marketing page is still live.
• September 2026: Microsoft unveils new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models that meet Copilot+ specs but drop the name; the old marketing page now redirects to a "performance PCs" page.
• October 13, 2026: New Surface models ship.

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