Microsoft Unveils New Surface Lineup Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X Chips

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Chips Elevate Microsoft’s Surface Range

Microsoft has unveiled its latest Surface devices at a special ‘AI Era’ press event held at its headquarters in Washington state. The new devices, powered by Qualcomm’s cutting-edge Snapdragon X chips, are set to rival the latest Apple MacBooks and iPads.

The new Surface Laptop boasts an impressive battery life, courtesy of the Snapdragon X Elite processor. It promises up to 22 hours of local video playback and 15 hours of web browsing. Microsoft demonstrated Adobe Photoshop and other Creative Cloud apps running natively on the Arm-based processor at twice the speed of Apple’s M3 MacBook Air. The laptop will offer up to 64GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage, paired with a 120Hz HDR touch display in either 13.8- or 15-inch sizes. It also features USB-A and two USB-C ports, a headphone jack, and a Micro SD card reader. The laptop is available in four colorways: silver, black, blue, and bronze.

On the other hand, the new Surface Pro, which is not the Surface Pro 11, is reportedly a whopping 90% faster than the 2022 Surface Pro 9 5G, thanks to its new Snapdragon chip. It features a high-quality QHD front-facing camera and a rear camera capable of capturing 4K video. Microsoft also highlighted the new accessibility-focused design features incorporated into the keyboard and trackpad.

The Surface Pro will offer up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage, along with a 120Hz display with Dolby Vision IQ. An OLED screen option is available at an additional cost. The device comes with Microsoft’s AI-powered Cocreator tool and a new Surface Slim Pen that can be stored in the new ‘Surface Pro Flex Keyboard’ type cover. It also supports triple external monitors via USB-C, making it an ideal device for digital creatives.

Both the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop will feature Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, with the former offering optional 5G functionality. They also come equipped with dual studio mics with AI-enhanced ‘voice focus’ and Dolby Atmos speaker support.

These devices fall under Microsoft’s ‘Copilot + PC’ initiative, which sets minimum requirements for new AI PCs and laptops. Copilot + PC mandates 16GB of RAM, at least 256GB SSD storage, and an integrated NPU from either Qualcomm, Intel, or AMD.

The new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop will both start at $999 for the entry-level models, which include 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Pricing in other regions is yet to be announced.