AI Laptop in Kenya: Copilot+ PCs vs AI-Ready Laptops, With Prices

Plenty of new laptops are now sold as “AI laptops”. Some of them can run Microsoft’s full set of on-device AI features. Many cannot, even with a Copilot key on the keyboard. The difference comes down to one part, the NPU, and one number, its TOPS rating. This guide explains both, lists the AI laptops we sell in Kenya with prices, and shows which ones are true Copilot+ PCs.

All Encom prices in this guide are in Kenya shillings and exclude VAT.

AI laptop or Copilot+ PC: what the labels mean

An AI laptop is any laptop with a neural processing unit (NPU) built into the processor. The NPU is a small, efficient engine for AI jobs such as blurring your background on a video call, cleaning up microphone noise or running a language model on the laptop itself. Because it does this work instead of the main processor, the battery lasts longer while those features run.

NPU speed is measured in TOPS, trillions of operations per second. Microsoft describes Copilot+ PCs as Windows 11 laptops with an NPU that can perform more than 40 TOPS, and says many of the new Windows AI features need that level. On top of the NPU, a Copilot+ PC needs at least 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

That 40 TOPS line is where most of the confusion starts. The first wave of Intel Core Ultra chips, such as the Core Ultra 7 155H, has an NPU rated at up to 11 TOPS. The newer Core Ultra 7 255H lists an NPU of 13 TOPS. Both are good, modern processors, and both are AI laptops in the plain sense. Neither qualifies as a Copilot+ PC. The Intel chips Microsoft names for Copilot+ PCs are the Core Ultra 200V series, alongside AMD Ryzen AI 300 and Qualcomm Snapdragon X.

One more trap: a dedicated graphics card does not count. A gaming laptop with an NVIDIA RTX GPU can be very fast at AI work, but Copilot+ status depends on the NPU, not the GPU. The same goes for the Copilot key. Plenty of laptops have one and still fall short of the Copilot+ specification.

What a Copilot+ PC can do that other laptops cannot

These are the features Microsoft has built for the 40 TOPS class of NPU. Microsoft notes that Copilot+ PC experiences vary by device and market and keep arriving through updates, so treat this as the current picture rather than a fixed list.

• Recall. Saves snapshots of what you have worked on so you can find a document or web page later by describing it. Recall is off until each user opts in, stores its snapshots on the laptop and keeps them encrypted, and it needs Windows Hello face or fingerprint sign-in to open.
• Click to Do. Recognises the text and images on your screen and offers quick actions on them.
• Smarter Windows search. Lets you find files and photos by describing what is in them, both on the laptop and in OneDrive.
• Live Captions with translation and Windows Studio Effects. On-screen translated captions for audio and video, plus NPU-powered camera effects such as background blur, both part of the Copilot+ feature set. Handy on calls with suppliers or clients abroad.
• Photo tools. Super resolution in the Photos app is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs and sharpens low-resolution pictures.

If none of these matter to you, a laptop with a smaller NPU will still run Copilot in the browser, Microsoft 365 and every normal business app. You would simply be paying for the processor, screen and build rather than for the extra AI features.

Copilot+ PCs we sell in Kenya

Every laptop below has an NPU above 40 TOPS and at least 16GB of RAM. The Intel models use the Core Ultra 7 256V, rated at 47 TOPS with 16GB of memory built onto the chip, or the Core Ultra 9 288V at 48 TOPS. The Surface Pro runs on Snapdragon X2, with a Qualcomm Hexagon NPU rated at 80 TOPS.

Which Copilot+ PC suits which buyer

• Lowest price into Copilot+: the ASUS Vivobook S14 OLED at KES 124,300 gives you the same 47 TOPS chip as the XPS 13, with an OLED screen, at about a third of the price.
• Big screen for spreadsheets and design: the OmniBook X Flip 16 folds into a tablet and supports HP’s MPP 2.0 Tilt Pen, sold separately.
• Best screen in the group: the OmniBook Ultra Flip 14, with a 3K OLED touchscreen at 120Hz, Wi-Fi 7 and a fingerprint reader plus IR camera.
• Lightest to carry around town: the Surface Pro weighs 895g as a tablet. Microsoft quotes up to 15.5 hours of battery life, which helps on the days stima imeenda and the office generator is not running. The keyboard and pen are sold separately.
• Premium executive laptop: the Dell XPS 13 9350, from about 1.18kg, ships with Windows 11 Pro.

A note on Snapdragon and app compatibility

The Surface Pro uses an Arm processor rather than Intel or AMD. Windows runs ordinary x64 programs on it through an emulator called Prism, and Microsoft expects most x64 applications to perform comparably to native apps. The exceptions are drivers. Older printers and scanners, some antivirus tools and games that use anti-cheat drivers may not work unless the maker offers an Arm version. If your office relies on a specific accounting package, ERP client or VPN, check it before you buy, or ask us and we will help you confirm.

AI-ready business laptops: NPU built in, not Copilot+

These laptops all have Intel Core Ultra processors with an NPU. That NPU handles camera effects, noise removal and AI features inside apps that support it. It is below 40 TOPS, so the Copilot+ features above will not appear. For most company fleets that is fine: you get business security such as TPM 2.0 and webcam privacy shutters on many models, proper ports for projectors and LAN, and lower prices.

Two things to watch in this list. First, a few configurations come with 8GB of RAM. That is enough for email, Office and browsing, but if you plan to use AI tools heavily, or keep the laptop for four or five years, go for 16GB. Second, Intel builds its H-series chips (155H, 255H, 285H) for higher performance and its U-series chips (125U, 155U, 255U) for lower power use. Pick H for heavy Excel models, coding or photo editing, and U if long days away from a socket matter more.

If you are standardising on one brand, our guides to Lenovo ThinkPad models in Kenya and the Dell Latitude 3000, 5000 and 7000 series go deeper on those ranges.

Gaming laptops and MacBooks: where they fit

The HP OMEN 16 (Core Ultra 7 255H with an RTX 5060, KES 198,000) and the HP OMEN 16 Slim (Core Ultra 9 285H with an RTX 5070, KES 264,000) are strong machines for AI developers, video editors and anyone running local image or language models, because those tools lean on the graphics card. They are not Copilot+ PCs, for the GPU reason explained above. Our gaming laptop guide compares both with the cheaper RTX 4050 models.

On the Apple side, Apple Intelligence runs on any Mac with M1 or later, so every current MacBook we stock is an AI laptop on Apple’s terms. The M4 chip’s Neural Engine is rated at up to 38 trillion operations per second. Our range covers the MacBook Air 13 inch M3 from KES 145,200, the MacBook Pro 14 inch M3 Pro at KES 330,000 and the MacBook Pro 14 inch M4 at KES 341,000. Copilot+ is a Windows label, so it does not apply to Macs. Our MacBook Air buying guide compares the M2, M3 and M5 on price and specs.

How to choose an AI laptop in Kenya

• Decide if you want the Copilot+ features. If Recall, Click to Do, translated captions and smarter search sound useful, buy from the Copilot+ table. If you mainly need Office, Teams and a browser, an AI-ready business laptop costs less.
• Check the processor name, not the sticker. For Intel, look for a model number ending in V, such as 256V or 288V. Snapdragon X and AMD Ryzen AI 300 also qualify.
• Buy the RAM you will need on day one. On Core Ultra 200V laptops the memory sits on the processor package and cannot be replaced, and many thin laptops solder their RAM too.
• Confirm your software on Arm. If you are looking at the Snapdragon Surface Pro, check your printers, VPN and any specialist apps first.
• Think about power cuts. NPUs exist partly to save battery during AI tasks. Pair the laptop with a small UPS for your router, or read our guide on keeping work going when stima imeenda.

Prefer a laptop that also works as a tablet? Our comparison of 2-in-1 laptops in Kenya covers the convertible and detachable designs in more detail.

Buying an AI laptop from Encom

You can order any of these laptops on Encom Shop. Buying for a team, or not sure which processor your staff need? Tell us how many units, what software they run and your budget, and we will put together a quote. Email us to request a quote, or request a quote on WhatsApp on +254 714 962 072. You can also see the laptops in person at Rehema House, 4th Floor, Standard Street, Nairobi.

Frequently asked questions