I still can't believe I'm using a Windows laptop every day. After more than a decade of trying to make Windows on Arm a reality, Microsoft and Qualcomm finally did it this year with the Copilot Plus PCs. These new laptops have great battery life and performance, and the app compatibility issues that have plagued Windows on Arm are mostly a thing of the past (as long as you're not a gamer). Microsoft wanted 2024 to be “the year of the ai PC,” but I think it was largely the year of Windows on Arm. If 2024 is anything to go by, 2025 will be even bigger for Windows on Arm.
Microsoft set the stage for the 2024 Windows on Arm announcement year in January at CES with promises of ai-enabled PCs and the first big change to Windows keyboards in 30 years. Laptop makers began putting a Copilot key on keyboards earlier this year, providing quick access to Microsoft's ai assistant. While the Copilot experience on Windows has gone through several confusing reviews, it's still a key I accidentally press and then get frustrated when a Copilot window appears.
After the Copilot key met with a lukewarm reception, Microsoft reignited the war between Mac and PC a few months later. Within Microsoft, confidence had been gradually growing throughout the first few months of 2024 that it could finally beat Apple's MacBook Air after falling behind for years. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella unveiled the company's new Copilot Plus PC devices at a special event in May, setting the stage for a summer of Windows on Arm laptops from all the major OEMs.
The processor is the key
Key to Windows on Arm's resurgence this year was Qualcomm's Snapdragon x Elite processors, which were announced in April. They have delivered the kind of performance and power efficiency that was previously only available with Apple MacBooks and challenged Intel and AMD to do better in the x86 space. After much debate about benchmarks to beat Microsoft's MacBook Air, the reviews came in and showed that Windows on Arm was indeed capable of matching and surpassing Apple's MacBook Air. Qualcomm even hired the “I'm a Mac” guy to promote Windows on Arm PCs, showing how confident it was in challenging Apple's laptop dominance.
Microsoft and Qualcomm also worked closely with developers to make key apps compatible, and it's now very rare to come across an app compatibility issue that can't be resolved with a native version of Arm64 or Microsoft's improved emulator. Even Google, which previously avoided Windows Phone, has created Arm64 versions of Chrome and Google Drive to support Microsoft's efforts. Since developers continually provide native versions of their apps, it makes it much easier to switch to a Windows on Arm laptop. The one big exception is gaming, where x86 still reigns supreme in terms of compatibility and performance.
Intel didn't sit still while all this Windows on Arm hype was going on, and neither did AMD. Intel hit back with Lunar Lake at IFA in September, delivering impressive improvements in performance and battery life. AMD's latest Ryzen ai chips also compete directly with Qualcomm, and both AMD and Intel have the key advantage of gaming support that Windows on Arm is definitely not ready for.
While we're still waiting for an M4-powered MacBook Air, Apple updated its cheaper MacBooks in October with a surprise upgrade to 16GB of RAM. Apple would probably say it's related to Apple Intelligence, but the unusual change came months after the launch of Copilot Plus PCs, with a minimum of 16GB of RAM at prices that challenge the MacBook Air. However, Apple managed to sneak its new M4 chip into the MacBook Pro recently, showing that Qualcomm has some ground to make up in 2025.
Apple and Microsoft have focused on ai-powered features for laptops this year, and the end results have been disappointing on both sides. While much of the initial buzz about the Copilot Plus PC focused on Windows on Arm, Microsoft also launched some Windows ai features on these devices in June.
incomplete memory
The main feature was supposed to be Recover, a feature that takes snapshots of almost everything you do on a laptop and then lets you remember moments or scroll through a timeline of how you've used your PC. But because Recall faced privacy and security concerns, undermining Microsoft's entire PC Copilot Plus marketing effort, Microsoft was forced to delay Recall several times to improve its security. In fact, it has recently appeared in test versions of Windows.
However, I don't think Microsoft's stumbles with Recall mean the company will slow down its ai efforts on Windows. Windows boss Pavan Davuluri recently told me that the future of Windows is all about cloud and ai, so let's expect a lot more of this in 2025.
Coming in 2025
Next year there will also be a fascinating battle between x86 and Windows on Arm. AMD and Intel are teaming up to fend off Qualcomm's Arm-based chips, and Intel faces a period of turbulence after ousting its CEO, facing problems with desktop chips and a wave of layoffs earlier this year.
It's hard not to see 2025 as the year that Windows on Arm continues to consume the laptop space. A leak from Dell revealed that Qualcomm is preparing new chips for 2025, and the chipmaker has also been releasing cheaper Arm-based chips to drive down laptop prices. I expect we'll see more of these at CES in January, along with the usual slew of laptops that set the stage for the year.
The Dell leak also hinted at Nvidia's next-generation GPU plans, which now appear to be ready for an announcement at CES. Leaks suggest we'll see RTX 50 series desktop GPUs and even laptop variants, with OEM It is rumored that they are preparing new models. to show at CES. Given the state of Windows on Arm gaming, a new generation of Nvidia GPUs could help generate new excitement around x86 laptops throughout 2025.
Nvidia could also be planning to help the Windows on Arm effort. The chipmaker has It has been rumored for a long time plans to launch Arm PC chips as early as 2025. Nvidia's expertise in ai and gaming chips could certainly revolutionize the world of Windows laptops and make Windows on Arm even more attractive.
Whatever happens to laptops in 2025, you can guarantee there will be fierce competition between Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm. That should be an exciting year in the world of Windows laptops.
