Microsoft unveiled its latest Surface lineup at a special “AI Era” event, signaling a major shift towards AI-powered devices. The new Surface Laptop and Surface Pro, both powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips, are poised to challenge Apple’s dominance in the market.
With the Snapdragon X Elite processor, the new Surface Laptop boasts remarkable battery life, offering up to 22 hours of local video playback and 15 hours of web browsing. Microsoft also highlighted the native execution of Adobe Photoshop and other Creative Cloud apps on the Arm-based processor, claiming double the speed of Apple’s M3 MacBook Air. Additionally, the new Prism emulation technology aims to bridge the compatibility gap between Windows on Arm and existing x64 and x86 software.
The refreshed Surface Pro, sans numerical designation, reportedly outperforms its predecessor, the Surface Pro 9 5G, by a significant 90%, thanks to its upgraded Snapdragon chip. It also features a high-resolution QHD front-facing camera and a rear camera capable of 4K video capture. Microsoft emphasized the device’s accessibility-focused design, incorporating thoughtful features into the keyboard and trackpad.
Both devices adhere to Microsoft’s “Copilot + PC” guidelines, which define minimum requirements for AI-enabled PCs and laptops, ensuring a seamless integration of AI capabilities into the user experience.
