Microsoft introduced the Copilot+ PC branding back in 2024 alongside the arrival of the first Windows on Arm devices powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. The branding refers to hardware that meets a minimum AI performance threshold to run local Copilot+ AI tools.
At the time, Microsoft touted its flagship tool, Recall, as a game-changer for Windows users. However, because Recall reportedly took screenshots of your PC environment with little regard for privacy and minimal security for AI-powered historical search, it drew its fair share of criticism. One could argue that the Recall feature, delayed and then quietly released months later, harmed the Copilot+ PC brand before it had a chance to take off.
Cut to 2026, and a new report at Windows Central highlights that Microsoft's Surface PC for 2026 has ditched the Copilot+ PC branding. Speaking with a Microsoft Surface executive at this year's Snapdragon Summit, where the latest Qualcomm-powered Surface PCs were shown, they said that even though these new devices "meet all the requirements of our previous bar for what Copilot+ devices are," "these are not called Copilot+ PCs."
It's a confusing response that suggests Microsoft is dropping the Copilot+ PC branding without any formal announcement. Adding that Microsoft is still leaning "into the narrative around AI on the edge" for Surface PCs, it sounds like a case of Microsoft simply wanting people to forget all about the whole Copilot+ PC naming thing and instead focus on the fact that these devices offer the same experiences when it comes to local AI.
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The report also notes that NVIDIA hasn't adopted the whole Copilot+ PC branding for its upcoming RTX Spark laptops, another sign that the branding is now dead. RTX Spark laptops, on track for release in the coming weeks or months, offer far more powerful local AI performance than the 45 TOPS minimum previously required to earn a Copilot+ PC badge. Also, with AI enthusiasts and users not really using Copilot as an AI tool, another reason Microsoft may be ditching the brand could simply be a general lack of interest.
