The ASUS Zenbook A16 and its Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme CPU are finally here, ushering in the next wave of Windows laptops. Our Editor-in-Chief says the Zenbook A16 is "shaping up to be the Windows 11 laptop I’d recommend to most people who aren't hardcore gamers."
Reviews of the device are in, and the laptop has received quite a bit of praise. The PC got a rare 5-star rating in our ASUS Zenbook A16 review. In it, Senior Editor Ben Wilson highlights the weight and design of the PC, breaks down CPU benchmarks, and runs through everything you need to know.
One thing he does not do, however, is mention the term "Copilot+ PC."
It's worth noting that the ASUS Zenbook A16 is a Copilot+ PC. Heck, ASUS even puts "Copilot+ PC" in the title of the device on its website. The Copilot+ PC logo appears near the top of the page as well, and there's even a little section about Copilot+ PC features if you scroll down.
But here's the thing: no one cares. I haven't found a single review for the ASUS Zenbook A16 that even mentions that the laptop is a Copilot+ PC. I'm confident that if there is such a review, it's mentioned in passing.
Reviews from Windows Central, Tom's Hardware, The Verge, and Engadget all skip any mention of Copilot+ PC between the bunch.
Microsoft and other PC makers need to take note of the fact that people are apathetic about the term Copilot+ PC. Honestly, I don't think Microsoft should even mention on stage if the next Surface devices are Copilot+ PCs. Keep that as a footnote on the Microsoft website until a better term is figured out.
Microsoft's obsession with Copilot
Microsoft's obsession with Copilot isn't limited to stickers on a palm rest or Copilot+ PC logos on a thumbnail. The company has pushed 80 different products with Copilot in the name.
Last year, when Microsoft hit its monumental 50th anniversary, the celebratory event was officially a Copilot event. Five decades of groundbreaking products and software, and Microsoft chose to use its 50th anniversary as a marketing ploy for Copilot.
Microsoft seems desperate to make the Copilot name stick, and at this point, it's almost sad.
If Microsoft gets up on stage to announce new Surface devices this spring and spends 20+ minutes talking about how they're Copilot+ PCs, people's eyes will glaze over, and Microsoft will have wasted precious time.
Copilot+ PC vs. AI PC
I'm not against the concept of an AI PC, though I think it will be a long time before the majority of general users value having one. I think it's great that so many PCs are capable of running AI locally. The Neural Processing Unit (NPU) is an exciting addition to the PC landscape, and a growing number of apps can leverage that specialized processor.
It's the Copilot+ PC brand that I think is meaningless to most people in 2026. It feels like Microsoft tried to force a branded term, "Copilot+ PC," instead of leaning into a more logical title like "AI PC."
"If I was an average PC user who stumbled on this Microsoft blog post appealing to AI novices — published on February 17, 2026, mind you — I would probably leave with more questions than answers."
Cale Hunt, Windows Central Contributor
In 2024, we needed the "Copilot+ PC" label to explain why we were buying Windows on Arm. In 2026, the X2 Elite Extreme has 80 TOPS and 18 cores. People are buying the Zenbook because it beats the MacBook Air M5 in multi-core, not because of a sticker.
Microsoft has had to go to great lengths to explain the differences between Copilot+ PCs and AI PCs. Our own Cale Hunt analyzed the "beginner" explanation of those terms shared by Microsoft.
It's not like the best AI PCs are all Copilot+ PCs anyway. The Dell XPS 16 (2025), which was known as the Dell 16 Premium until last month, is not listed as a Copilot+ PC.
To be completely honest, I don't even know for sure that the XPS 16 (2025) is not a Copilot+ PC. It has an NPU with 47 TOPS, and its listing mentions Copilot, but the Copilot+ PC logo is absent, and the term does not appear on the page.
In contrast, the New Dell XPS (2026) shows the Copilot+ PC logo on its thumbnail and specifically mentions that it's a Copilot+ PC in its tech specs.
This just further proves my point that the Copilot+ PC brand lacks substance.
In defense of AI PCs
Microsoft can, and should, continue to innovate in the AI space and create Surface hardware capable of running AI features locally. As I mentioned briefly earlier, there are a growing number of apps that leverage NPUs, including Adobe Photoshop and Capcut.
NPU usage will likely grow over time as developers fully adopt the hardware.
There are also several Microsoft and Windows features that are NPU-driven:
- Click‑to‑Do (Contextual Actions)
- Semantic Windows Search
- Windows Studio Effects (Camera & Mic AI)
- Photos App: AI Relighting & Smart Editing
- Local Language Models (Phi Silica)
- AI OCR (On‑Device Text Recognition)
- On‑Device Image Generation / Enhancement
But "Copilot+ PC" needs to be placed in the Recycle Bin. I doubt Microsoft will do this, but the failure of the Copilot brand will hold back genuinely useful AI features and AI laptops. And the confusing nature of "what is a Copilot+ PC" will continue to cause more confusion than it will drive sales.
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