The long-promised AI-powered PCs have finally arrived, and their affordability might surprise you. The new Microsoft Surface Laptop, available in two sizes (13.8” and 15”), starts at $1,000. It’s a sleek, lightweight, and potent device that highlights all the AI capabilities of Windows 11, including third-party AI features.
Another highlight here is that these laptops are powered by Qualcomm’s first flagship-grade ARM-based laptop chips, the Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite. The X Elite is the more powerful sibling with a 12-core CPU, while the X Plus is meant for cheaper devices with a 10-core CPU. Regardless, both of them can deliver 45 TOPS of AI computing power, allowing them to run AI tasks locally, which is good for privacy and latency.
Both laptop versions feature nearly the same screen specs, except for the display sizes of course. These screens feature a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate, 3:2 touchscreens with 201ppi pixel density, and Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
The 13.8” variant weighs 1.34 kilograms and measures 16.5mm thick. It houses a 54Wh battery, offering up to 20 hours of endurance. On the other hand, the 15” model weighs 1.66 kilograms and is 18.3mm thick. It comes with a 66Wh battery, providing 22 hours of endurance. Charging is conducted at 39W and 65W, respectively.
In terms of connectivity, each device is equipped with two USB-C ports that support USB 4 and DisplayPort 2.1. They also include a solitary USB-A 3.1 port, a headphone jack, and a microSD card slot. Furthermore, there’s a Surface Connect port designed for the Surface Dock. Wireless connectivity capabilities encompass Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop introduces a dedicated Copilot button, offering access to several AI features. One such feature is “Recall,” which serves as a useful timeline to assist in remembering documents, websites, applications, or other necessary items.
Another notable feature is “Cocreator,” where users can provide a basic outline—a sketch and a text description. The Snapdragon X chip, along with a compact local AI model, will then generate a visually stunning image without relying on cloud services. Alternatively, users can utilize the Restyle Image app to morph an existing image into various artistic styles of their choosing.
The AI prowess of these laptops can also be used in third-party apps such as Adobe Photoshop, DaVinci Resolve Studio, CapCut, and many others.
The Microsoft Surface laptop 13.8″ variant powered by the Snapdragon X Plus has a starting price of $1000. It also has a Snapdragon X Elite variant that costs $1400 and also doubles the storage onboard.
The 15″ variant is powered by the Snapdragon X Elite and starts at $1300, going up to $2500 for the maxed-out version with a whopping 64 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage.
