Microsoft is holding a special event in San Francisco on October 7, and is remaining tight-lipped about what will be discussed. The company has confirmed that Windows, RTX Spark, and Surface are on all the agenda, but is yet to delve into specifics.

This will be the first dedicated Windows & Surface event since the Copilot+ PC launch event in 2024. That event ended up being a total disaster, generating a wave of negative pushback online around features like Recall, tarnishing the category right out of the gate.

Microsoft will be livestreaming its October 7 event, which means the company believes the news it's planning to announce is worthy of public attention. Both myself and Daniel Rubino will be attending the event in-person, giving us an opportunity to go hands-on with all the new features and hardware as they are announced.

So, what can we expect Microsoft to discuss on October 7? Here's what I know.

Surface Laptop Ultra fully revealed

Unsurprisingly, a big focus on October 7 will be on Microsoft's new RTX Spark hardware. The Surface Laptop Ultra was unveiled back in June, and I'm expecting to hear more about the hardware, capabilities, and availability in San Francisco.

A big part of the keynote will be about how Surface Laptop Ultra and RTX Spark are capable of running local 120B parameter models that enable on-device AI experiences and agentic workflows without requiring the cloud. The laptop will be primarily marketed at AI developers and content creators who frequently use apps like Premiere Pro, Blender, and more.

I also understand that Microsoft will demonstrate how the Surface Laptop Ultra maintains maximum performance even when not plugged in, similar to the MacBook Pro. It'll also highlight the PixelSense Ultra display, which sources tell me will be both sharper and brighter than the display on the upcoming MacBook Pro/Ultra with touch.

Surface Laptop Ultra also features a large haptic trackpad that supports Windows 11's built-in haptic engine system that provides subtle feedback when interacting with apps and UI surfaces. I also expect Microsoft to reveal a unique USB-C port that may feature a breakaway design, similar to Surface Connect.

Microsoft will also delve into configurations of the Surface Laptop Ultra that customers will be able to buy. According to my sources, Surface Laptop Ultra will be available in two RTX Spark configurations: an 18-core model with 5,120 GPU cores, and a 20-core model with 6,144 GPU cores for higher-end workflows.

The 18-core model will be available with 24GB or 32GB RAM, and the 20-core model will be available with 32GB, 48GB, 64GB, or 128GB RAM. The entry-level 18-core SKUs will ship with Windows 11 Home, and higher-end configs will come with Windows 11 Pro.

Of course, all eyes will be on pricing. Sources haven't been able to confirm exact pricing just yet, but I understand that Surface Laptop Ultra will not be cheap, likely starting well above $2,000 for the entry-level 18-core model with 24GB RAM.

I also wouldn't be surprised if we hear more about the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, which I suspect will likely start shipping at or around the same time as Surface Laptop Ultra.

Windows K2 recap, and support for agents

In addition to the new RTX Spark hardware, Microsoft has teased that "something new is coming from Windows" at this event. Details around what exactly Microsoft is planning to talk about remain under wraps, but I have a few theories.

Of course, the company will likely spend some time recapping the Windows K2 effort that has been ongoing this year. It'll highlight recent performance, reliability, and feature improvements delivered to the OS, and maybe even discuss how it has tuned the Prism emulation layer to run better on RTX Spark PCs.

I'm also expecting Microsoft to highlight some refreshed user interface and design improvements across the OS. The company has been working to bring WinUI to more areas of Windows, including File Explorer, Start menu, and more, which is expected to improve performance.

Windows is also set to gain new unified memory controls that will allow users to adjust how much memory is reserved for the GPU on RTX Spark. This should help enable more advanced local AI workflows and increased gaming performance when needed.

But the big focus will be on how Windows 11 now supports agents. Microsoft has been working on adding agentic capabilities to the OS over the last year, and I'd be surprised if we don't get a demo showcasing how the platform has been updated to run agentic workflows locally and securely.

At Build 2026, Microsoft unveiled three new in-house language models that are designed to run entirely on-device: Aion Instruct, Aion Plan, and MAI Code Flash. I suspect all three will be highlighted as working great on RTX Spark.

Lastly, I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft finally takes the wraps off its new voice-enhanced user experience that it has been teasing is in the works over the last year. On multiple occasions, the company has said it's working to adapt and improve voice input across Windows in the wake of AI.

Pavan Davuluri said in July that Microsoft is working to make "voice more natural and fluid to interact across the apps you use every day." We are yet to see this work in action, and so I expect October 7 will be when the company reveals this.

Microsoft's play for the high-end, MacBook Pro AI developer crowd

According to my sources, this event will focus a lot on appealing to the AI developer crowd, a large chunk of which has flocked to the high-end MacBook Pro or Mac Studio for all their on-device language model needs.

The Mac platform has become the default choice for AI development, and Microsoft and NVIDIA are keen to win back those users. Microsoft will use this event to appeal to that audience, along with content creators who have also chosen the Mac for photo and video editing needs.

Hopefully there will be some surprises in the form of Windows announcements, but I fully expect the majority of the event to focus on how Windows is now ready for RTX Spark and local agents.

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Microsoft's Windows 11 and Surface event is only a couple of days away. At the event, we expect to hear a recap of improvements made to the operating system as part of the Windows K2 initiative. But why simply watch people talk about updates when you can test them out yourself?

Many of the biggest changes to Windows 11 have already shipped through Windows 11 version 26H2. But items that are still in the works are being tested among Windows Insiders. A flurry of five builds shipped recently.

👉Don’t miss Microsoft’s October 7 Windows & Surface keynote — here’s how to tune in and follow the biggest reveals

Many of the changes are rolling out to multiple builds, such as added support for Unicode 17.0. Below, I've outlined all the updates and improvements rolling out to Windows Insiders. Make sure to check the channels noted below to see what's on the way to your PC.

Unicode (Beta, Experimental)

• We've updated Windows text shaping support for Unicode 17.0, helping Windows correctly display and shape newly encoded characters and scripts. Unicode 17.0 added 4,803 characters, including support for four newly encoded scripts: Beria Erfe, Sidetic, Tai Yo, and Tolong Siki.
• These updates help keep Windows text support current as the Unicode Standard evolves and improve support for languages and writing systems used by people around the world.

Settings (Beta, Experimental)

• We're making performance improvements to the Settings home page, which should result in reduced loading times in certain scenarios.

Settings (Experimental (Future Platforms))

• Updated Settings > Apps > Installed apps to show the version number at the top level for packaged apps, as it already does for other apps.

Recovery (Beta, Experimental 

• We're adding a new entry point for Cloud Rebuild under Settings > System > Recovery, making it easier to access the feature from Settings.

Windows Recovery (Beta (26H1))

• We're introducing Cloud rebuild, a new recovery option that restores a Windows 11 PC to a clean, known-good state by performing a full OS reinstall, even when Windows won't boot. Unlike Reset this PC, Cloud rebuild downloads both the target Windows image and the device's drivers from Windows Update, so the device comes back fully functional without USB media, without a custom image, and without depending on the health of the currently installed OS.
• In this preview, you can try Cloud rebuild today:
  • Start it directly from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) by selecting Troubleshoot > Recovery and uninstall > Cloud rebuild.
  • Connect over wired Ethernet or a Wi-Fi network from within WinRE.
  • Review the target Windows build, edition, and language, then confirm the data-loss warning before the rebuild begins.

File Explorer (Experimental)

• Address Bar now supports '~' , making it quicker to navigate directly to your user profile folder and subfolders (e.g., "~\AppData").

File Explorer (Experimental (Future Platforms))

• This update adjusts how the preview pane handles files downloaded from the web. For HTML files, a new Preview anyway button lets you acknowledge the warning and preview the file. Non-HTML files, such as PDFs, are now previewed automatically.
• Fixed an issue causing the previews in File Explorer to have an unexpected bar in the middle in recent flights.

File Explorer (Experimental (26H1))

• Customizations
  • Improved File Explorer to keep folder view customizations, such as sorting and icon size preferences, consistent across different access paths and apps.
• Address bar improvements
  • The address bar now supports paths containing double backslashes and quotation marks, for example, C:\Users\user or "C:\Users\user", improving compatibility with a wider range of inputs.
  • Improved reliability of the address bar suggestion dropdown so it now consistently closes after an item is selected.
• Refinements to the rename experience
  • Fixed an issue where text would be repeatedly selected while renaming items in folder views.
  • Fixed an issue where updated names with case-only changes weren't immediately reflected in folder views across local and cloud storage.

Windows Magnifier (Experimental (26H1), Beta (26H1))

• Magnifier now gives you more control over how you zoom. You can type an exact zoom percentage directly in the Magnifier toolbar to land on precisely the level you need.
• We've also added preset step increments (5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 100%, 150%, 200%, and 400%) to the Settings dropdown, so you can jump to common levels in a single click. Whether you need a subtle boost or a dramatic close-up, Magnifier adapts to how you want to zoom.

Cloud rebuild (Experimental (26H1))

• We're updating Cloud rebuild, the recovery option that restores a Windows 11 PC to a clean, known-good state by performing a full OS reinstall, with two additions.
• Cloud rebuild can now sanitize the device's drives as part of the rebuild. When you start a rebuild in WinRE, choose Remove files if you're keeping the PC, or Remove & sanitize files before recycling, returning, or reassigning it. The sanitize option uses the storage hardware's erase capability to securely erase data before Windows is reinstalled and is irreversible.
• IT administrators can now configure and start a Cloud rebuild remotely through the Recovery CSP, using either the currently installed build or a target build you specify.

Windows Share (Experimental (Future Platforms))

• Added the ability to pin your favorite apps in the Windows share window.

Family Safety (Experimental (Future Platforms))

• Improved family safety messaging when applications are blocked because of age-restricted parental controls.

Taskbar (Experimental (Future Platforms))

• Fixed a few small visual polish issues when using the taskbar in alternate positions.

Audio (Experimental (Future Platforms))

• Fixed an issue affecting certain USB Audio Class 1.0 devices, including some multichannel audio headsets, that could prevent the device from working correctly after installing the latest updates.

Remote Desktop (Experimental (Future Platforms))

• Fixed an issue causing Remote Desktop to not use the correct window size after recent flights.

Other (Experimental (Future Platforms))

• Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to experience extreme lag over time after updating to the last two flights.

These changes aren't as substantial as the new features and upgrades in Windows 11 version 26H2, but they help create a smoother computing experience.

My favorite improvements are those rolling out to Windows Magnifier. Fine-tune controls make it much easier to create the best experience for your specific screen. The presets make it easy to jump incrementally, but I prefer entering the magnification manually.

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It looks like Microsoft is wrapping up its Windows and Surface efforts for 2026 to be able to focus on the future. Last week the company announced refreshes to the Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch. This week, Microsoft rolled out Windows 11 version 26H2.

With a bunch of Surface announcements in the rearview mirror and another update to Windows 11 rolling out, Microsoft can point its followers to the future. The description of the Windows and Surface event next week says, "Join us live... for a look at what's next from Windows, Surface, and NVIDIA."

I hope Microsoft has some exciting news in store for its event. Windows and Surface have been far from exciting lately. It is possible to market boring products, of course, but they have to be reliable.

This week Microsoft announced Windows 11 version 26H2 and called it a "predictable and low-disruption update." If Microsoft wants to win back consumers, it needs to either be cutting edge or actually deliver predictable and low-disruption updates. It feels like for the last few years we've gotten neither.

Biggest News of the Week

Microsoft has had to release multiple out-of-band updates in 2026. Some bugs required multiple patches to fix. It's gotten so bad that most of our articles about Windows 11 updates are met with comments asking what will break this time.

Unfortunately, the commenters have been proven right several times. One serious bug made Outlook, OneDrive, Dropbox, and other cloud-backed apps inoperable. Another issue froze Remote Desktop and caused audio failures. At one point users couldn't even install a Windows 11 update, forcing Microsoft to pull that update.

If Microsoft is going to undercut its events and trim down its Surface lineup, it needs to double down on reliability. Next week, we should get some answers about Microsoft's plans.

Windows and Surface event

A boring but bug-free Windows 11 update may be a welcome change of pace, but it makes me curious about what Microsoft will discuss at its Windows and Surface event next week. Considering Windows 11 version 26H2 is already rolling out, the focus is likely the future of Windows.

Does Microsoft have something up its sleeve? Has the tech giant learned a lesson about how to build consumer hype? Or are we due for another on-stage announcement about AI and how new PCs can run models locally?

I'm sure there are developers interested in the potential of the Surface Laptop Ultra and RTX Spark for AI development, but there are hundreds of millions of Windows users who care very little about AI. Microsoft needs to at least throw some scraps our way to keep us interested.

Shopping with Sean

Amazon's October Prime Day is next week, but there are already some great deals live. Competing retailers are trying to beat Amazon to the punch, resulting in big savings.

A trio of laptops are the best deals of the week. I'm partial toward the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x because of its thin design but the Samsung Galaxy Book6 and Dell 14S are also great choices.

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Microsoft will hold a Windows and Surface event on October 7, 2026. We've known about the event for weeks, but Microsoft has now shared details about how to watch it live.

Microsoft posted a YouTube event titled "Something new is coming from Windows | October 7" recently. That means you can click the "Notify me" button to get pinged when the event starts.

The Surface Laptop Ultra and the NVIDIA RTX Spark are expected to be the focus of the event. The Surface RTX Spark Dev Box may also make an appearance.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Surface Chief Pavan Davuluri, and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang will all be in attendance.

Microsoft has been tight-lipped about the event. We weren't even sure if it would be live-streamed until recently. The description of the live stream is similarly scarce on details:

"Join us live October 7th at 10:00 am PT for a look at what's next from Windows, Surface, and NVIDIA. See the latest, including RTX Spark and new experiences designed to unlock more possibilities for developers and builders."

Microsoft already announced the Surface Laptop Ultra and discussed RTX Spark, so seeing those on stage would hardly be shocking. Windows 11 just received an update, so there are few surprises about what's shipping to PCs this year. But Microsoft's description talks about "what's next," so the tech giant could tease future updates or discuss changes to how it makes its flagship software or hardware.

Based on our recent poll, Windows Central readers are excited about the Surface Laptop Ultra. So even if the device has already been announced, many people will appreciate details about the laptop.

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Microsoft is yet to confirm plans for Windows 11 version 27H2, but that doesn't mean we don't yet know anything about it. Thanks to information supplied by Microsoft about Windows 11 version 26H1 and 26H2, we can read the tea leaves and begin to decipher what Microsoft's plans are for its OS in 2027.

First up, we must set the stage for Windows 11 currently. For the first time ever, Microsoft has split the Windows userbase in two. Most Windows 11 users will continue to receive OS updates that are based on the Germanium platform release, which powers version 24H2, version 25H2, and the new version 26H2.

Germanium has been in the market since 2024, and is what the majority of Windows 11 users are running today. That will no longer be the case with version 26H1, which is the first version of Windows 11 since 2024 to ship on a new version of the Windows platform. This new version is codenamed Bromine, and exists exclusively for Snapdragon X2 and RTX Spark devices.

That means version 26H1 and the newer Bromine platform release will not be made available to the existing Windows 11 userbase this year. Microsoft doesn't say why, but my sources tell me this is because Bromine only really exists because of timing convenience. These new Arm chips required extra kernel level work, and it was easier for Microsoft to build those into a new platform release than it was to retroactively fit the Germanium platform release with these additions.

Because of this, Microsoft hasn't made any optimizations to the Bromine platform release for existing PCs. While you can run Bromine on existing hardware if you want, there is no benefit in doing so. As a result, Microsoft chose to keep the majority of Windows users in the platform release that has been shipping since 2024, and split off the new Snapdragon X2 and RTX Spark PCs with their own platform release.

That does mean there's going to be some awkward fragmentation between version 26H1 and version 26H2 throughout 2026 and into 2027, however. Microsoft has confirmed that because version 26H1 is based on a newer platform release than version 26H2, those running 26H1 are not eligible for the version 26H2 release.

The company does say that this won't be the case forever, and that Windows 11 users running version 26H1 will be updated to something newer in the future. According to my sources, that will be version 27H2 in 2027, which will be the first platform release since 25H2 to be offered to the entire Windows 11 userbase.

Release date

As is almost always the case, Microsoft tends to ship new versions of Windows in the second half of the year. I anticipate this will remain the case for version 27H2, which will likely target a September or October release window.

Because version 27H2 is likely to introduce a new platform release, Microsoft will use a measured and phased rollout approach to its general availability. That means not all users will see the update right away once it's made available, as Microsoft will choose to roll it out in waves to ensure the update is installing as intended.

It will also be a full blown OS upgrade release, and not just an enablement package. That means it will replace the entire OS with a new version, while maintaining all your apps, files and settings. This takes a little longer than an enablement package release, which only updates a few OS files to enable the new version.

Windows 11 version 22H2 was a fill blown OS upgrade release over 21H2, as was version 24H2 over 23H2. So this wouldn't be the first time this has happened.

Platform changes

We know that the version 27H2 release will need to be based on a newer platform release than Germanium to support upgrading both 26H2 and 26H1 users. What we don't yet know is what platform release this will be. It's possible that Microsoft could use the Bromine platform release for 27H2, though I think this is unlikely.

I think Microsoft will issue a platform release that's newer than Bromine. Given the timing, I suspect it may be the Windows Strontium platform release, which is expected to be finalized sometime in the first half of 2027. This would align with Microsoft's previous development schedules.

For example, Germanium was finalized in the first half of 2024, and ended up shipping as version 24H2 in the second half of that year. With Strontium expected to be finalized in the first half of 2027, I would wager the same will happen then for version 27H2.

Microsoft has announced that the next version of Windows will drop support for the Snapdragon 850 SoC. While not confirmation on its own, it's a strong hint that version 27H2 will be powered by a newer platform release than Bromine, given the Snapdragon 850 can still run Bromine-based builds.

New features?

Because of Microsoft's "Continuous Innovation" effort, the company no longer ties new features to version updates. These days, Windows 11 receives new features whenever the company deems them ready to ship, meaning there's no features in active development that are expected to be exclusive to version 27H2 currently, though that could change in the future.

In fact, most mainline feature development still takes places on the Germanium codebase, then is forward integrated into newer codebases when ready. This is why new features often arrive on version 25H2 and 26H2 first, and then come to 26H1 later, as 26H1 is built on a newer Windows platform.

Windows 12?

Of course, the age old question is whether or not the next version of Windows will be dubbed Windows 12. The answer is we don't know, and likely won't know until much closer to the time.

Even if Microsoft does debut Windows 12 next year, that doesn't mean Windows 11 version 27H2 wouldn't also exist. When Windows 11 version 21H2 debuted, Windows 10 still received its own 21H2 version that same year.

With all that in mind, I don't think we're going to see Windows 12 in 2026. Given the current versions of Windows 11 are split between two platform releases, it would be irresponsible and complex from a support perspective to leave the userbase in that state.

It would make the upgrade path from Windows 11 to Windows 12 more complex, and Microsoft would need to account for multiple in-market platform releases and versions. I would think it's better to get everyone back onto the same platform version under Windows 11 first, before trying to push forward with Windows 12.

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Microsoft has announced that the just released Windows 11 version 26H2 will be the last version to support Qualcomm's second-generation Windows 10 on Arm SoC, the Snapdragon 850 from 2018.

The news was published on the Windows 11 Lifecycle Policy page, where a notice now says "Windows 11, version 26H2 is the last version that will support devices with Snapdragon 850 processors."

The Snapdragon 850 is notable as being the first "built-for-Windows" chip from Qualcomm. The Snapdragon 835 that powered Windows PCs first was a recycled smartphone chip.

Windows 11 had already dropped support for the Snapdragon 835 a while ago, and now it seems the Snapdragon 850 is next on the chopping block. Windows PCs with the Snapdragon 850 under the hood are eligible to install the latest version update, but will not get version 27H2 next year.

Windows 11 version 26H2 will be supported for 24 months, meaning devices with the Snapdragon 850 inside have two years of security updates remaining before they'll be left behind in an insecure state.

It's unclear why Microsoft is dropping support for this SoC. This likely implies that the 27H2 release next fall will be based on a new version of the Windows platform, and not an enablement-package like 26H2 is.

It's also unclear whether or not this limitation will be artificial in nature. Just because an SoC is no longer supported doesn't mean it can't run newer versions by bypassing system requirements. Many people have enjoyed running Windows 11 on unsupported chips for many years.

Either way, we know that officially, the Snapdragon 850 will no longer be supported on future versions of Windows. Windows 11 version 26H2 is the last version that is officially supported.

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Developers can now jump into their workflows faster on Windows 11. Microsoft has made WSL Containers generally available, reducing the setup and management required to run Linux containers through the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).

Containers are packages that include an application and the dependencies required to run it. Developers use them to ensure software behaves consistently across different systems.

WSL Containers brings built-in Linux container support to Windows through WSL. Until now, developers typically relied on third-party tools such as Docker Desktop to run Linux containers on Windows. With WSL Containers, Microsoft is providing a built-in alternative through WSL.

Microsoft announced WSL Containers at Build 2026 and has tested the feature since then. The platform is now generally available.

Microsoft has also added new features to WSL containers since testing began, including support for container health checks, real-time event streaming, expanded networking controls, configurable storage locations, and several new container management commands.

Microsoft is also adding more enterprise controls to WSL Containers, including Intune policies and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint support.

Tools such as Docker Desktop continue to be an option for developers, but WSL Containers requires less software to install and manage.

Microsoft's new wslc command-line tool uses commands that will feel familiar to developers who already work with containers, making the transition relatively seamless.

WSL Containers won't replace tools such as Docker Desktop for everyone, but they do give developers one less app to install. For many Windows 11 users, running Linux containers just became a built-in feature rather than something that requires extra software.

Most Windows 11 users will never run a container, so this update won't change their day-to-day experience. But making container support a built-in part of Windows removes a barrier for developers, which can speed up app development and testing.

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Right on schedule, Microsoft has announced the general availability of the Windows 11 2026 Update, also known as Windows 11 version 26H2. The company consistently releases a new version of the OS in the second half of the year, resetting the support clock and delivering new features and improvements.

The Windows 11 version 26H2 release builds upon the same platform release that powers Windows 11 version 25H2 and version 24H2. This means the update includes no new features on the surface that aren't also rolling out to those older releases, but it does act as a checkpoint that enables all the new features rolled out over the last 12 months.

So if you are still missing new features like the new Start menu or File Explorer improvements, updating to version 26H2 should enable them. "Windows 11, version 26H2 brings together all the Windows innovations, security improvements, and enhancements delivered over the past year to version 25H2," Microsoft says.

Additionally, Microsoft explains that version 26H2 is an enablement package update, which "is a lightweight update that activates new features already included in the operating system through previous monthly servicing updates. Because versions 26H2, 25H2, and 24H2 share a common servicing branch and underlying codebase, many of the components required for version 26H2 are already present on devices before the feature update becomes available."

That means the update will only take a few minutes to download and install, and is low-disruption and safe with no compatibility concerns or bugs to be aware of.

The 26H2 update also resets the support lifecycle clock, meaning users that install it will enjoy 24 months of security and feature updates on Home and Pro edition from today. Commercial editions will receive 36 months of support.

Microsoft is rolling Windows 11 version 26H2 out in waves, but users can get it sooner by ensuring the "Get the latest Windows updates when they're available" option is toggled in Windows Settings.

If you're running Windows 11 version 26H1, you will not be eligible to install Windows 11 version 26H2. Version 26H1 is based on a newer version of the Windows platform compared to version 26H2, and so there's no direct upgrade path currently.

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It's been a busy week for Microsoft. Despite having a Windows and Surface event scheduled two weeks from now, the company announced two new Surface PCs and revived the Surface Mouse. Microsoft also effectively cut the legs out from under the Copilot+ PC brand by confirming the new Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch are not Copilot+ PCs.

Biggest News of the Week

Microsoft confirmed that its new Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch will not be called Copilot+ PCs. Not because they fail to meet the requirements — both PCs have the specs to otherwise qualify — but because Microsoft is going in a different direction.

I think we may hear more about Microsoft’s plans and rebranding at the Windows and Surface event next month, but for now we just have confirmation the new Surface devices are not called Copilot+ PCs.

The Copilot+ PC brand was doomed to fail. Microsoft failed to make it clear to customers what made Copilot+ PCs special, and the flagship Recall was a disaster.

Many people were confused about the difference between a Copilot+ PC and an AI PC. And several major manufacturers made it clear that labeling a device as a Copilot+ PC was not a priority.

Too many Copilots

Microsoft put too many eggs in the same basket with Copilot. The company has dozens of products with Copilot in their names. Even the Microsoft 365 app had Copilot forced into its name.

By bundling so many different products and services under the Copilot name, Microsoft tied the success (or failure) of a large part of its portfolio together.

Look online for reactions to the Copilot+ PC brand being phased out and you’ll see people discussing the Copilot app, the Copilot key, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and other Copilot-branded products. And who can blame them? It’s natural to assume the end of Copilot+ PCs means the end of at least some parts of Copilot.

But the opposite is true. In the same week it confirmed its Surface PCs are not Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft announced a massive overhaul of the Copilot platform. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella called it a new OS, though I’m not sure what that really means in this case.

Ultimately, Microsoft fell in love with the term Copilot and tried to attach it to too many products and services. We’ve seen similar mistakes, such as Facebook going all in on the Metaverse.

Copilot+ PCs are gone or being phased out, but Copilot as an “OS” is just beginning. Microsoft will need to do some damage control and get a marketing message out to make it clear those facts aren’t in opposition.

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In 2024, Microsoft and Qualcomm kicked off a new category of Windows hardware it called "Copilot+ PCs" that set the baseline for a new wave of AI-first computers, and launched with exclusive features that would not be made available on PCs that didn't meet a new set of system requirements.

The launch didn't go smoothly. Copilot+ PCs were met with immediate backlash from security researchers after discovering that Copilot+ PCs blockbuster feature, Recall, was woefully insecure. This forced the company to delay Recall and ship this new category of devices without its leading AI experience.

This pretty much tarnished the Copilot+ PC brand, and over the last two years more and more OEMs have dropped the moniker from marketing materials and product names. In fact, even Microsoft has seemingly stopped mentioning it.

I've noticed that none of the Surface PCs launched in 2026 include the Copilot+ PC moniker in their product names, unlike the Surface PCs that launched in 2025 and before. Now, you have to go digging to find any mention of Copilot+ compatibility in specification sheets.

At this year's Snapdragon Summit, I had the chance to ask Surface CVP Brett Ostrum about the lack of Copilot+ PC branding on its recent Surface PCs, and he confirmed that "these are not called Copilot+ PCs. They do meet all the requirements of our previous bar for what Copilot+ devices are. We still lean into the narrative around AI on the edge and being able to have a hybrid solution out there."

I've also asked Qualcomm's SVP of compute, Kedar Kondap, about his thoughts on the usage of the Copilot+ PC branding. He told me that "the purpose for Copilot+ PCs was to be able to deliver [NPU] experiences. So it was to define a certain category of devices with a certain bar and metric, like for example, a 45 TOPS NPU ... So from that perspective, it's more offering the same experiences, probably without just using [Copilot+ PC] terminology now."

It's also worth mentioning that NVIDIA hasn't gone anywhere near the Copilot+ PC brand for its upcoming RTX Spark platform, even though all RTX Spark PCs meet the Copilot+ PC specification bar. I suspect that's a deliberate decision.

It seems pretty obvious that the Copilot+ PC brand hasn't resonated with the market, and OEMs and Microsoft itself are now quietly pulling back on that branding. The specification baseline for Copilot+ PC experiences still exists, it just no longer has a pretty marketing name tied to it.

The rough launch of Copilot+ PCs, paired with the fact that Microsoft Copilot itself doesn't have a very strong reputation these days, likely contributed to the decision to slowly retire the Copilot+ PC branding. The brand never made sense to me anyway... these PCs have nothing to do with Copilot.

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