Microsoft’s New Surface Laptops Are Cheaper. You Probably Don’t Need Them

Like the new Surface Laptop, it’s powered by the Snapdragon X Plus (8-core) processor, which helps deliver what Microsoft claims is up to 16 hours of battery life for local video playback and 12 hours of web browsing. It has 16 gigabytes of RAM and the same storage options. It also has two USB-C ports and a 3.5-mm headphone jack.

The Surface Pro keyboard has been redesigned specifically for this model. It includes a matte palm rest, full-size backlit keys (with a dedicated Copilot and lock key), and a customizable precision touchpad with adaptive touch mode. Microsoft says it now rests and folds back completely flat against the tablet, making it easier to type, draw, or write. It supports the Surface Slim Pen 2 (sold separately). Unlike the other Surface Pro Keyboards, which have a slot to store the stylus, you can attach it to the back of the tablet magnetically, where it will wirelessly charge.

The Surface Pro (12 Inch) is available for preorder and starts at $799, with retail sales kicking off on May 20. Once again, you can find the Surface Pro (11th Edition) for around the same price these days with 256 GB of storage, 16 GB of RAM, and the slightly more powerful 10-core Snapdragon X Plus these days, not to mention the bigger and higher-resolution 120-Hz, 13-inch screen. But you lose out on the slimmer and thinner chassis—the newer Pro is 1.5 pounds versus last year’s 1.97 pounds.

Presumably, the new Surface Laptop and Surface Pro will see discounts during major sale events that will separate them from their flagship siblings and make them a better value.

Copilot+ PC AI Features

Photograph: Microsoft

The Surface Laptop and Surface Pro have the same artificial intelligence features as their pricier counterparts. That includes Windows Studio Effects, which offers creative filters; Eye Contact, which adjusts your eyes so they appear to look at the camera even if you’re looking off to the side; Portrait Blur, for a blurred background during video calls; and Voice Focus, to enhance audio and reduce background noise. There’s also CoCreator, a generative AI feature built into Paint that generates an image based on your drawing and the prompt you type in, plus Live Captions for instant real-time translation across video and audio calls.