Microsoft is sure its new Windows 11 AI PCs will deliver better performance than MacBooks

2024 is a big year for Microsoft and Windows 11. In the coming months, Microsoft and its partners will launch the first wave of the next-generation Windows on ARM PCs. The company will lead the way with its Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6, which are expected at a special Surface event next month.

Even though Windows on ARM is far from being new (in fact, Microsoft announced the initiative almost eight years ago), Microsoft is pretty confident that things will be right this time.

The Verge reports, citing unnamed sources within Microsoft, that the company is sure its ARM-powered PCs will be able to beat Apple's M3-based MacBook Air, one of the most popular laptops on the market. To showcase the power of the new Windows on ARM PCs, Microsoft plans to host a series of CPU horsepower demos and comparisons with the regular M3 chip.

Microsoft's internal documentation reportedly claims that Windows AI PCs with ARM processors can emulate apps faster than Apple's Rosetta 2 emulation layer (the software thing that makes it possible to run x86 apps on ARM), the area Windows on ARM has been struggling with for many years.

Interestingly, rumors say that Microsoft will not offer the consumer versions of the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 with Intel processors. Those SKUs will remain business-only, leaving ARM variants for regular users (learn more about the Surface Pro 10 for Business here and the Surface Laptop 6 for Business here).

Windows AI PCs with ARM chips will be the first to get the next-gen Windows 11 features, such as the rumored "AI File Explorer," local Copilot processing, additional features for audio/video, and other things Samsung recently spoiled. Microsoft bets big on Copilot and AI, and the company reportedly expects half of all new Windows computers to ship with AI chips by the end of 2026.

It is not just Microsoft who is confident in Windows on ARM. Qualcomm claims its new Snapdragon X Elite can outperform most competitors in many aspects and even serve as a gaming platform with most Windows games "just working." Google also joined the hype train by releasing a native version of Chrome for Windows on ARM. Having the most popular browser in the world on board is a big deal if you want to make a platform successful.

Microsoft is hosting its event on May 20, 2024. Expect to see the Surface Pro 10 and Laptop 6 for consumers and a lot of AI features for Windows 11. We would say we are pumped, but Panos Panay is now at Amazon, so let's just say we cannot wait to see the next-gen features for Windows 11 and the first AI PCs.