Should You Buy a Copilot+ PC? An Honest Take for Normal People
Currys now has a "Copilot+ PC" sticker on nearly every laptop over £900. The marketing is enthusiastic. The actual benefit to a normal user is less clear. These are the questions customers have asked me in the shop over the last few months, with the answers I've been giving them.
Q: What makes a laptop a "Copilot+ PC"?
Microsoft's rule is four specs. An NPU (a chip specifically for AI work) capable of at least 40 trillion operations per second. 16GB of RAM. 256GB of storage. Windows 11 24H2. Tick all four boxes and the maker is allowed to stick the logo on.
Q: Is the battery life really that much better?
Yes, and it surprised me. The Snapdragon models are particularly good. Twelve to eighteen hours of real mixed use, not manufacturer-fantasy numbers. If you ever work away from a desk, that alone is the reason to upgrade.
Q: What's this "ARM" thing and why should I care?
Most Copilot+ laptops use a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. Snapdragon is ARM-based, not Intel or AMD. Most software runs fine on ARM Windows, either natively or through a built-in emulator. A few things don't: older accounting software, certain printer drivers, some VPN clients, a handful of games with anti-cheat.
Before buying, list every piece of software you absolutely need. Google "[software name] ARM Windows" for each one. If any is a dealbreaker, buy an Intel or AMD Copilot+ PC instead. They also qualify for the logo.
Q: Are the AI features actually useful?
For most people, no. Live translation on Teams calls is genuinely useful if you work across languages. Studio Effects for webcam (background blur, eye contact correction) is nice. Cocreator in Paint is a toy. I haven't yet had a customer tell me a Copilot+ feature changed how they work. It's a bonus, not a reason.
Q: Should I be worried about Recall?
Recall screenshots your screen every few seconds and makes everything searchable with AI. Microsoft pulled it after a security backlash, then re-released it: encrypted, opt-in, with a Windows Hello check before you can search. If you turn it on, be aware that every document, email, and webpage you look at is being indexed on your PC. Private enough for most people. Leave it off if you handle anything confidential.
Q: My current laptop still works. Should I replace it?
Almost never. If it boots, runs the software you actually use, and doesn't crash, stick with it. Read is it worth upgrading an old PC before spending a thousand pounds on something you don't need.
Q: How much should I actually spend?
£900 to £1,200 is the sweet spot for a solid Snapdragon Copilot+ laptop that'll last five or six years. Under £900 you're buying last year's silicon with the logo added. Over £1,500 is the MacBook-of-Windows premium that won't change day-to-day use. Middle ground wins.
The straight answer
Yes, if…
- You need a new laptop anyway
- Your work is web, email, Office, video calls
- Battery life matters to you
- You've checked your critical software runs on ARM, or you've picked an Intel/AMD Copilot+ model
No, if…
- Your current laptop is fine
- You rely on niche or legacy software
- You play modern games on it
- Your budget is £600 or under
If you do buy one, setting up a new PC the right way is worth five minutes before you migrate everything over. A fresh install has a surprising number of Windows 11 defaults worth turning off.
Or if your existing machine still has life in it, I do computer repair and upgrades in St Helens and can usually get another few years out of it for a fraction of what a new Copilot+ laptop costs.
Mark has been fixing computers since the late '90s and went self-employed in 2008. Based in St Helens since 2013, he works evenings and weekends from his home in Laffak — friendly, affordable repairs for PCs, laptops, and Macs. See reviews on Google
Thinking of upgrading? Let me help.
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