At Computex 2024, AMD and Intel showcased their new Ryzen AI 300 CPUs and Lunar Lake chips, respectively, but it was announced that these components will not support the AI features available to Copilot+ PCs at launch. Instead, AMD and Intel will receive support for Copilot+ features through a software update in the future. This development comes as a surprise, especially considering that Ryzen AI 300 and Lunar Lake both come equipped with a neural processing unit (NPU) that meets Microsoft’s requirements for a Copilot+ PC.
According to reports, Microsoft is initially restricting access to features like Recall and Auto Super Resolution to laptops with Snapdragon X Elite and Plus chips. This means that AMD and Intel PCs that meet the requirements will have to wait for a software update to access these features. Microsoft did not confirm any timeline for this update, but AMD’s marketing manager, Matthew Hurwitz, stated that it expects Copilot+ to be available before the end of 2024.
Intel’s executive vice president, Michelle Holthaus, also said that the company is “waiting for Microsoft to tell us when devices will have a day-one update”. During a Q&A session, Holthaus mentioned that the rollout for Lunar Lake will happen from the end of the year through February of next year, which could indicate that Microsoft may hold off on releasing the Copilot+ update until there is broader availability of the new chips.
AMD and Intel Lag Behind Qualcomm
AMD’s chief marketing officer, John Taylor, stated on LinkedIn that the company is targeting Copilot+ availability for later this year. However, it is unclear when exactly this will happen. With Qualcomm being referred to as the “exclusive” platform for Copilot+ PCs, some speculate that there may be an exclusivity deal between Microsoft and Qualcomm. While this has not been confirmed, it is clear that Microsoft is holding back Copilot+ updates for AMD and Intel.
Microsoft’s push for Copilot+ is closely tied to its efforts to enable Windows on Arm, with Qualcomm’s CEO stating that the company is committed to the Windows ecosystem. The company’s CEO has also mentioned that it will continue to develop desktops and other form factors packing Snapdragon chips in the future. AMD and Intel will eventually receive Copilot+ features, but it seems that this will not be until several months after the initial launch.
