We knew more computers were coming that would feature a native version of Microsoft’s AI Copilot toolset, but we didn’t quite know how many were set to be announced. It’s practically an AI avalanche. Companies like Dell, Acer and HP have all just announced computers that have adopted Microsoft’s AI software and NVIDIA’s AI hardware. The age of the AI PC is upon us.
These Copilot+ PCs could really change how we interact with computers, bringing natural language nuance to a bevy of everyday tasks. The PCs all feature a dedicated key to bring up Copilot and are stuffed with Arm-based Snapdragon X CPUs, which include powerful onboard neural processing units (NPUs) for AI tasks. While similar in some ways, each of the following computers bring their own ideas to the AI table. Let’s get to it.
Surface Laptop
The new Surface Laptop was the first Copilot+ PC detailed at Microsoft’s event. The updated PC has all of the AI bells and whistles you would expect, as it’s a first-party device. It’s also got serious specs. The Surface Laptop’s touch display can hit 600 nits of brightness, with availability in 13- and 15-inch options, and there’s a studio camera integrated into the bezel. Microsoft says the laptop is 80 percent faster than the previous generation, with a battery that can get over 22 hours per charge. There’s the Copilot key, of course, but also a haptic touchpad. The Surface Laptop starts at just $1,000, with shipments going out on June 18.
Surface Pro
It looks like Microsoft has dropped the numerical naming convention with Surface hybrid devices. This updated version should be called the Surface Pro 10, but it’s called just the Surface Pro. Microsoft says the latest Surface Pro is a whopping 90 percent faster than the Surface 9, which was already fairly quick. There’s also an OLED version that boasts a “near-infinite” contrast ratio between deep blacks and brighter colors.
The company also brags that the front-facing camera is the best it has ever created, with fantastic low-light performance. The rear-facing camera can capture 4K video. The new Flex keyboard design can operate both attached and detached, so you can position things however you want. Other features include a customizable haptic touchpad, Wi-Fi 7 and increased multi-monitor support. The new Surface Pro starts at $1,000, with shipments starting on June 18.
Acer Swift 14 AI
This is Acer’s spin on the company’s line of Swift-branded laptops. The Snapdragon X CPU allows for all manner of AI tomfoolery, with access to both the Recall and Cocreator tools. The AI is also used for game optimization and for improving live video in real time. The tools also allow for real-time translations and speech captions of any live or pre-recorded video, though this is true of many of these Copilot+ PCs.
On the specs side of things, the laptop includes a 14.5-inch touch display, up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of solid-state storage. All of this is stuffed into a quite-fetching metal chassis. The Acer Swift 14 AI will be available in July, with a starting price of $1,100.
HP Omnibook X
HP has revived its once-iconic Omnibook line of laptops and updated it for the age of AI. The Omnibook X ships with the uber-powerful Snapdragon X Elite CPU, with up to 12 cores and a top speed of 3.4 GHz. The Qualcomm Hexagon NPU powers all of those AI bells and whistles and the Adreno GPU should be able to handle even the most graphically-demanding games. You can spec out this laptop with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 2TB of solid-stage storage.
The Omnibook X boasts the same Copilot key as the rest of these computers, allowing instantaneous access to Microsoft’s digital assistant. There’s also a multitouch-enabled 14-inch display, complete with Corning Gorilla Glass, dual speakers with HP audio boost technology and integration with Wi-Fi 7. The computer hits store shelves on June 18 with a starting price of $1,200. You can easily tell new HP AI PCs by the addition of a helix-shaped logo.
HP EliteBook Ultra G1q
The Omnibook X wasn’t the only AI PC that HP announced today. The company also unveiled the business-focused EliteBook Ultra G1q. This laptop also uses the Snapdragon X Elite CPU, along with an NPU capable of more than 40 trillion operations per second. That means it should whiz through AI tasks at a rapid clip. The new EliteBook Ultra can do all of the typical chatbot/digital assistant stuff, but the Poly Camera Pro software now runs on the NPU, so you won’t draw power from the CPU when using tools like background blur and virtual backgrounds during video calls.
This PC also includes premium endpoint security to defend against phishing sites and malware attacks at the firmware level. There’s a 14-inch touch display and a battery that charges to 50 percent in just 30 minutes. You’ll be stuck with 16GB of soldered-on RAM, however, and the storage space maxes out at 1TB. The EliteBook Ultra G1q releases on June 18 with a starting price of $1,700.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x features the Snapdragon X Elite chip and some impressive specs. The screen boasts a color gamut that covers 100 percent of DCI-P3 with up to 500 nits of brightness. The bezels are thin, there’s a quad-mic setup and it’s actually lighter than the comparably-sized MacBook Air. Unlike the MBA, however, the Yoga Slim 7x features dedicated fans for cooling. Finally, there’s a robust 70Wh battery that should easily last a full workday and beyond. The Yoga Slim 7x is due out later this year starting at $1,300, with exclusive availability at Best Buy.
The company has another AI PC coming, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6. This also features a beefy NPU processor for AI tasks.
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge Series
The Galaxy Book series is getting an AI-centric refresh. The forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge series comes in a few varieties, with screen sizes ranging from 14-inches to 16-inches. They all feature AMOLED display panels with 3K resolution and Snapdragon X Elite processors. Each version also includes a full-size HDMI output, two USB-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. In addition, the 16-inch model boasts a full-size USB-A port, a microSD card reader and a number pad.
There’s a pro version available with the most powerful Snapdragon X Elite variant and more RAM, though only in the 16-inch design. These laptops start at $1,350 and will hit stores on June 18.
ASUS Vivobook S 15
This ultrathin 15.6-inch laptop is powered by the Snapdragon X Elite processor and includes a collection of AI-centric apps developed by ASUS. The camera features something called AiSense that detects when someone is in front of the display and dims the screen when they look away to preserve juice. This system is used to automatically lock and unlock the computer. It’s also the first ASUS laptop to feature StoryCube, which is a proprietary AI assistant that helps to “manage all digital assets.”
As for standard specs, it has a 15.6-inch OLED display, a Harman Kardon-certified audio system with multi-dimensional Dolby Atmos sound and a 70Wh battery that gets 18 hours of use per charge. Preorders are available now and you can outfit these laptops with up to 1TB of internal storage and up to 32GB of RAM. It’s surprising the company didn’t have a Zenbook ready to go here, given last year’s model went pretty hard for AI.
A Whole Bunch of Dell PCs
Dell is diving in head-first here, announcing five laptops with built-in AI, all powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X line. There’s an AI-centric refresh of the iconic XPS 13 with a Snapdragon X Elite chip. This laptop includes a sleek, minimalist design with a machined aluminum exterior and plenty of ultra-durable Gorilla Glass. There’s a touch function row and an option for a 3K touch display. The updated XPS 13 starts at $1,300 and preorders are open now, though shipments don’t begin until later in the year.
The company has also refreshed its Inspiron line of laptops. The Inspiron 14 and Inspiron 14 Plus both feature Snapdragon X Plus processors and instant access to Microsoft Copilot. The Inspiron Plus looks to be a bit more powerful on the CPU side of things, with 10 cores and speeds up to 3.4GHz. The Plus starts at $1,100, with models shipping out later this year. Dell will release pricing and availability information regarding the standard Inspiron 14 in the coming months.
For enterprise customers, Dell will have the Latitude 5455 and the Latitude 7455, which are offshoots of the current Latitude 5450 and 7450 notebooks. The big change here is that both new models will be powered by Snapdragon X Plus chips, with the 7455 offering an option for the flagship Snapdragon X Elite. The 7450 features a 360-degree 2-in-1 design and is being advertised as the “thinnest Latitude laptop ever.” We’ll get pricing and availability informaton on these later this year.
What about other PC companies?
These are all of the big announcements from the Microsoft Surface event, but that doesn’t mean they will be the only available laptops with Snapdragon X processors and Copilot integration. Rumors swirl that many other manufacturers are prepping their own computers for release in the near future. This is, after all, the decade of AI… so they say.
Source: www.engadget.com