You can call it a phased rollout. You can call it a flawed approach. Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC evolution, which they’ve broadcast with much fanfare as the next chapter for Windows 11, may look exactly that at first glance. Chisel a bit, and the problems begin to show. Not limited to just the privacy nightmare that is (or was, we haven’t heard the last of it) Recall. The Copilot+ PC features still remain an exclusive for computing devices powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X family of ARM-architecture chips. The context is, Copilot+ PCs from Intel and AMD, have remained outside the circle of trust. For now. Microsoft suggesting Qualcomm’s period of exclusivity ending in November. Business decisions aside, the larger PC buying demographic will likely not comprehend this.
In case you are wondering what on earth is a Copilot+ PC, it’s a combination of hardware (chips with a neural processing unit and baseline specs), an ability to run on-device and cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) models, topped with the CoPilot assistant finding a home across Windows and some apps you use. Composing email replies, taking notes of meetings, changing language tone in a document and text prompts to create presentations, for example. Still, Copilot has that familiar whiff of a chatbot. We’ve seen examples of more, with HP’s EliteBook Ultra G1q that also has its own AI Companion app (the models underlying this are OpenAI’s GPT-4o) and the Asus VivoBook S15, both using Qualcomm’s X Elite chips.
Copilot has to be there, to be intelligent.
Nevertheless, with a November timeline looming over the horizon, Asus’ new Zenbook S16 (it is part of a larger portfolio; just one spec on sale at this time, priced at ₹1,49,990) is timing its arrival as well as it could have hoped for. It may be waiting to be bestowed its array of AI powers. But more to the point, this is AMD flexing its muscles with the latest Ryzen AI chips. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor specifically, powering this laptop. AMD hasn’t left any cards on the table, and neither would they have wanted to, having refigured to make it a three-way battle with Qualcomm and Intel.
Also Read: In a Copilot+ PC era, HP’s flagship EliteBook Ultra bets on unique AI smarts
Asus has thus far ticked the boxes with Qualcomm’s chips, and nothing suggests they haven’t gotten it spot on with AMD’s Ryzen AI. As far as the basic specs go, there’s little being left to chance. The baseline being set by 32GB RAM is an example of that. As is the Harman Kardon tuned speakers (they are quite easily able to fill a medium sized room, without audible distortion), a 78-watt hour capacity battery, with yje redesigned (and comfortably sleek) 65-watt type-c adapter.
You may remember I had noted that the Snapdragon X Elite in the VivoBook S15 allows software such as the Adobe Lightroom parity with Apple’s macOS in terms of smoothness. AMD Ryzen AI chip more than matches that level of performance, as you go about with your regular workflow. But where the AMD chips have an advantage, is the x86 architecture, which sidesteps compatibility complexities with Snapdragon’s ARM roots – those app and game optimisation struggles something we’d noted at the time.
It is not to say the Zenbook S16 becomes a gaming rig, because this slim profile absolutely doesn’t allow for that, but you may still find luck playing some titles at basic settings. Some credit must too be given to AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) technology, as well as the Radeon 890M graphics. From a broader perspective, apps and software that you may regularly use on your Windows machines, don’t have to tick off any additional compatibility checklists. As should average out, as responsiveness and smoothness aren’t compromised.
The comparative trade-off you’ll make is with battery life. The ARM architecture is primed for power frugality, and you’d be in the ballpark of 16 hours or so of usage before the need to charge again. With the AMD Ryzen AI chips, the most I could draw, whilst being very considerate with display brightness, was 14 hours – that itself is a stretch, because most usage will limit the Zenbook S16 to the 12-hour mark. Not a hardship at all, mind. I do suspect a combination of Asus’ firmware updates and AMD’s software improvements to further optimise this chip, will have a positive impact on the battery stats.
Also Read: With Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, Asus Vivobook S 15 ushers a new Windows era
While you may be buying the Asus Zenbook S16 with one eye on what’s to come, there is still some AI on board.
That’s mostly Asus’ in-house (the AMD XDNATM 2 architecture-based NPU or neural processing unit being put to good use here) efforts converging into something called the Asus StoryCube. It may have limited appeal, since the core proposition is managing your media files across local storage, connected devices and cloud storage services – there is AI’s help with sorting as well as built-in editing tools. Your pick, whether you prefer this approach, or the HP AI Companion assistant which is more work oriented.
The 16-inch OLED display (that’s 2880 x 1800n resolution, or 3K) with 120Hz refresh rate, is carrying on Asus’ mission to have the OLED option available across price points. But this display real estate size does beg the question – is this too big a laptop? There are two main reasons to be impressed with the work Asus has done with the Zenbook S16’s design. First, this measures 12.9mm at its thickest point, which is slimmer than two iPhone 15 Pro stacked. Secondly, it tips the scales at 1.5kg, which considering its even balancing, is a cinch to carry around.
In terms of footprint, Asus’ smart design elements make this Zenbook S16 feel akin to a more portability oriented 14-inch laptop.
We are yet to see some sort of pricing segregation, which will come with time. This Asus Zenbook S16 with the ₹1,49,990 price tag and the AMD Ryzen AI as its beating heart, sits between the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite powered Vivobook S15 OLED (that’s around ₹1,24,990; product portfolio hierarchy is clear here) and the HP EliteBook Ultra G1q (that’s priced around ₹1,68,999). There may be certain advantages that AMD Ryzen AI chips inherently have to Qualcomm’s preferred architecture, but for many potential buyers, balancing battery stamina with broader Windows software compatibility may be worth the effort.
As the Copilot+ PC era unfolds, the chipmaker currently at the biggest disadvantage is Intel. Their new Core Ultra 200V processors are yet to make a prominent appearance on PCs, and early adopters with Qualcomm and AMD, may be lost for the next handful of years.