Microsoft unveils next-gen Surface Pro and Surface Laptop with AI smarts

Today, Microsoft held a live Surface event where it unveiled two new products that will be its latest “Copilot Plus PCs.” The company is releasing a refreshed Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, and here’s everything you need to know about them.

New Surface Pro

Starting with the new Surface Pro, this 2-in-1 runs on Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus processors. Microsoft claims that this year’s model is 90% faster than the Surface Pro 9.

As mentioned earlier, this will be one of the firm’s Copilot Plus PCs. This simply means that it has some AI tech to enhance performance as well as AI experiences. Speaking of AI, it also fits in what Microsoft says is the industry’s “most powerful Neural Processing Units (NPUs)” for handling AI workloads.

Along with that, you get a 13-inch display (optional OLED and HDR technology), Wi-Fi 7 (optional 5G), two USB 4 ports, a quad-HD front-facing camera, and a 10MP Ultra HD rear-facing camera that supports 4K video capture.

This device comes with support for the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard, Surface Slim Pen, and can be hooked up to three external 4K displays. The Flex Keyboard has been updated to include a customizable, haptic touchpad that allows users to adjust the touchpad to their preferences. Meanwhile, the new Pen is said to have more precise shading, 4,096 points of pressure sensitivity, and a built-in haptic engine.

New Surface Laptop

As for the new Surface Laptop, this isn’t the same one that was announced back March that was made for business. Rather, this is the consumer model we have been waiting for. This consumer model is an Arm-based laptop that’s equipped with a Snapdragon X Elite chip and also a Copilot Plus PC.

You’ll be able to get the 13-inch or 15-inch version of the notebook in your choice of four colors: Platinum, Black, Dune, and Sapphire. However, it appears what colors, sizes, and finishes are available will depend on where you buy it from.

For the display, expect a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR technology, Dolby Vision IQ, and adaptive color technology. Microsoft alleges that its “13.8” display provides larger viewing area than a traditional 14” laptop.”

AI is a crucial focal point on both the Surface Pro and Laptop; Microsoft is aiming to even the playing field or even outcompete Apple by using AI to accelerate performance. The new notebook is said to be 86% faster than the Surface Laptop 5. Microsoft also claims that the processing and response times for the pre-release build of Surface Laptop running a pre-release version of Windows 11 is faster than the latest MacBook Air.

Other specs you should know include a 22-hour battery life, Wi-Fi 7, Full HD Surface Studio Camera, Dolby Atmos, up to 32GB of RAM, and a customizable touchpad. And like the Surface Pro, this laptop can support up to three 4K displays.

New Surface Pro and Surface Laptop: Price and availability

The new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop are available for pre-order starting today. You’ll be able to get them from Microsoft’s website where they’ll both be sold for $999.