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Microsoft's Surface laptops have been underwhelming us in the past few years—they haven't changed drastically since the original launch in 2017. But on the heels of Microsoft Build, the company's annual developer conference, Microsoft finally injected some life into its hardware platform today with a media-only launch event—that wasn't livestreamed—at its headquarters in Redmond, Washington.
It announced two new, fully redesigned ARM-based Surface laptops powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X processors, with all-new “AI” capabilities, a phrase you'll hear many PC manufacturers repeat over the next few years. Say hello to the Surface Laptop (7th Edition) and the Surface Pro (11th Edition). They both start at $1,000 and are available for preorder. Both will officially go on sale on June 18.
Here's everything Microsoft announced.
Microsoft Goes All-In on Qualcomm
In 2020, Apple ditched its Intel-based processors for its own M-series chips—which it utilizes on MacBooks and iPads, ostensibly laying the groundwork for AI-heavy updates to MacOS and iPadOS. Microsoft isn't making custom chips, but it also isn't working with its long-time partner, Intel, to power its new Surface laptops. No, Microsoft has switched over to Qualcomm exclusively with the new machines.
Microsoft is tapping Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus processors for the new Surface Laptop and Surface Pro (which fall under a new category Microsoft calls “Copilot+ PCs”). The new chips purportedly help optimize performance and battery life, and power the new AI capabilities. Qualcomm claims it can deliver the highest neural processing unit (NPU) performance per watt that's up to 2.6 times faster than Apple's M3 chip and up to 5.4 times faster than the Intel Core Ultra 7. The company also says the Snapdragon X Elite, specifically, uses 60 percent less power while still matching peak CPU performance from its competitors. Microsoft says the new Surface devices are 58 percent faster with 20 percent longer battery life than the most advanced MacBook Air with M3.
But the company isn't exclusively sticking with Qualcomm chips for all its future devices. Intel did announce today that its Lunar Lake Processors will arrive later this year with the ability to “deliver AI performance at scale for Copilot+ PCs.” Microsoft says it essentially boils down to timing and when components will be ready. So, it's likely Microsoft will release Intel models in the future. But whether or not that means an Intel-powered Surface Laptop (7th Edition) or Surface Pro (11th Edition) remains to be seen.
Surface Laptop (7th Edition)
The new Surface Laptop no longer follows the numerical naming structure as before. It succeeds the Surface Laptop 5, but instead of being called the Surface Laptop 6, Microsoft is going with “editions” and for some reason is skipping number 6. So this Surface Laptop is the 7th Edition.
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Microsoft has addressed several issues with this laptop's predecessor, which had seen only incremental changes and had a dated design. The new Surface Laptop has thinner bezels around the display and a haptic touchpad. There's also the choice between two sizes: a new, larger 13.8-inch touchscreen display and a 15-inch model with a 120-Hz refresh rate. Microsoft says these are the brightest displays it has ever shipped on its laptops, with 600 nits of brightness and a P3 color gamut—ideal for any work where color accuracy is important.
It can support up to three 4K monitors, which means you could have four total screens running (twice as many as with the latest MacBook Air). It packs a new Full HD Surface Studio Camera with AI-powered features for video calls, like the ability to blur your background, filter background noise, and other creative filters.
Under the hood, customers can choose between Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus processors (the 15-inch model only employs the Elite). Microsoft says the Surface Laptop is up to 86 percent faster than the Surface Laptop 5, with improved battery life (up to 20 hours on the 13.8-inch model and up to 22 hours on the 15-inch). RAM goes up to 64 gigabytes, and storage tops out at 1 terabyte.
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The Surface Laptop (7th Edition) is available for preorder now and starts at $1,000. It goes on sale June 18.
Surface Pro (11th Edition)
Microsoft is also weirdly skipping the number 10. The new Surface Pro (11th Edition) succeeds the Surface Pro 9, which was a minor upgrade to its predecessor. While the 11th Edition doesn't feature as many changes as the new Surface Laptop, there are still some highlights.
It retains the original Surface design, with its built-in kickstand (the keyboard is still a separate purchase). There's an ultrawide quad HD front-facing camera with access to Windows Studio Effects for video calls (see below). On the back, the 10-megapixel rear camera can capture videos in 4K. This machine has a new OLED display option with support for HDR, but you can save some cash by sticking with the standard LCD screen.
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The processor depends on the model you buy. The standard Surface Pro is powered by the Snapdragon X Plus, but the OLED has the Snapdragon X Elite chip inside. Microsoft claims the latter is up to 90 percent faster than the previous Surface Pro. This one also supports up to three external 4K monitors, plus Wi-Fi 7, and there's an option to add 5G if you want on-the-go internet connectivity.
Microsoft says it redesigned the keyboard cover for the Surface Pro. Called the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard, you can now detach and position it anywhere you'd like while using the tablet for a more versatile typing experience. The haptic touchpad is also 14 percent larger than the previous model. There's also a bold key set option to assist people with low vision and reduce eye strain. This device is still compatible with the older Surface Slim Pen stylus.
The Surface Pro (11th Edition) is available for preorder now and starts at $1,000. It goes on sale June 18.
New Copilot and Windows Features
Microsoft also announced several features that are currently exclusive to Qualcomm-powered devices (but will be available to future Copilot+ PCs) running Windows 11, which will be available on June 18. Here are a few notable ones.
Recall
There's nothing more frustrating than when you can't find a photo, email, or file from a few days ago on your device. Scrolling through tons of emails, clicking through all your open tabs, and opening files can be time-consuming. Recall wants to solve this.
Microsoft says Recall lets you find anything you've seen or done on your PC with a simple search query, and it's powered by state-of-the-art large language models, which can understand various content on your PC, like text, images, and videos. It works in any application, so you can search across your computer. It's not unlike the Ask Photos feature Google recently announced at its developer conference, except that is only available in Google Photos.
For example, if you're looking for a blue dress you saw online, you can search “blue dress” in Windows 11 and it will pull together all the choices you've viewed on your device. If you're looking for a specific one sent to you via a messaging app, you can search “blue pantsuit with sequin lace from grandma,” and Recall will find it for you so you don't have to scroll through hundreds of messages.
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Microsoft says the Recall index is stored locally on-device and won't be used to train any artificial intelligence models, so the data is private. It's customizable too, so you can exclude certain websites or apps, allowing you to prevent it from accessing private content.
Live Translations
With Live Translations, you'll get instant real-time translation from 44 languages into English across any video or audio call. This can also be used for other scenarios like when watching a movie, allowing you to turn live captions into English subtitles in real time.
Windows Studio Effects
To help enhance video calls, the webcams in the new Surface computers come with AI-powered features called Windows Studio Effects. You'll have access to creative filters in three styles (illustrated, animated, and watercolor); Portrait Light, which adjusts the lighting for a more natural appearance; 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, to add a blurred background behind you; and Voice Focus to enhance your audio and reduce background noise.
Cocreator
Within Paint, you'll have access to a Cocreator feature that allows you to enhance your drawings using AI. Type in what you'd like to create, draw it, and then Cocreator will automatically create an AI version of what you drew to apply to the canvas. For example, if you type in “peaceful lake high in the mountains,” and draw mountains on the screen, Cocreator will create an enriched version that you can add to your canvas to continue to draw on and add to.
