Here Are The First ‘Copilot+’ PCs Powered By Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Series Chips

Microsoft, Qualcomm, and their PC partners are revealing today the first devices powered by Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips. These new Snapdragon-powered PCs are branded “Copilot+ PCs,” and this first wave of devices will bring over 20 models from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, and Microsoft.

Just like Intel came up with the “ultrabook” marketing term for ultrathin laptops competing with Apple’s MacBook Air, the new “Copilot+” brand of AI PCs has been created to promote a new category of mobile PCs delivering multiple days of battery life and unique AI experiences. And Qualcomm claims that its new Snapdragon X Series chip delivers unparalleled performance per watt and the world’s fastest neural processing unit (NPU) for laptops.

What is a Copilot+ PC?

“Copilot+ PCs are the fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever built,” said Yusuf Mehdi – Executive Vice President, Consumer Chief Marketing Officer. “With powerful new silicon capable of an incredible 40+ TOPS (trillion operations per second), all–day battery life and access to the most advanced AI models, Copilot+ PCs will enable you to do things you can’t on any other PC.”

One of the new AI features that will be available on these first Copilot+ PCs is named “Recall.” If you remember the now-deprecated Timeline feature on Windows 10, Recall will let users scroll back in time and find apps, documents, messages, and more that they previously used on the device. The feature is powered by different small language models, and Microsoft said it won’t be using user data to train these models.

Do you want a photographic memory? The next best thing is Recall.  Check out this new experience only available on Copilot+ PCs. Here is a demo from my colleague Carolina. pic.twitter.com/goylSXxslH

— Yusuf Mehdi (@yusuf_i_mehdi) May 20, 2024

In an FAQ about Copilot+ PC features, Microsoft explained that Recall will also be available on devices that are not powered by a Snapdragon X series processor. However, running Recall on these devices will require “the installation of a Windows update,” which is likely the upcoming 24H2 update for Windows 11.

Copilot+ PCs will also add support for new AI experiences in the apps you already know. Instead of relying on cloud-based AI processing, the Neural Processing Units (NPUs) and powerful local small language models will unlock new capabilities in apps like Paint, Photos, or Adobe’s flagship apps, which are getting native ARM64 versions.

“Together with Adobe, we are thrilled to announce Adobe’s flagship apps are coming to Copilot+ PCs, including Photoshop, Lightroom and Express – available today. Illustrator, Premiere Pro and more are coming this summer. And we’re continuing to partner to optimize AI in these apps for the NPU. For Adobe Creative Cloud customers, they will benefit from the full performance advantages of Copilot+ PCs to express their creativity faster than ever before,” Mehdi said today.

Customers can also expect new and enhanced Windows Studio Effects on Copilot+ PCs, as well as improved Live Captions. Thanks to the NPU on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Series chips, Live Captions will let users translate any live or pre-recorded audio in any app or video platform from over 40 languages into English subtitles instantly.

To be clear, there will also be “Copilot+” PCs with Intel and AMD chips, but the first models are all Qualcomm-powered. The base specs to qualify as a “Copilot+” PC include 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and an NPU reaching 40+ TOPS of AI performance.

Qualcomm previously shared all the technical details regarding its Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips. The Snapdragon X Plus comes with 10 CPU cores running at up to 3.4Ghz, and compared to a 16-core Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU, Qualcomm promises up to 37% faster CPU performance while consuming up to 54% less power. The Snapdragon X Elite, however, comes has 12 CPU cores running at a higher maximum multithread frequency, and there’s also a Dual Core Boost feature on select SKUs. However, both chips share the same “Hexagon” NPU delivering 45 TOPS (Tera Operations per Second) of AI performance.

Thanks to Microsoft Pluton Security processors, Microsoft claims, that Copilot+ PCs are the most secure Windows PCs ever built. “As a Windows PC, businesses can deploy and manage a Copilot+ PC with the same tools and processes used today including IT controls for new features and AppAssure support,” Mehdi said today.

Over 20 new Copilot+ PCs coming this summer

“It’s a new era for the PC and our collaboration with Microsoft combines the power of Snapdragon X Series with the power of Copilot+ to deliver groundbreaking AI capabilities that are redefining the personal computing experience – all with industry-leading performance and
multi-day battery life,” said Alex Katouzian, Group General Manager, Mobile, Compute & XR, Qualcomm Technologies. “Today, our global OEM partners launched the first Copilot+ PCs exclusively powered by Snapdragon X Series in a variety of form factors and at multiple price points. We’re proud to enable this industry shift, which puts Windows PCs at the forefront of technology and allows users to push the boundaries of what’s possible across productivity, creativity, and entertainment.”

You can find below the main details about the first Copilot+ PCs powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips coming later this summer.

Acer Swift 14 AI laptop

The Acer Swift 14 will introduce a refined design with an Activity indicator on the touchpad that lights up when the device or Copilot is activated. There’s also an AI icon stamped on the cover of the device. The laptop will feature a 180-degree hinge design, a 14.5-inch IPS display with a 2560×1600 resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate, and a 1440p IR webcap that supports the AI-powered Acer PurifiedView 2.0 and Acer PurifiedVoice 2.0 solutions.

Under the hood, the laptop will offer the choice between Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips, up to 32GB of memory, up to 1TB of storage, and a 75Wh battery providing up to 12 hours of battery life. The laptop also comes with two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI 1.4 port, and it will support Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. The Acer Swift 14 AI will launch in Europe in June starting at €1,499, and it will come to North America in July starting at $1,099.

ASUS Vivobook S 15

The Asus Vivobook S 15 is a slightly bigger device with 15.6-inch 3K 120 Hz OLED display, but it still comes with a slim form factor and a battery that should last up to 18 hours. Other highlights include a Single-zone RGB keyboard and enlarged touchpad, ASUS AI applications for automatically organizing your photos and videos, adjusting screen brightness based on your presence, and reducing background noise in meetings and calls. You can find more details about the just-announced laptop on Asus’ website.

Dell XPS 13, Inspiron 14, and Latitude laptops

Dell announced today no less than five new Copilot+ laptops for consumers and commercial customers with the XPS 13, Inspiron 14 Plus, Inspiron 14, Latitude 7455, and Latitude 5455. All these models will also offer unique AI features powered by Dell’s NGAI solution.

The XPS 13 and Inspiron 14 Plus are now available to preorder starting at $1,299 and $1,099, respectively. The Latitude 7455, Latitude 5455 and Inspiron 14 will be available in the coming months.

HP OmniBook X and EliteBook Ultra

The HP OmniBook X and EliteBook Ultra PC use Qualcom’s Snapdragon X Elite chip to provide extra power in a slim form factor. The two devices deliver up to 26 hours of battery life, and they will come with the HP AI Companion app that uses AI to optimize the devices for productivity workloads. The NPU and the devices’ Poly Camera Pro will also add support for new AI-powered features including Spotlight, Background Blur & Replace, Auto Framing, and more.

The HP OmniBook X comes with a 14-inch 2.2K IPS display, up to 32GB of memory, up to 2TB of storage, two USB-C ports, and one USB-A port. It’s available for pre-order at HP.com for a starting price of $1,199.99, and it will start shipping on June 18.

For commercial customers, the HP EliteBook Ultra offers a more durable design with a blue finish with a smudge-resistant Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coating. The device also comes with a 14-inch 2.2K display, up to 16GB of memory, up to 1TB of storage, two USB-C ports, and one USB-A port. This is also a Microsoft Secured-Core PC with extra security features for commercial customers, including the Wolf Pro Security Next Gen Antivirus with hardware security features.

The HP EliteBook Ultra AI PC is available for pre-order at HP.com for a starting price of $1,699.99, and it will also start shipping on June 18, 2024.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x and ThinkPad T14s Gen 6

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x is a slim and light Copilot+ laptop for consumers and creators measuring 0.5” thin and starting at just 2.82lbs (1.28kg). It comes with a 14.5” 3K 90Hz OLED touchscreen, a full HD IR webcam, four speakers, a 70Whr battery (Lenovo didn’t specify the battery life), and three USB-C ports.

The Yoga Slim 7x 14 is only available with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chip, and it supports up to 32GB of memory and up to 1TB of storage. It will be available in June with an expected starting price of $1,199.

The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s is built for business users with a 14” 1920×1200 IPS display or a 2.8K OLED panel. It also comes with a full HD IR camera with always-on computer vision, a fingerprint reader on the power button, dual Dolby Audio speakers, two USB-C ports, and two USB-A ports.

This device also comes with a Snapdragon X Elite chip, but it supports up to 64GB of memory and the same 1TB of maximum storage. Compared to the Yoga Slim 7X, Lenovo indicated a smaller 58WHr battery, and if battery life is also unknown, both devices come with the Lenovo AI Core, which works in tandem with the Snapdragon X Elite chip to intelligently adjust power and efficiency depending on current workloads. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s will be available starting in June with an expected starting price of $1,699.

Microsoft’s new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop

As expected, after Microsoft launched the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop Pro 6 for Business in April, the company is launching new consumer versions with Qualcomm’s X Series chips. The new Surface Pro is getting an optional display and an ultrawide field of view camera, and there’s also a new Pro Flex Keyboard accessory that can work wirelessly.

The new Qualcomm-powered Surface Laptop still lets users choose between a 13.8” and 15” display, but the bezels have been slimmed down. The other notable changes include an AI-enhanced camera and a haptic touchpad. You can learn more details about the new Surface devices in my separate post.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge

The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge will only use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chip, and it will be available with 14-inch and 16-inch AMOLED display size options. This device will offer unique Galaxy AI features including Circle to Search with Google, Live Translate, and Chat Assist, and its battery will provide up to 22 hours of video playback, just like Microsoft’s 15-inch Surface Laptop.

The Galaxy Book4 Edge will be available in select markets including France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain, the UK, and the U.S. starting June 18, 2024. As of this writing, pricing details are still unknown.

“This first wave of Copilot+ PCs is just the beginning, Mehdi explained today. “Over the past year, we have seen an incredible pace of innovation of AI in the cloud with Copilot allowing us to do things that we never dreamed possible. Now, we begin a new chapter with AI innovation on the device. We have completely reimagined the entirety of the PC – from silicon to the operating system, the application layer to the cloud – with AI at the center, marking the most significant change to the Window platform in decades.”