The first wave of Copilot+ PCs hit the market this summer, and I’ve tested and reviewed some of the most notable. Notably, the Microsoft Surface Pro 11, HP OmniBook X, Dell XPS 13 (2024), Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x, and Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge (full review pending).
These Snapdragon X Elite-powered laptops are among the best Windows laptops we’ve tested, with enough power and endurance to rival the best MacBooks.
While each of these Copilot+ PCs (as Microsoft calls them) has unique features, they also have a lot in common. That’s not surprising considering they all include Qualcomm’s new laptop processor and run Windows 11. Because of that, I can discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the current generation of AI-focused laptops.
Here are 3 things I like and 3 I don’t like about Copilot+ PCs.
Copilot+ PCs: What I like
Epic battery life
Much of the marketing for Copilot+ PCs has focused on the laptops’ AI capabilities. But as I’ll explain later, that’s not a real selling point for these devices (yet). There is, however, one important benefit that most Copilot+ PCs have in common: phenomenal battery life.
The king of the hill is the 2024 Dell XPS 13, which has an average battery life of 19 hours and 41 minutes, making it the longest-lasting consumer laptop we’ve ever tested. The HP OmniBook X and Microsoft Surface Pro 11 also delivered endurance like an M-series MacBook, with 16 hours 22 minutes and 15 hours 44 minutes, respectively.
| Header cell – column 0 | Snapdragon 635 |
|---|---|
| Dell XPS 13 (2024) | 19:41 |
| HP Pavilion dv6-1000 | 16:22 |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 11 | 15:44 |
| Lenovo Yoga 720 | 14:14 |
| Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge | 9:56 |
| Row 5 – Cell 0 | Apple M3 |
| MacBook Pro 14 inch M3 | 17:16 |
| MacBook Air 13 inch M3 | 15:10 |
| MacBook Air 15 inch M3 | 15:03 |
| Row 9 – Cell 0 | Intel Core i7 |
| Asus Zenbook 14 Flip | 12:21 |
| Dell XPS 14 (2024) | 8:56 |
| Acer Swift 3 14 | 8:25 |
The Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge is on the lower end at 9 hours and 56 minutes, but considering that this device has a 15.6-inch OLED display and a more powerful Snapdragon X Elite chip, nearly 10 hours of battery life isn’t terrible.
These Snapdragon X Elite laptops are the first Windows notebooks I’ve tested that don’t require me to check the battery level every half hour. Like a MacBook, I can also use these laptops for long periods of time without being plugged in. Not only does that make them reliable when I’m on the go, but it also means I’m not tied to a wall.
Strong performance
Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X Elite don’t let up on performance. Qualcomm used to boast that its laptop processor would outperform the Apple M3 chip. While that’s not entirely true, our testing shows the company wasn’t entirely off the mark. As our Snapdragon X Elite benchmark tests prove, Qualcomm’s silicon can keep up with its competitors and even outperform them in certain benchmarks.
| Header cell – column 0 | Geekbench 6 (single core) | Geekbench 6 (multi-core) | Handbrake (min.:sec.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge (X Elite) | 2,935 | 13,818 | 4:57 |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 11 (X Elite) | 2,813 | 14,432 | 5:24 |
| HP OmniBook X (X Elite) | 2,347 | 12,861 | 6:20 |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x (X Elite) | 2,448 | 13,750 | 5:16 |
| Dell XPS 13 (2024) (XElite) | 2,797 | 14,635 | 4:47 |
| MacBook Air 13 inch M3 | 3,082 | 12,087 | 7:40 |
| MacBook Air 15 inch M3 | 3.102 | 12,052 | 6:34 |
| MacBook Pro 14 inch M3 | 3,037 | 11,968 | 5:38 |
| Dell XPS 14 (Meteor Lake) | 2,326 | 12,701 | 5:49 |
| HP Omen Transcend 14 (Meteor Lake) | 2,362 | 13,248 | 4:57 |
| Acer Swift Go 14 (Meteor Lake) | 2,364 | 12,612 | 5:16 |
With the exception of the Galaxy Book 4 Edge (with Snapdragon X Elite X1E84100), the Copilot+ PCs I tested are equipped with a Snapdragon X Elite X1E80100 chip. This processor has 12 cores, a base clock speed of 3.4 GHz and 45 TOPS. It’s not the highest-end X Elite chip, but it’s not the weakest either.
On Geekbench 6, which tests general CPU performance, the Snapdragon X Elite performed well in the single- and multi-core benchmark tests. As you can see in the chart above, Qualcomm’s processor can keep up with or beat the likes of Apple’s M3 and Intel’s Meteor Lake processor. The average person probably won’t notice any performance differences in real-world use, but it’s interesting to see Qualcomm’s processor do exactly what the company promised: keep up with or beat the competition.
When it comes to everyday tasks like browsing the web, using word processing programs, and streaming, the Copilot+ PCs don’t disappoint in terms of performance.
Relatively affordable
None of the Copilot+ PCs I tested are among the best budget laptops, but they won’t break your budget either.
The cheapest Copilot+ PC I’ve tested is the Microsoft Surface Pro 11, which starts at $999. Then there’s the HP OmniBook X for $1,149, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x for $1,199, and the Dell XPS 13 (2024) for $1,299.
Again, these aren’t the cheapest laptops. In fact, the last three are more expensive than the $1,099 13-inch MacBook Air M3. That said, even the more expensive Galaxy Book 4 Edge ($1,349) costs less than the $1,599 14-inch MacBook Pro M3. Overall, Copilot+ PCs offer great value for money, given their excellent performance and battery life.
Copilot+ PCs: What I don’t like
Disappointing AI features
Ironically, the advertised AI features of the Copilot+ PCs aren’t a worthwhile reason to get one of these laptops. Sure, there are some new AI-powered features in MS Paint (for example) that you can try out, but so far there’s nothing in terms of AI that’s truly transformative for the average person.
This could change as software developers develop meaningful applications for generative AI on devices. But for now, Copilot+ PCs and similar “AI laptops” don’t usher in the AI revolution the tech industry expects on the horizon.
Poor gaming performance
This is perhaps an unfair objection considering that none of the Copilot+ PCs I tested have a discrete GPU, but if you want to play the best PC games locally on your device, you’re better off getting one of the best gaming laptops (or best gaming PCs).
For example, games like Fortnite cannot run on these machines because they were not designed for Arm-based computers. And while Civilization VI can run on Copilot+ PCs, according to our testing, it does so at a miserable 20 frames per second. That’s not exactly a graphically demanding game, which makes the result even worse.
You may Enjoy modern games on Copilot+ PCs, but only if you do so through cloud gaming services like GeForce Now and Xbox Game Pass for PC.
Arm compatibility issues
For some people this may not be a problem, but for others it can be very annoying.
On CoPilot+ PCs, some apps and games may not run at startup. This includes various Adobe programs, games like Halo Infinite and League of Legends, and even the Google Drive desktop app. In my own testing, I found that Corsair’s iCue app doesn’t work, while other apps like Logi Options+ and Razer Synapse have limited functionality.
Compatibility issues could be resolved as more developers build apps and games for the Arm architecture, but you may have to wait a while.
