Microsoft quietly abandons the Copilot Plus PC brand

The transition away from the label comes as the hardware requirements for AI-capable machines become standard across the industry. Microsoft Surface CVP Brett Ostrom confirmed to Windows Central that the latest 12-inch Surface Pro and 13-inch Surface Laptop will not carry the Copilot Plus PC designation. Qualcomm’s SVP of compute and gaming, Kedar Kondap, echoed this sentiment, suggesting that future devices offering similar experiences will likely forgo the branding entirely.

This retreat follows a period of lukewarm reception for the brand’s flagship features, such as the controversial Recall tool. Microsoft also faced pushback for aggressive AI upsells within Windows and the forced inclusion of a dedicated Copilot keyboard key. With the company preparing to integrate Nvidia chips into its flagship hardware, observers expect a new branding strategy to emerge when Microsoft hosts an October 7th event focused on the future of local AI.