Key Takeaways
- Copilot+ features could be replicated by enthusiasts on devices without an NPU, making upgrading for them unnecessary.
- The usefulness of Copilot+ is still unknown, so buying a laptop just for these AI features could lead to disappointment later.
- AI features change quickly, so buying a Copilot+ laptop now may not support future advancements in AI hardware requirements.
Microsoft, Qualcomm, and their partner OEMs finally ushered in the revamped Windows on Arm era with 14 laptops powered by Snapdragon X systems-on-a-chip (SoCs). They’ll start being released next month, and will immediately become some of the best laptops on the market. To many, this is the “Apple silicon moment” for Qualcomm, Microsoft, and any other company that wants to jump on the Windows on Arm bandwagon. Now, all that’s left is for you is to decide whether one of the new Snapdragon X and Copilot+ laptops is worth upgrading for. There are enough benefits to Snapdragon X that it’ll be appealing to even those with laptops released recently.
These devices, including Microsoft’s own Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11, have an exclusive suite of AI features called Copilot+. To use Copilot+ features, you need to have a computer that meets certain hardware requirements, which includes having a neural processing unit (NPU) supporting 40 TOPS or more. For now, only Snapdragon X computers meet that threshold. So, if you’re intrigued by all the new Copilot+ features, you might be tempted to buy a new AI PC with Snapdragon X to get them. But buying a new laptop just to get Copilot+ would be a mistake, and these are three reasons why.
Microsoft Copilot+: Everything you’ll be able to do with your new Snapdragon X Elite PC
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3 Copilot+ features could be replicated
Someone already figured out how to use Microsoft Recall on their laptop
There has already been a lot of talk about whether Microsoft would allow Copilot+ features to run on devices without an NPU. Although it would be possible to use the right CPU or GPU for Copilot+, Microsoft has no plans to support this kind of use. That’ll be disappointing to desktop users, who may have graphics cards more than capable of on-device AI processing. However, it’s always a possibility that Microsoft expands the availability of Copilot+ features in the future. Or, more likely, Windows 11 enthusiasts could figure out how to port exclusive Copilot features to other devices. In fact, someone already figured out how to get Recall working on a Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 device.
Copilot+ laptops aren’t even available to buy yet, and someone already successfully ported Recall to a device without an NPU. That bodes well for the future, as it’s likely that enthusiasts and the open-source community could come up with more ways to replicate Copilot+ features on any device. If not, it’s possible that third-party software could fill in the gap. I’m not suggesting something like Recall, which requires system access and a lot of trust, could be offered by another app. Many of the other Copilot+ offerings, like Cocreator, could definitely be offered by another app developer.
All this is to say that the exclusivity of Copilot+ features is yet to be tested. New features are introduced and copied all the time, and you wouldn’t want to buy a laptop for Copilot+ features if it isn’t necessary.
Here’s how I got the Copilot button without buying a new laptop
Use one of those frequently unused keys to bring some AI love.
2 We still don’t know how useful Copilot+ is
Only time will tell whether Microsoft has developed AI software you’ll actually want to use
Another thing to think about is whether the Copilot+ offerings are features that you’ll really use on a regular basis, or ones you’ll forget about shortly after starting to use your new Snapdragon X laptop. There have been countless AI features touted as “the next big thing,” but how many of them have panned out? The answer is probably zero, or close to it. Sure, OpenAI’s ChatGPT was the fastest-growing app in history when it launched, but the chatbot’s growth is starting to reach its limit. If ChatGPT is indeed the one winner, there are plenty more losers that promised a revolutionary experience that didn’t catch on. That’s why we may be seeing some consumer burnout when it comes to AI.
Copilot+ certainly has potential, but only time will tell whether its feature set becomes a permanent fixture of Windows or is quickly forgotten. Snapdragon X laptops don’t just have to get in the hands of end users before we can see the true value ovf Copilot+, either. It’ll be months or years before we have that answer, after seeing how people use (or don’t use) Copilot+ features.
Copilot+ PCs can’t come soon enough — 4 things I can’t wait to try
I really want one of those new PCs.
1 AI features are constantly changing
The next highly-sought AI PC feature might not run on your Copilot+ laptop
The biggest reason I wouldn’t recommend buying new hardware just for Copilot+ is because it’ll set you up for disappointment down the line. The hardware demands for AI features are constantly changing. While your new Snapdragon X laptop might support current Copilot+ offerings, who knows what the next set of AI features could demand. For example, Copilot+ requires 16GB of memory and an NPU capable of 40 TOPS, and Snapdragon X supports these requirements. But the next great AI feature could require 24GB of RAM and 50 TOPS of NPU performance. AI development is just moving too quickly, and it’d be a shame if you bought a Copilot+ laptop only for it to be unable to run the latest AI tools in a year or two.
Copilot, Copilot Pro, and Copilot+ — breaking down Microsoft’s confusing AI products
Confused by Microsoft’s Copilot products? We’re here to help.
There are plenty of reasons to buy a Snapdragon X laptop
These three points are something that every person looking at buying a Snapdragon X laptop for Copilot+ should consider. That’s because out of all the reasons there are to buy one of these exciting laptops, Copilot+ should be at the bottom of the list. Just think about all the AI features that have come out in the last year, and how many were big wins and big misses. The space is evolving at a pace we don’t frequently see, even in the tech industry. Features are announced and then become redundant before they’re even released, in some cases.
If you choose to buy a Snapdragon X laptop, you should make that decision based on the hardware. As we’ve learned in the past, software AI features are an unknown quantity, and could easily turn out to be a gimmick. The hardware improvements Qualcomm made with Snapdragon X, like raw performance, efficiency, and battery life, are enough of a reason to buy the new laptops. I’m still hesitant to recommend people buy hardware just to gain access to software, and that includes Copilot+.
Here are all the 14 Snapdragon X laptops announced this week
Microsoft held one of its biggest events ever this week, and there were a whopping 15 new laptops to kick off the new era of Windows on Arm.