MacBooks have had a good run, but their reign as the top dogs in the world of thin, portable, powerful, and long-lasting laptops is coming to an end. With the announcement of the new Copilot+ devices, Microsoft and Qualcomm are leveling the playing field and raising the bar.
Performance against the M3
The new range of Copilot+ PCs boasts impressive performance that rivals and even surpasses the MacBook Air M3. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chips deliver exceptional speed and efficiency, as evidenced by benchmarks that show Copilot+ laptops outperforming the MacBook Air 15-inch by a significant margin.
Battery life
Battery life has been a key differentiator for MacBooks, but Copilot+ laptops are closing the gap. Microsoft claims that the new 15-inch Surface Laptop can deliver up to 16 hours of web browsing and 20 hours of local video playback, which is comparable to MacBook battery life. These gains are attributed to the efficiencies of ARM chips and Microsoft’s optimizations for standby power consumption.
The war’s only just begun
While the initial Copilot+ laptops don’t fully exploit the size and design advantages of ARM chips, they represent just the first step in a new era of Windows laptops. Future generations of Copilot+ devices are expected to offer even more refined designs and innovative features, further challenging the dominance of MacBooks.
It’s important to note that independent testing is still needed to verify these claims, but the early indications are promising. Copilot+ laptops have the potential to reshape the laptop market and offer consumers a compelling alternative to MacBooks.
