Hot on the heels of Intel announcing its Lunar lake mobile processors, formally called Intel Core Ultra (Series 2), Microsoft has now announced the expansion of Copilot+ beyond the confines of Snapdragon processors. Since both AMD and Intel have now introduced their next-generation processors with proper NPUs, you can expect Copilot+ features to land on these PCs when Windows 11 version 24H2 starts hitting non-Qualcomm PCs in November.

What is Copilot+?

Microsoft introduced Copilot+ PCs back in May, alongside the first wave of laptops powered by the Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite processors. Coincidentally, these were also the first Copilot+ PCs, because they were the first to feature processors with a built-in NPU capable of 40TOPS or more. However, it was always said that other brands would eventually follow suit.

Copilot+ encompasses a number of AI features that run on-device, meaning you don't need to rely on the cloud. By leveraging a dedicated processing unit, the NPU, these tasks can run locally, without depending on the internet, and without using too much power. The features in Copilot+ include:

• Live Captions with real-time translation (only for English)
• Advanced Windows Studio Effects (such as filters and Teleprompter eye contact)
• Cocreator in Paint
• Image creator and Restyle image in the Photos app

The first two features are self explanatory, while the latter two basically rely on image generation. Cocreator in Paint is a feature that actually works on other PCs, but it runs in the cloud and costs credits. With a Copilot+ PC, you can generate images in Paint without worrying about that. As for the photos app, Image Creator is also easy to understand, while the Restyle image feature lets you change the look of a picture to a different artistic style.

Why is it coming later for Intel and AMD?

Since AMD Ryzen AI 300 processors are already available and Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) models are coming later this month, you might be wondering why these features are only arriving in November. The answer is that Arm-based PCs, such as those powered by the Snapdragon X Elite, had to launch with Windows 11 version 24H2, because this update contained significant architectural improvements to allow Windows to run more smoothly on that hardware. As such, a version of this update was released early with some features missing, but with Copilot+ already on board.

Meanwhile, AMD and Intel PCs don't need the optimizations in Windows 11 version 24H2, so laptops launching today still come with version 23H2. The full release of Windows 11 version 24H2 is happening in November with Copilot+ features among many other improvements in tow. Presumably, you may be able to get the features early by joining the Windows Insider Program on these new PCs.

Of course, another big Copilot+ feature is Recall, which missed the initial launch after a big controversy surrounding its implementation and the security implications resulting from it. This will capture and remember everything you do on your PC and make it searchable, so you can easily go back to something you worked on previously. That feature will be available to Windows Insiders in October, with a full rollout yet to be announced.