one year on
Microsoft unveils Copilot+ PCs with built-in AI hardware
New Windows hardware class requires 40+ TOPS NPU and ships with AI features including Recall, which uses snapshots stored locally on the device for Recall.
Microsoft today announced Copilot+ PCs, a new category of Windows machines designed around AI, at a launch event on its Redmond campus. The devices come equipped with a neural processing unit capable of at least 40 trillion operations per second, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. The lineup includes new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models, as well as devices from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung, starting at $999 and shipping June 18.
The flagship AI feature is Recall, which uses snapshots of what a user sees or does on the PC, creating a searchable timeline. Microsoft says Recall runs entirely on-device, storing data locally, and allows users to delete snapshots or pause recording. Other features include Cocreator for AI-assisted image generation in Paint and Photos, and Live Captions with real-time translation from 40+ languages.
Microsoft claims Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus processors outperform the MacBook Air 15-inch by up to 58% in sustained multithreaded performance and offer up to 22 hours of local video playback. Microsoft expects 50 million Copilot+ PCs to be sold over the next year. Copilot, the AI assistant, will gain access to OpenAI’s GPT-4o model in the coming weeks.
The record
One year later — open only if you can handle spoilers
Recall faced significant backlash and was eventually delayed, then re-released with opt-in status and enhanced security after Microsoft scrambled to address privacy vulnerabilities discovered by researchers. The Copilot+ PC branding ultimately failed to create a sustained market category shift, though the minimum spec requirements quietly raised the baseline for Windows laptops.