Microsoft Drops Copilot+ PC Label From 80 TOPS Surface PCs
Microsoft drops Copilot+ PC branding from new Surface models, even as Snapdragon X2 Plus chips deliver 80 TOPS and meet every previous hardware requirement.
Summary
Microsoft has omitted the Copilot+ PC label from the 12-inch Surface Pro 2nd Edition and 13-inch Surface Laptop 2nd Edition, launching October 13, 2026. Both use Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus processors and 80 TOPS Hexagon NPUs, double Microsoft’s minimum 40 TOPS requirement, alongside the required 16GB RAM and 256GB storage. Surface corporate vice president Brett Ostrum said the systems meet the previous standard, although Microsoft will instead emphasize edge AI and hybrid computing. Qualcomm compute senior vice president Kedar Kondap said Copilot+ established NPU experiences around a roughly 45 TOPS benchmark that can continue without the terminology.
Microsoft’s Copilot+ marketing page, still available in May, now redirects to a performance PCs page where the name is less prominent. Introduced in 2024 to identify locally accelerated AI systems and encourage upgrades during a post-COVID sales lull, Copilot+ was winning new customers by October 2024, CEO Satya Nadella said. In January 2025, he said it represented 15 percent of US premium holiday laptop sales. The branding also became associated with persistent Recall security and privacy concerns.
Demand has since weakened as cloud AI remains widely available, on-device uses stay limited and a RAM shortage raises hardware pressures, IDC research manager Jitesh Ubrani said in January 2026. Dell abandoned laptop names introduced in 2025 and makes minimal reference to AI PCs in its 2026 lineup. Nvidia’s incoming RTX Spark laptop GPUs could provide Microsoft’s next hardware pitch, with a Surface Laptop Ultra using RTX Spark confirmed for this fall.
Positives
- 80 TOPS Hexagon NPUs give both new Surface models twice Microsoft’s original 40 TOPS Copilot+ minimum.
- October 13 brings two Snapdragon X2 Plus Surface models with at least 16GB RAM and 256GB storage.
- 15 percent of US premium holiday laptop sales came from Copilot+ PCs by January 2025, Satya Nadella said.
- Microsoft will continue promoting edge AI and hybrid computing without requiring the Copilot+ label.
- RTX Spark will give the confirmed Surface Laptop Ultra another performance feature to market this fall.
Risks & concerns
- Recall’s persistent security and privacy concerns damaged the Copilot+ PC identity among privacy advocates.
- Cloud AI availability and limited on-device uses have weakened consumer interest in dedicated AI PCs.
- A RAM shortage has complicated manufacturers’ efforts to sell systems built around local AI processing.
- Dell’s reduced AI messaging and abandoned 2025 laptop names indicate a broader retreat from AI PC branding.
- Microsoft has not clarified whether Copilot+ PC terminology is being retired entirely or merely deemphasized.