Microsoft has quietly dropped its “Copilot Plus PC” branding, despite the label being introduced in 2024 to define high-AI capability laptops. Multiple technology publications confirming the shift cite statements from Microsoft Surface CVP Brett Ostrom.
During an interview with Windows Central’s Zac Bowden, Ostrom stated unequivocally, “These are not called Copilot Plus PCs.” While acknowledging that new hardware, such as the 12-inch Surface Pro and 13-inch Surface Laptop, still meet all prior system requirements, Microsoft is no longer using the label for product names or marketing efforts. This development was corroborated by Windows Report, which noted the company had dropped the branding it built around Windows 11 AI laptops.
Qualcomm’s SVP of compute and gaming, Kedar Kondap, also signaled the brand’s end. Kondap told Windows Central that the original purpose was to define a category of devices based on a specific hardware bar, such as a 45 TOPS NPU. However, he added that computers delivering those same experiences likely will not require that specific branding anymore.
This brand pullback has been gradual. TechPowerUp observed that the recent launch of NVIDIA’s RTX Spark PCs, which satisfy the NPU requirements for the Copilot+ branding, was absent of the label. Windows Latest had previously reported that Microsoft quietly dropped the branding for its powerful new Surface Laptop Ultra in June 2026, noting that none of the Surface PCs launched that year included the moniker.
Observers originally questioned the brand’s longevity, noting that almost every PC would soon contain basic AI hardware, making the distinction meaningless. The flagship feature intended to justify the branding, Microsoft’s Recall, faced sustained security criticism and was repeatedly delayed, never leaving beta before devices shipped. This failure, coupled with the increasing standardization of underlying AI hardware across new PCs, contributed to the brand’s decline.
Microsoft is expected to introduce a replacement branding strategy on October 7, 2026. This event is described as a “conversation on how local AI will shape the next chapter of the PC.” The expected focus will be on the new RTX Spark platform, featuring NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, suggesting a clear move away from the Copilot branding entirely.
