I used a Copilot+ PC for a week to see if AI was actually useful

AI is being positioned as a key upgrade on new Windows laptops, aiming to make everyday tasks quicker and more convenient. But is it worth picking a Copilot+ PC with built-in AI over a cheaper alternative when you can already use web-based AI tools for free?

I’m currently shopping for a new computer, so I tried the Samsung 16-inch Galaxy Book5 Pro for a week to see what AI on Windows actually offers. At around £1,200, this large-screen laptop sits at the top of Samsung’s range.

Keep scrolling to see what worked well and where the AI features fell short, plus discover which Copilot+ PCs have impressed in the Which? test lab.

Need a new laptop? See our expert pick of the best laptops you can buy right now

Why a Copilot+ PC might not suit everyone

There are free AI services online

You don’t need to spend big money on a Copilot+ PC just to access AI tools. In fact, there’s an ever-growing list of free web-based AI assistants, including ChatGPT, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, that you can use through a browser on any computer.

If you're just looking to use AI for common tasks, a web-based AI tool will get the job done. In fact, during my week with the Samsung laptop, I found myself regularly using AI for asking quick, Google-style questions – things that don’t really require a Copilot+ PC.

Many smartphones now feature built-in AI assistants, too. On Google Pixel phones, for example, you have Gemini, which can write messages, generate images and summarise information. If you don't have one yet, you can simply download AI assistant apps from the app stores on both iOS and Android.

Copilot+ PCs can be expensive

At the time of writing, our expert laptop reviews cover 199 models. Of these, 51 are Copilot+ laptops:

•  £1,077 - average price of Copilot+ laptops in our reviews
•  £737 - average price of non Copilot+ laptops 

In other words, there’s a significant price difference between these types of computers, particularly for buyers on a tighter budget. However, our rigorous testing has uncovered some strong Copilot+ laptops available for under £800.

Our independent lab tests will help you easily find the best model for your budget – see our expert laptop reviews.

You might not need a high-spec PC

If you plan to use your future laptop for browsing the web, checking emails and streaming the odd Netflix series, a mid-range alternative to a Copilot+ PC could be a better fit. After all, there’s little point paying for high-end specs if you don’t use demanding apps or carry out resource-intensive tasks.

That said, my own needs are a little different. I regularly edit photos and render videos using Adobe software, so a higher-spec laptop makes sense for me, as it helps keep things running smoothly when working with larger files. That won’t be the case for everyone, though.

Our testing has found that the quality of cheap laptops is a mixed bag, so make sure you consult our expert reviews before parting with your money.

See our full guide to the best budget laptops under £200, £300 and £500.

The benefits of a Copilot+ PC

You get plenty of power

Copilot+ PCs tend to come with higher base specs than standard Windows laptops. That means more memory, which helps keep everything running smoothly when you have lots of apps or browser tabs open, along with more powerful processors designed to handle AI tasks locally.

The Galaxy Book5 Pro that I used to experiment with built-in Copilot is a good example. It’s a bigger model, with a 16-inch touchscreen display, and comes equipped with a powerful octa-core Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, paired with 16GB of Ram. On paper, that's enough to juggle plenty of apps and web browser tabs at once, but you'll have to see our Galaxy Book5 Pro review for the full details.

Buying a high-spec laptop can also help future-proof your purchase. As AI tools become more demanding over time, the hope is that a machine like this will continue to feel fast and capable for longer.

If you're open to trying an Apple laptop instead, explore our advice covering the best MacBooks.

Use AI to search your documents and emails

Having Copilot built directly into Windows means you can use the AI assistant to scan certain supported online accounts, rather than copying and pasting information into a web-based tool. When setting it up for the first time, I used the Connectors tab to sync my Google Drive and Outlook accounts.

To experiment, I pressed the dedicated Copilot button on my keyboard and typed: 'What’s the tracking number for the photobook I recently ordered? The information should be in my Outlook inbox.'

It took the AI assistant 8.3 seconds (I timed it on my phone) to register the request, scan my Outlook inbox and return a list of relevant messages. At the top was the exact email I was looking for, which saved me from manually searching through my inbox. It’s impressive, although I recognise it’s more of a convenient time-saver than a must-have feature.

I can see this kind of feature being genuinely helpful if you regularly deal with lots of emails, documents or cloud files, especially when you’re trying to track down something specific in a hurry.

Brilliant battery life (on specific models)

Copilot+ PCs often stand out for their battery life, thanks to the power-efficient chips that handle AI tasks.

In the Which? test lab, we’ve already seen some models deliver battery life of 20 hours or more, which is a big step up from what many Windows laptops have traditionally managed. That kind of longevity can make a real difference if you're working away from a desk.

But you can get great battery life from a non Copilot+ PC, too – our reviews include over 100 laptops that score at least 4 out of 5 stars for battery life. Every laptop that we review in our lab is subjected to multiple real-world battery tests, from browsing the web to playing video.

Offline use

Some Copilot+ features will keep working even when you don’t have a reliable internet connection. Examples include live captions, which transcribe and translate audio from videos or calls in real time, plus Recall (more on that below).

For those who work on the move with patchy wi-fi, having access to AI tools that don’t grind to a halt when you lose signal could be a real benefit.

Also worth mentioning: Recall

When setting up a Copilot+ PC for the first time, you’ll be asked whether to enable Recall. If you do, you’ll also need to set up Windows Hello, which means signing in with facial recognition, a fingerprint or a Pin.

Once activated, Recall regularly takes snapshots of what you’re doing on your computer, which means you can search back through your past activity to track down something you were working on or viewing. In the Settings screen, you can decide how often it captures this information.

I chose to switch it on for the benefit of this article, but it’s optional and can be skipped entirely if you’re not comfortable with the idea (I can see why, as not everybody will want to have their screen activity recorded).

Admittedly, I didn’t use Recall much over the week, and I’m not convinced it’s a key selling point for Copilot+ laptops just yet.

There were a couple of times when I used it to find a webpage I’d looked at earlier, but I could just as easily do that using my browser’s history function. That also avoids having snapshots running in the background all the time, which I'm personally not a big fan of.

Got a Windows 10 PC? Here's what you need to know about Windows 10 losing security support

My week using a Copilot+ PC

'After spending time with a Copilot+ PC, I do think on-device AI can be a genuine time-saver and useful in certain situations, particularly when dealing with queries linked to your email and cloud storage accounts. I also like the fact that some features can work offline, but it’s not a must-have for most people just yet.

'The real strengths of Copilot+ PCs are their impressive specs, which help improve performance when multitasking and, on our Best Buy models, excellent battery life.

'If your current computer still runs well, you probably don’t need to upgrade purely for AI features, especially when chatbots are available for free online.

'However, if I were shopping for a new laptop powerful enough to handle resource-intensive tasks, and it happened to be a Copilot+ PC, I’d consider that a welcome bonus.'

Tom Morgan, Senior Consumer Writer

Copilot+ laptops in the Which? test lab

Here are some examples of Copilot+ laptops that we've put through our tough lab tests. If you want to spend less, check out our selection of the best laptop deals.

Microsoft Surface (2025)

Average price in the past six months: £943
Cheapest price in the past six months: £848

• 13-inch display
• 16GB of Ram
• 512GB storage

We like: Robust build quality, easy to use

Watch out for: No HDMI port

Microsoft’s flagship laptop is clearly aiming to be a Windows alternative to a MacBook – it’s a super-portable device weighing 1.22kg and measuring 17mm at its thickest point with the lid closed.

In our lab, we went hands-on with the version powered by a Snapdragon X Plus 8-core processor and 16GB of Ram. CoPilot+ comes pre-installed and lets you generate images and fix your emails’ tone and grammar without the need for an online AI service.

To see how this laptop scores, read our Microsoft Surface Laptop review.

Acer Aspire 14 AI OLED (A14-52M)

Average price in the past six months: £852
Cheapest price in the past six months: £799

• 14-inch OLED display
• 16GB of Ram
• 1TB storage

We like: Lightweight, nice to type on

Watch out for: Plastic casing attracts fingerprints

Acer says this AI-backed laptop is 'designed for simplicity'. It includes an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and 16GB Ram - you can pay an extra £50 to upgrade the Ram to 32GB.

A dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) qualifies this laptop as a ‘Copilot+’ PC. It's not short of ports, either – you get four USBs in total (two full-size USB 3.2s, two USB-Cs), HDMI and a standard 3.5mm headphone/mic jack.

To find out if this model is a proven Which? Best Buy, see our Acer Aspire 14 AI OLED review.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge

Average price in the past six months: £637
Cheapest price in the past six months: £399

• 15.6-inch display
• 16GB of Ram
• 256GB storage

We like: Good touchpad, AI capabilities

Watch out for: Low storage on base spec

Here's another Which?-tested laptop that can run AI workloads locally rather than in the cloud. The model we tried has 256GB of eUFS memory – it’s a stingy amount, so we’d recommend paying more to upgrade to 512GB instead, or 1TB if you save lots of files.

There are two USB-C ports, one full-sized USB 3.0, an HDMI output, plus a 3.5mm headphone/microphone jack and micro-SD card reader. It supports the faster Wi-Fi 7 standard.

Check in with our Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge review.

To see which laptops are the perfect fit for your budget, explore our full selection of laptop reviews.