Unlocking Potential: A Guide to Microsoft's Copilot+ PCs

Introduction: Is AI the Extra Team Member You Need?

We are all currently operating in a uniquely challenging environment. Often juggling limited resources – whether time, budget, or specialist staff – the pressure to enhance efficiency and maintain competitiveness is constant.

Amidst the growing discussion around Artificial Intelligence (AI), it's easy to dismiss it as another complex technology reserved for large corporations. However, AI offers the potential to act as a powerful amplifier for business and employee capabilities.

Imagine an assistant that can help draft communications, summarise information, generate creative content, and even break down language barriers – essentially, an extra, highly efficient team member augmenting existing skills.   

Last years Microsoft's introduction of Copilot+ PCs marks a significant development in making this potential more accessible. These devices represent a new category of computer, specifically engineered to bring powerful AI capabilities directly onto the machine itself, aiming to deliver tangible boosts in productivity, creativity, and overall performance for everyday users.

Microsoft released big updates to Copilot+ PC's this week and this guide explores what Copilot+ PCs are, the technology that powers them, the unique features they offer, and how they, alongside broader Microsoft Copilot advancements, can specifically benefit your business.

#1: What are Copilot+ PCs? More Than Just a Faster Laptop

Microsoft defines Copilot+ PCs as a distinct, new generation of Windows 11 devices. They are engineered not only for enhanced AI experiences but also represent a leap forward in fundamental PC capabilities, positioning them as the "fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever built". 

Performance: Copilot+ PCs are promoted as delivering substantial speed improvements. Microsoft claims they offer up to 13% faster performance than benchmark competitors like the MacBook Air M4 in certain tasks and are significantly quicker – up to 5 times faster – than a typical 5-year-old Windows device.

Battery Life: A major practical advantage highlighted is extended battery life. Copilot+ PCs are designed to offer "all-day battery life," ranking among the longest-lasting Windows PCs available. Specific model claims vary, but figures often cite up to 20-22 hours of local video playback or 15 hours of web browsing, with some models reaching even higher. 

Security: Security is presented as a core pillar, with Copilot+ PCs described as the "most secure Windows PCs Microsoft has ever built". They incorporate enhanced security features often meeting Microsoft's 'Secured-core PC' standards. This includes technologies like the Microsoft Pluton security processor integrated into the CPU, Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 for hardware-based security functions, and Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (requiring biometric login like face or fingerprint recognition for accessing certain features like Recall). 

These foundational improvements in performance, battery, and security make the Copilot+ PC proposition broader than just AI; they aim to provide a fundamentally more capable and reliable computing platform.   

#2: AI Engine Inside: Understanding the Copilot+ PC Specs

The defining characteristic that separates Copilot+ PCs from standard laptops is the inclusion of a powerful Neural Processing Unit (NPU).

An NPU can be understood simply as a specialised processor chip, distinct from the main Central Processing Unit (CPU) and Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), designed explicitly to handle the mathematical calculations required for AI tasks efficiently. Its presence allows many AI features to run quickly and directly on the device, rather than relying entirely on sending data back and forth to powerful servers in the cloud.   

To qualify as a Copilot+ PC, a device must meet a specific NPU performance threshold: over 40 TOPS, which stands for 40 Trillion Operations Per Second. This high number signifies substantial local AI processing horsepower, enabling the complex calculations needed for features like real-time translation or image generation directly on the laptop.   

This powerful NPU doesn't work in isolation. Microsoft has established minimum system requirements for Copilot+ PCs that ensure the hardware can support these demanding AI workloads effectively:

Component	Minimum Requirement
NPU Performance	> 40 TOPS
RAM	16 GB (DDR5 / LPDDR5)
Storage	256 GB (SSD / UFS)

These specifications represent a significant step up from the baseline requirements for Windows 11.

This specific hardware configuration – the high-TOPS NPU combined with ample fast RAM and storage – is the key enabler for the unique benefits of Copilot+ PCs. Running AI tasks locally on the NPU offers several advantages :-

• Speed and Responsiveness: Tasks like real-time translation or applying complex video effects happen almost instantly, without the lag associated with sending data to the cloud and back.   

• Offline Capabilities: Some AI features, notably Live Captions with translation, can function even without an internet connection once the necessary language packs are downloaded, ensuring utility regardless of connectivity.   

• Enhanced Privacy: Processing sensitive data directly on the device for features like Recall or improved Windows Search keeps that information local, addressing potential concerns about cloud data security.   

• Power Efficiency: NPUs are designed for AI workloads, performing these tasks using significantly less power than if the main CPU or GPU were used. This contributes to the extended battery life of Copilot+ PCs.   

  
  

By establishing this hardware baseline, Microsoft ensures a consistent level of on-device AI performance, making advanced AI capabilities more practical and accessible for businesses that may lack extensive cloud infrastructure or face variable internet connectivity.

#3: Your New AI Toolkit: Exclusive Features to Unlock Potential Microsoft's Copilot+ PCs

The powerful hardware foundation of Copilot+ PCs enables a suite of unique AI-driven experiences designed to enhance productivity, creativity, and communication. These features leverage the NPU for local processing and are, for the most part, available only on devices meeting the Copilot+ specification. 

Here are the key exclusive features and their potential benefits:

• Recall:

  
  

  • What it is: Recall acts like a searchable, visual history of almost everything done on the PC. Users can scroll back through a timeline of automatically captured screenshots or use natural language search (e.g., "find that presentation about the Q3 budget I saw last week") to locate past documents, websites, images, or applications. It aims to create a "photographic memory" for the user's PC activity. 

    
    
    
    
    
    

  • Benefit: This feature promises a dramatic reduction in the time wasted searching for previously viewed information. For busy teams juggling multiple projects and communications, quickly finding that specific email attachment, website link, or document draft can be a significant productivity gain.   

  • Important Considerations: Recognising the privacy implications, Microsoft has made Recall an opt-in feature, disabled by default. If enabled, the snapshot data is processed and stored locally on the PC's hard drive, is encrypted, and requires Windows Hello authentication (face, fingerprint, or PIN) for initial setup and access. Microsoft states this data is not accessed by them or shared. 

    
    

  • Notably, the roll out of Recall (and Click to Do) is delayed in the UK and EU, with availability expected later in 2025. 

    
    

• Cocreator in Paint & AI in Photos:

  
  

  • What they do: These features bring generative AI capabilities into familiar Windows applications. Cocreator in Paint allows users to generate images based on text descriptions or refine simple sketches into more detailed artwork using AI assistance. The Photos app incorporates similar AI image generation (Image Creator) and a 'Restyle Image' feature to apply various artistic styles (like watercolour or cyberpunk) to existing photos. Paint is also gaining features like Generative Fill and Erase for AI-powered object removal or addition.   

  • Benefit: This democratises basic graphic design. SMEs can quickly create custom images for social media posts, website banners, marketing emails, or presentations without needing dedicated design software or hiring a designer. It speeds up the process of creating or modifying visual assets.   

    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

• Live Captions with Real-Time Translation:

  
  

  • What it is: The standard Live Captions feature in Windows 11 transcribes audio playing on the PC. On Copilot+ PCs, this is significantly enhanced with real-time translation. It can translate audio from over 40 different languages (e.g., French, German, Spanish, Chinese) into English subtitles instantly, directly on the device. This works for virtually any audio source – streaming video, video calls, podcasts, local media files. Once the required language packs are downloaded, the translation works offline.   

  • Benefit: A powerful tool for breaking down communication barriers. SMEs dealing with international clients, suppliers, or partners can understand video calls or presentations in other languages more easily. It also makes foreign-language training materials or online content accessible. Furthermore, it enhances accessibility for employees who are deaf or hard of hearing.   

    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

• Enhanced Windows Studio Effects:

  
  

  • What it is: These are NPU accelerated improvements for webcam video during calls, integrated directly into Windows settings. Copilot+ PCs offer enhanced versions including Portrait Blur (a stronger background blur effect), improved automatic framing (keeping the user centred dynamically), more accurate eye contact correction (simulating looking at the camera), and effective voice focus (isolating speech from background noise). Exclusive creative filters (like watercolour or illustrated styles) are also available.   

  • Benefit: Helps staff present a more polished and professional image during video conferences with clients, partners, or remote team members, regardless of their physical environment or equipment quality. Clearer audio and video improve the effectiveness of virtual communication. These effects work across different communication apps without needing separate configuration.   

    
    
    
    

• Click to Do :

  
  

  • What it is: Activated via keyboard shortcut (Win+Click or Win+Q) or touch gesture, Click to Do presents an overlay on the screen. Clicking on text or an image within this overlay triggers the AI to analyse the selection locally and offer context-aware actions. For text, this might include copying, summarising, rewriting (using the local Phi Silica language model), opening in Notepad, searching the web, or sending an email. For images, options could include copying, saving, sharing, visual search, removing/blurring the background via Paint or Photos, or asking Copilot about it.   

  • Benefit: Streamlines workflows by providing immediate AI assistance without leaving the current application. Reduces the need for cumbersome copy-pasting between different tools for tasks like summarising text, basic image editing, or initiating searches. This "in-context" help can save clicks and time on common actions.   

    
    

  • Note:  Like Recall, its roll out is delayed in the UK/EU.   

    
    
    
    

    

    
    
    
    

• Improved Windows Search:

  
  

  • What it is: Copilot+ PC's improved Windows Search leverages the NPU to allow searching for files (stored locally or on OneDrive), settings, and even photos using natural language descriptions of their content, rather than relying solely on exact filenames or keywords. For example, searching for "photos of the summer BBQ" could find relevant images even if they aren't named accordingly.   

  • Benefit: Makes finding information stored on the PC significantly faster and more intuitive, particularly when precise details are forgotten. Microsoft claims this can reduce the time taken for certain search tasks substantially compared to older Windows versions.   

#4: How Copilot+ PCs Empower Businesses

The combination of Copilot+ PC hardware capabilities and the broader Microsoft Copilot ecosystem offers distinct advantages.

Productivity Boost: Perhaps the most immediate benefit is the potential for significant time savings. Features like Recall and Improved Search drastically cut down time spent hunting for information. AI assistance in summarising lengthy emails or meeting transcripts (via M365 Copilot or potentially Click to Do) allows staff to catch up quickly.

Enhanced Creativity & Marketing: The AI-powered tools in Paint and Photos (Cocreator, Image Creator, Restyle) empower users to create custom, professional-looking visuals for websites, social media, marketing materials, or internal communications without needing graphic design expertise or investing in specialised software. This allows for more agile and cost-effective marketing efforts.   

Improved Communication & Collaboration: Live Captions with real-time translation directly addresses the challenges of working with international clients or partners, making communication clearer and more inclusive. Enhanced Windows Studio Effects ensure staff present professionally in video calls, boosting credibility. 

Potential Cost Savings & ROI: The productivity gains translate directly into potential operational cost savings. Faster completion of tasks and accelerated time-to-market for products or campaigns can contribute to increased revenue. By empowering existing staff with AI tools, organisations might delay or avoid the need to hire specialists (e.g., for graphic design or data analysis) or purchase expensive, single-purpose software.

Democratisation of Skills: AI tools like Copilot effectively democratise certain skills. Employees can leverage AI to perform tasks like basic data analysis in Excel, creating visuals, translating communications, or drafting complex documents – tasks that might previously have required specific training or expertise.   

For maximum benefit, SMEs might consider the synergy between the device and the cloud. The Copilot+ PC provides the high-performance, secure, and efficient hardware platform with unique on-device AI tools. Complementing this with a Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription unlocks the deeper AI integration across business applications and organisational data, creating a comprehensive AI-assisted workflow. However, realising these benefits fully depends on user adoption.

Think of it this way, If Copilot tools save an employee an hour a week then the increased productivity pays for the additional costs. If Copilot tools only save 1 hour a month then they are an additional cost.

Conclusion: Is a Copilot+ PC Right for Your Business?

Microsoft's Copilot+ PCs offer a potent blend of significantly improved core computing fundamentals – faster performance, exceptional battery life, and robust, built-in security – combined with a suite of genuinely useful, integrated AI features powered by dedicated on-device hardware.   

The emphasis on ease of use, inherent security measures, and the ability to run powerful AI tasks locally reduces reliance on complex configurations, constant connectivity, and extensive cloud management. Features like Recall (when available in the UK), Cocreator, Live Captions translation, and enhanced Studio Effects offer practical solutions to common challenges related to information retrieval, content creation, and communication.   

Ultimately, deciding whether to invest in Copilot+ PCs requires SMEs to look beyond the hardware specifications and consider them as potential strategic tools.

Can these AI capabilities genuinely save valuable time currently lost to routine tasks? Can they enhance the skills of the existing team, allowing them to produce better marketing materials or communicate more effectively? Can the improved performance and security reduce risk?.   

For many UK SMEs striving for greater efficiency and competitiveness with limited resources, Copilot+ PCs offer a tangible way to leverage the power of AI. They represent a significant step towards a future where AI is not just a feature, but an integral, productivity-enhancing part of the everyday computing experience for businesses of all sizes. 

Evaluating specific business needs against the capabilities offered will determine if making the investment in this new generation of AI-powered PCs is the right move.  As Microsoft partners, OCM has the expertise to strategically guide you.

For help to unlock the potential of Microsoft's Copilot+ PCs just click below to book a free consultation with OCM.

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