Analyst predicts: x86-based AI PC laptop shipments to skyrocket 17,000% in 2025, Arm just 553%

We are in the Copilot+ AI PC era whether we like it or not, but x86-based AI PC processors from AMD and Intel will crush Arm-based Copilot+ AI PC laptop sales now, in 2025, and into the future.

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In the coming months we'll see more and more Arm-based Copilot+ AI PC laptops launch, with analyst firm Omdia's new AI notebook PC shipment forecast expecting to see Arm-based Copilot+ AI PCs go from 800,000 units sold in 2024, to 5.2 million in 2025: an increase of over 533%.

We keep hearing about Arm breaking into the mainstream Windows market, but the hype of the Copilot+ AI PC laptop era is here and Qualcomm was first with Microsoft to launch the first waves of Copilot+ laptops being powered by company's Arm-based Snapdragon X series processor.

The headlines I've seen from this article -- including Omdia itself -- are covering the Arm side of things, but look at the chart and compare the x86 to Arm. This year, there will only be 200,000 or so units of x86-based Copilot+ AI PC laptops sold, while in 2025, Omdia predicts an astonishing 34.2 million units -- an increase of 17,000% or so.

The reason for the huge increase in x86 AI PC processors, that is because 2025 will include the just-launched Ryzen AI 300 series "Strix Point" APUs which have new XDNA2-based NPUs making them Copilot+ ready. I know, I'm typing this article into an ASUS Zenbook S16 laptop which is powered by AMD's new Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 "Strix Point" APU, and its a Copilot+ AI PC laptop.

• Read more: What is a Copilot+ PC? Do you need an AI PC? Should you buy one?
• Read more: Qualcomm, Microsoft go 'beyond the call of duty' to stop independent Copilot+ PC reviews
• Read more: Microsoft's first Copilot+ AI PCs launched: Qualcomm Snapdragon X laptops now available
• Read more: Qualcomm says 'the PC Reborn' with its Snapdragon X series and Copilot+ PCs
• Read more: Microsoft intros Copilot+ PCs for 'AI PC' era: AI PCs need 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, NPU

Intel has its current-gen Core Ultra 100 series "Meteor Lake" processors with an NPU, but they haven't been selling millions of units, however, the company is soon to unleash its next-generation Core Ultra 200 series "Lunar Lake" processors with massively upgraded NPU for even more AI performance.

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Between AMD's new Strix Point APU and Intel's new Lunar Lake chips, those 34 million+ units in 2025 are impressive up against 5.2 million Arm-based AI PC laptop shipments according to Omdia's forecast. If we keep going forward, they predict 60.7 million x86-powered AI PC laptops shipped in 2026 compared to just 14.5 million Arm AI PC laptops.

Microsoft has its Arm-based Surface laptops on the market, and will continue to ship even more in 2025, which will be a big chunk of those 5.2 million Arm-based AI PC laptops expected to ship in 2025.