Microsoft is not using the “Copilot Plus PC” branding for the new Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch, a designation originally introduced in early 2024 to identify laptops capable of running advanced on-device artificial intelligence. Despite the brand being less than three years old, these specific models omit the label, even though the new devices significantly exceed the technical performance thresholds previously required to earn it.
The shift was confirmed during the Snapdragon Summit on September 24, 2026, where Microsoft unveiled the new 12-inch Surface Pro and the 13-inch Surface Laptop (2nd Edition). Both devices are powered by the Snapdragon X2 Plus, a six-core processor featuring an upgraded Neural Processing Unit (NPU) capable of 80 trillion operations per second (TOPS). This nearly doubles the 45 TOPS requirement Microsoft originally established for the Copilot+ PC category.
Brett Ostrom, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Surface, confirmed that these new devices are not being marketed under the Copilot Plus PC banner. While the original branding served to distinguish AI-capable hardware from traditional laptops, industry leaders suggest the category has matured to the point where the specific label is no longer necessary.
According to Windows Central, Qualcomm Senior Vice President Kedar Kondap noted that the initial purpose of the branding was to define a specific NPU performance tier. As high-performance NPUs become standard across the industry—with the Snapdragon X2 Plus reaching 80 TOPS—the distinction of a “Plus” category may have lost its utility as a marketing differentiator.
The omission of the brand for these devices comes at a time when Microsoft is shifting its focus toward “local AI” and “personal AI” capabilities. While the label was omitted for these specific refreshes, existing devices that carry the sticker will retain their current software features. The move appears to be a strategic pivot to simplify the Windows ecosystem as Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm all now produce chips that meet or exceed the original AI performance benchmarks.
The new 12-inch Surface Pro is scheduled to begin shipping on October 13, 2026, with a starting price of $1,149.
By omitting the branding for these models, Microsoft avoids a potential marketing conflict where high-end “Pro” devices might have required a different label than entry-level “Plus” devices, despite both running the same AI workloads. This transition suggests that rather than being a niche category, AI-capable hardware is now viewed by Microsoft as the baseline for the modern PC experience.
