Microsoft’s bold claims for Copilot+ PCs challenged by a community note on X

The big picture: The story of Copilot+ PCs serves as a reminder of the challenges inherent in introducing new architectures to an established market. While the potential for AI-enhanced computing is undeniable, the path to widespread adoption may be longer and more complex than its initial marketing claims.

Microsoft has been aggressively promoting its Copilot+ PCs since their launch in May. The tech giant’s marketing campaign includes a five-second clip declaring these devices are “The fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever.” Now, though, this claim has been challenged.

A Community Note attached to a promotional post by Redmond on X points out that Copilot+ PCs, which exclusively use Snapdragon processors, fall short in raw computing power when compared to high-end systems equipped with Intel or AMD chipsets. This performance gap is particularly noticeable in demanding applications and gaming scenarios, where the Arm-based architecture of Snapdragon processors faces compatibility challenges.

The fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever

– Windows (@Windows) November 7, 2024

Despite ambitious forecasts from some manufacturers, such as Qualcomm, suggesting that Arm PCs could capture 50 percent of the Windows PC market within five years, current market data paints a different picture.

In the third quarter of 2024, the first full quarter of Copilot+ PC availability, sales of these devices represented only a fraction of overall laptop shipments, according to Mercury Research data provided to Tom’s Hardware.

Research firms have been hesitant to provide specific figures for Copilot+ PC sales, instead grouping them with other AI-capable laptops featuring Intel Core Ultra 200V and AMD Ryzen AI 300 chips. Even this broader category accounted for less than 10 percent of total shipments.

The adoption of Arm-based processors in PCs gained momentum following Apple’s successful integration of these chips into MacBooks in 2020. The primary selling point has been exceptional energy efficiency, with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X-powered PCs promising battery life measured in days rather than hours.

However, the landscape has evolved rapidly. Intel and AMD have significantly narrowed the gap in battery performance of their x86 processors, and recent reviews suggest that the latest offerings from these traditional PC chip manufacturers can now achieve comparable battery life to their Arm-based counterparts.

The most significant hurdle for Copilot+ PCs is their reliance on Arm-based architecture, which fundamentally differs from the ubiquitous x86 platform and causes compatibility issues with many productivity applications and games. Users accustomed to the vast ecosystem of x86 software may find themselves frustrated by the limited options available on Copilot+ devices.

Furthermore, some of the advanced AI features touted by Microsoft, such as the controversial Windows Recall, are not yet available on Copilot+ PCs. The company cites ongoing privacy and security concerns as reasons for the delay, but ultimately it means that early adopters don’t have access to the full suite of promised capabilities.

Still, there is an audience for Copilot+ PCs despite its challenges. For those primarily interested in basic productivity tasks and web-based applications, these devices offer a compelling package.

However, for users requiring maximum performance or broad software compatibility, traditional x86-based systems from Intel and AMD continue to hold the advantage. The current generation of Copilot+ PCs, while innovative in some respects, falls short of being the revolutionary products Microsoft’s marketing suggests.