At Microsoft's Build 2024, Microsoft announced Copilot Plus PCs, a new range of high-performance Windows computers with special hardware designed to support AI capabilities while being faster and delivering better battery life than existing machines.
While it is easy to get confused between AI PCs, also announced by Microsoft a while ago, and Copilot Plus PCs, the latter has certain features that distinguish it from a regular AI PC. They are significantly more powerful and specifically designed for AI workloads, instead of regular PCs with an NPU that can perform AI tasks.
Sakshi Garg
While Microsoft only mentioned that all of its partners will be offering Copilot Plus PCs at its annual developer conference, we now have the complete list of offerings from different manufacturers. Let's take a look.
What are Copilot Plus PCs?
Like traditional PCs, Copilot Plus PCs have a CPU and a GPU, but they will also have an NPU or Neural Processing Unit, which is responsible for providing them with AI capabilities. Copilot Plus PCs will also have the latest processors, such as ARM-based Qualcomm Snapdragon X chips, Intel's Core Ultra processors, and AMD's Ryzen 7040 and 8040 chips.
In addition, they will have at least 256 GB of SSD storage and 16 GB of RAM. This high-end hardware is necessary for the laptops to perform AI tasks without hiccups.
Pallav Pathak
Microsoft and all of its partners will be releasing Copilot Plus PCs soon, and here is the complete list.
Microsoft
Microsoft announced the latest generation of Surface Laptop and Surface Pro, which will be available with 15-inch and 13.8-inch displays. They will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon Plus processors, depending on the model.
Both these 2-in-1 laptops feature OLED displays with 600 nits of brightness, a Qualcomm Hexagon NPU, up to 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and 1 TB SSD. Surface Copilot Plus PCs will start at $999.99 when they become available.
Dell
Dell has also announced a range of Copilot Plus PCs, which include the XPS 13, Inspiron 14, Inspiron 14 Plus, Latitude 5455, and Latitude 7455. The company's flagship model, Dell XPS 13 is powered by the Snapdragon X Elite processor, 64 GB of RAM, and 2 TB of PCIe SSD storage.
In comparison, the Inspiron models use the Snapdragon X Plus Processor. These three models are already available for preorder, starting at $1,099. The Dell Latitude 7455 and the Latitude 5455 will be available in two variants, both relying on different Snapdragon processors. They will have a 14-inch QHD+ display, 512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD storage, and 16 GB LPDDR5X RAM.
HP
HP is launching Copilot Plus PCs under its Elitebook and Omnibook series, with the new Omnibook X AI and Elitebook Ultra AI laptops being the first to be available. Powered by the Snapdragon X Elite processor, these laptops will be available worldwide in June.
Both laptops feature 14-inch touchscreen displays, 32 GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and up to 2 TB of PCIe NVMe storage. The Omnibook is designed for creators and professionals while the Elitebook is more suited for business users. Pricing for the HP Copilot PCs will start at $1,199.
Lenovo
Lenovo's Copilot Plus PC portfolio includes the Yoga Slim 7x and the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6. Both will use the Snapdragon X Elite processor and will be available in June starting at $1,199. These laptops will feature a Qualcomm Oryon CPU, a Qualcomm Adreno GPU, and a Qualcomm Hexagon NPU.
Besides this, they will have up to 64 GB LPDDR5X RAM, up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4 storage, up to 70Wh battery, full HD displays with IR MRI cameras, and more.
Samsung
Samsung's Galaxy Book 4 Edge is the company's first Copilot Plus PC, costing $1,349.99 or $1,449.99, depending on whether you go with the 14-inch or 16-inch model. It will be available from June 18th and will feature a Snapdragon X Elite processor and a dedicated Copilot key.
You also get a 3K, 120 Hz dynamic AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Hexagon NPU, 16 GB LPDDR5X RAM, and up to 1 TB NVMe SSD.
ASUS
Vivobook S15 is the first Copilot Plus PC from Asus and comes with a 3K, 120Hz Asus Lumina OLED display. There is also Harman Kardon-certified audio and the laptop is powered by the Snapdragon X Elite SoC with a built-in Qualcomm Hexagon NPU.
Other features include a thin and light build, with the laptop weighing just 1.42 kg, a single-zone RGB backlit keyboard, Wi-Fi 7, a dedicated Copilot key, and up to 18 hours of battery backup. The Asus Vivobook S15 will start selling for $1,299.
Acer
Acer's first Copilot PC is the Acer Swift 14 AI, available for $1,099 and will start shipping in June. It will be available in both Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus variants and will have a dedicated Copilot key along with a 14.5-inch WQXGA 120Hz display.
There will also be 32 GB dual-channel RAM, Wi-Fi 7, and up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD present on the laptop.
These are the first Copilot Plus PCs announced by Microsoft and other manufacturers, but we are sure this is just the beginning. As companies focus on further integrating AI with hardware and software, more AI-powered Copilot Plus PCs are expected to become available, and at more affordable prices.
With the launch of these Copilot Plus PCs, we will get to see how these ARM-based Snapdragon-powered laptops will perform in the real world for the first time, and whether they will be enough to take on Apple's M3-powered Macbook Air.
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