While it might be premature to draw comprehensive conclusions about Intel’s future or the broader implications for the computing industry, the rationale behind excluding Intel from the mainstream Surface lineup and the initial Copilot+ PC release is evident—at least for the time being. It’s important to note that Intel processors are still present in the “Surface for Business” models released earlier this year.
Qualcomm Beat Intel to the Copilot+ PC Punch
Revised Content: Microsoft has strategically partnered with key Windows PC chip manufacturers for its new “Copilot+ PC” initiative. However, the initial wave of Copilot+ PCs, set to launch on June 18, will exclusively feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips. This decision is likely influenced by Qualcomm’s impressive performance, boasting 45 trillion operations per second (TOPS) with its Snapdragon X chips, which are powered by the Hexagon neural processing units (NPU).
In contrast, current laptops equipped with Intel’s first-generation “Meteor Lake” Core Ultra chips achieve up to 34 TOPS. This performance level is not sufficient to locally manage the demands of Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant, the defining feature of Copilot+ PCs. A minimum of 40 TOPS on the NPU is necessary to efficiently process local Copilot queries.
By this stage, it appears that Microsoft had set a launch date for its Copilot+ PC initiative. However, Intel was unable to align this schedule with the release of “Lunar Lake,” its forthcoming line of Core Ultra processors. Intel highlighted on May 20 that the NPUs within Lunar Lake are expected to deliver a performance of 45 TOPS independently, with the potential to more than double when leveraging the integrated graphics processor (IGP) cores.
Consequently, for the time being, consumers have a limited processor selection for the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models available at checkout. Essentially, there is only one processor option, unless you consider both the Plus and Elite variants of the Snapdragon X.
With Prism, Microsoft Helped Qualcomm Quite a Lot
For several years, Qualcomm has been featured in Microsoft’s Surface Pro tablets. So, how did Qualcomm manage to bridge the gap with Intel to become the exclusive chip provider for the latest Surface models (at least for the time being)?
The key lies in emulation, a feat unattainable without Microsoft’s support. Microsoft has continuously enhanced its ability to emulate Windows, which was initially designed for the x86 processor architecture, on systems utilizing alternative instruction sets, such as Arm’s Arm64.
Efforts to enhance compatibility between Windows and applications on Arm systems have gone through numerous iterations, with the latest—dubbed “Prism”—potentially becoming the definitive solution. This innovative emulator leverages substantial updates that Microsoft has integrated into the Windows 11 kernel and compiler. These foundational improvements not only extend support to a broader array of x86 and x64 applications but also significantly boost performance.
“Applications running in emulation on PCs equipped with the Snapdragon X Elite demonstrate performance more than twice as fast as previous-generation Windows Arm devices operating on Windows 11 22H2,” noted Microsoft representatives John Cable and Keena Grigsby in a recent blog post.
Microsoft’s dedication to this endeavor is evident, reflecting a journey that, while lengthy, was destined to come to fruition. The extended timeline may have exceeded initial expectations, but the advancements achieved are a testament to the company’s commitment to innovation.
But, Why Help Qualcomm in the First Place?
The concerted effort to ensure Windows operates seamlessly on ARM-based systems has largely unfolded in the context of Apple’s MacBook Air trajectory. After its initial launch in 2008, Microsoft intensified collaborations with PC and chip manufacturers to craft a competitive response (recalling the advent of Intel’s Ultrabooks). This endeavor culminated in 2012 when Microsoft set a precedent through the release of its Surface tablet, followed by the Surface Laptop series.
Initially, Surface devices were exclusively equipped with Intel processors. When rumors began circulating that Apple intended to transition its MacBook line from Intel to ARM processors—years ahead of the M1 MacBook Air’s debut in November 2020—Microsoft proactively commenced efforts to ensure Windows compatibility with ARM architecture.
