Microsoft is certain its Arm-based AI PCs will outperform the newest MacBook Air

Microsoft is expected to release new Surface laptops for consumers in May that will be equipped with Arm-based hardware. The company thinks that the new PCs will be fast enough to outperform Apple’s MacBook Air with an M3 processor.

A few weeks ago, Microsoft announced its first so-called AI PCs, the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6, both aimed at business. Both of these PCs come with Intel Core Ultra processors equipped with neural processing units that can handle AI tasks.

However, buying these PCs right now might not be the best option, with Microsoft planning to release similar devices for consumers with better specs. On May 20th, right before the Microsoft conference Build, the company will host a media event where it’s expected to announce new Arm-based models with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite System-on-Chip instead of an Intel Core Ultra.

The Verge, quoting unnamed sources in Microsoft, reported that Microsoft is confident that its new PCs will beat Apple’s MacBook Air with its newest and fastest processor, the M3, in CPU performance and AI-accelerated tasks.

According to the sources, these new PCs will also get access to the new AI-powered Windows feature list, including an AI Explorer app that lets users retrieve anything they’ve ever seen or done on their device.

In the middle of the year, Microsoft is expected to announce more Arm-based Windows AI PCs with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor.

Qualcomm has long tried to deliver hardware that can outperform chips manufactured by Apple.

In 2021, the CEO of the company, Christiano Amon, said that its newest chips could potentially be the best on the market. However, no one could beat Apple’s M chips.

Microsoft’s new PCs, the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 are the first so-called AI PCs with Windows OS. Many more Windows PCs are expected to be announced this year by Microsoft and other vendors, including Dell and HP.

An AI PC is a computer designed to handle AI and machine learning tasks. Its primary function is to handle AI and machine learning operations right on your PC instead of sending data to be processed on the cloud, thus enabling faster and more secure performance.

One significant feature that distinguishes AI PCs from others is Neural processing units (NPU). They are dedicated to handling specific AI tasks, such as blurring video calls or detecting objects in video or photo editing, etc.

Even though central processing units and graphic processing units can also perform these tasks, NPUs are designed to do it efficiently, resulting in longer battery life.

While in the future, AI PCs promise private, personalized, and secure AI capabilities, right now there aren’t that many benefits of AI PCs. Software manufacturers have yet to create programs that the new PCs can utilize.