Microsoft has quietly stopped insisting that buyers need a “Copilot+ PC” to get local AI acceleration on their laptops. The company’s corporate VP of Surface, Brett Ostrum, confirmed the shift in a conversation with Windows Central, saying the new Surface devices simply aren’t carrying the label despite meeting its specs.
The move comes after years of Microsoft pushing Copilot+ as a standard for AI-accelerated Windows PCs. The requirement included 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and an integrated neural processing unit (NPU) with performance rated at 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS) or better. Now those same requirements appear to be enforced behind the scenes while the marketing language has changed.
Ostrum’s Explanation
Brett Ostrum spoke directly to the question of whether the new machines carry the label. He said they don’t.
“They do meet all the requirements of our previous bar for what Copilot+ devices are,” Ostrum said. “We still lean into the narrative around AI on the edge and being able to have a hybrid solution out there.”
The distinction is notable. Microsoft is still describing the machines as capable of running AI workloads locally — that’s the “AI on the edge” framing he mentions — but it has stopped calling them Copilot+ PCs in the product lineup.
What the New Devices Deliver
The Surface Pro 12-inch (2nd Edition) and Surface Laptop 13-inch (2nd Edition) are both coming out on October 13. Both run Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus processors and come with a Qualcomm Hexagon NPU rated at 80 TOPS.
That 80 TOPS rating exceeds the 40 TOPS threshold set by the Copilot+ standard. In other words, the hardware meets the bar, even though the branding doesn’t say it.
“They do meet all the requirements of our previous bar for what Copilot+ devices are.”
Why the Label Changed
Kedar Kondap, SVP of compute at Qualcomm, offered some context for why the label might have drifted away. Speaking to Windows Central, he framed the original Copilot+ push as a way to define a category of devices with a clear performance target.
“[T]he purpose for Copilot+ PCs was to be able to deliver [NPU] experience,” Kondap said. “So, it was to define a certain category of devices with a certain bar and metric, like, for example, a 45 TOPS NPU. … So from that perspective, it’s more offering the same experiences, probably without just using [Copilot+ PC] terminology now.”
The key takeaway from Kondap’s comments is that the underlying goal — defining a category of powerful AI-capable machines — remains intact. The label has just become optional.
The Marketing Page That Vanished
Microsoft’s own marketing materials have shifted too. A Microsoft marketing page that was up as recently as May, per Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, described Copilot+ PCs as “the fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever.” That page now redirects to a page for “performance PCs” that still names “Copilot+ PCs” but features the label far less prominently.
The redirect suggests a deliberate retreat from the Copilot+ brand. Instead of front-facing Copilot+ messaging, Microsoft is now pointing customers toward a broader “performance PCs” category that includes the same machines.
What This Means for Buyers
For consumers, the practical effect is minimal. The new Surfaces still ship with the required hardware. They just don’t come with the Copilot+ badge on the box or in the product description.
If you want a laptop that can run AI workloads locally without sending everything to the cloud, the new Surfaces fit the bill. The 80 TOPS NPU means they exceed the Copilot+ threshold by a comfortable margin. You just won’t see the Copilot+ label telling you that.
The change also reflects a broader industry trend. As AI accelerators become standard equipment, the need to market them as a premium feature fades. Qualcomm’s Kondap suggested as much when he noted that the experiences are being offered without the terminology.
The Branding Question
The question of whether this is a good move for Microsoft is harder to answer. On one hand, dropping a label removes friction for buyers who might have been put off by a branded requirement. On the other hand, the Copilot+ name had become shorthand for a meaningful spec threshold.
Without the label, the 40 TOPS requirement exists as a technical specification rather than a marketing promise. For buyers who care about the numbers, that’s transparent. For buyers who don’t read the specifications, the name no longer signals anything.
Where the Industry Goes Next
The Copilot+ standard was designed to help buyers identify machines capable of running AI workloads locally. The standard was built around three requirements:
- 16GB of RAM
- 256GB of storage
- An integrated NPU with 40 TOPS or better
Those requirements haven’t changed. The label has. The shift suggests Microsoft is moving toward a world where the hardware speaks for itself rather than forcing customers through a branded gate.
Whether that’s a net win depends on your perspective. The label was useful for clarity. Its absence is a bit messier.
The Bottom Line
Microsoft has stopped insisting you need a Copilot+ PC. The new Surfaces meet the spec, but they don’t wear the badge. That’s a quiet change, and it’s one that rewards buyers who look at the actual hardware rather than the marketing language.
The Copilot+ standard remains a real bar. The label has simply moved to the background.
Source material: “Microsoft stops insisting you need a "Copilot+ PC",” Ars Technica.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.