Microsoft Surface Pro 12, Surface Laptop 13 Unleash Snapdragon X At Great Prices
Turns out that recent leaks suggesting that new Surface hardware was on the horizon were right on the money. How so? Microsoft today unveiled a couple of new Surface models, including the Surface Pro, 12-inch and Surface Laptop, 13-inch. They're powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon hardware, they boast long battery life, and they're somewhat aggressively priced.
Pictured above is a render of the new 13-inch Surface Laptop, which Microsoft says it is thinnest and lightest Surface Laptop model to date. Microsoft also pitches that the latest iteration is "built for performance and enhanced with the power of AI."
That claim is largely rooted in the inclusion of Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips. Qualcomm's been on a mission to challenge x86's dominance (and by extension, AMD and Intel) with its Arm-based silicon infused with neural processing unit (NPU) smarts to deliver AI-powered Copilot+ experiences. To some extent, it's working, as evidenced by the latest Surface models.
For the 13-inch Surface Laptop, Microsoft opted for an 8-core Snapdragon X Plus chip. It features an onboard NPU that delivers up to 45 TOPS of AI horsepower, and according to Microsoft, it's 50% faster than the Surface Laptop 5 and "outpaces the MacBook Air M13," which the fine print reveals to be a comparison of multi-threaded performance in Cinebench 24.
It's also a battery-life beast, according to Microsoft.
"The new Surface Laptop delivers the longest battery life of any Surface, with up to 23 hours of video playback and up to 16 hours of active web browsing, allowing you to work from anywhere, without the need to plug in. With universal USB-C fast charging, it’s never been easier to stay powered up on the go," Microsoft says.
Other features include a 13-inch touchscreen display with a 1920x1080 resolution and 60Hz refresh rate, 16GB of LPDDR5X memory, and 256GB or 512GB of solid state drive (SSD) storage. Don't confuse this with the 13.8-inch model, which features a 2880x1920 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and Snapdragon X Elite and Plus processor options (for a higher fee).
Meanwhile, the refreshed 12-inch Surface Pro sticks with the 2-in-1 form factor and is built around the same 8-core Snapdragon X Plus silicon. It sports a built-in kickstand and can be bolstered with an optional detachable keyboard, giving it plenty of versatility. The 12-inch display features a 2196x1464 resolution and 90Hz refresh rate.
Likewise, it comes standard with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a 256GB SSD, though users can also opt for 512GB of storage.
You can preorder some of the new SKUs now...
- 13" Surface Laptop (16GB/256GB): $899.99
- 13" Surface Laptop (16GB/512GB): $999.99
- 12" Surface Pro (16GB/256GB): $799.99
- 12" Surface Pro (16GB/512GB): $899.99
Microsoft will also make Business models available starting on July 22 in "select markets." As for the consumer models, it's nice to see pricing start at $799.99 and still only scale to $999.99 (before accessories, of course).
