Microsoft announced updated versions of its smaller Surface devices today: the 12-inch Surface Pro and the 13-inch Surface Laptop. Both ship October 13.
What changed
New chip. Both devices move to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Plus, which Microsoft says is 30% more power efficient.
No more 8GB. The base RAM is now 16GB, with a 24GB option. That is a welcome change, since 8GB was a real bottleneck for Windows and AI features.
Brighter screens. The Surface Pro's display is 25% brighter than before, and the Surface Laptop's screen gets a boost too.
Optional 5G. The Surface Pro is available with built-in 5G for the first time in this size.
Pricing and specs
| Surface Pro 12-inch | Surface Laptop 13-inch | |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | Snapdragon X2 Plus | Snapdragon X2 Plus |
| RAM | 16GB or 24GB | 16GB or 24GB |
| Storage | 256GB or 512GB | 256GB or 512GB |
| 5G | Optional | No |
| Starting price | $1,149 | $1,199 |
| Release | October 13 | October 13 |
The catch: price
The 12-inch Surface Pro now starts $300 higher than the previous base model. Part of that is the jump to 16GB of RAM, and memory prices across the industry have been rising all year. Still, these were Microsoft's budget-friendly Surfaces, and they are now firmly in MacBook Air territory.
Also new
- Surface Mouse ($79.99): haptic feedback and a customizable Copilot button
- Ink Canvas: a new pen-first app for notes and sketching that comes with both devices
Who it's for
Students and travelers who want a light Windows machine with long battery life. If you already own a Snapdragon X Surface from the last two years, this is an incremental upgrade.
Sources: 9to5Google, Windows Central, Digital Trends
