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Microsoft is updating its PC lineup with a new Surface Laptop featuring a 13 inch display and a new Surface Pro tablet with a 12 inch screen. And, as expected, not only are the new PCs a bit smaller than the company's existing models, they're also a little less powerful thanks to their 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chips rather than the 10-core and 12-core chips available in their larger siblings.
Unfortunately the new models aren't actually much cheaper, which puts them in a weird place in the Surface lineup. The new Surface Laptop (13 inch) and Surface Pro (12 inch ) are up for pre-order now and should be available starting May 20, 2025.
To be fair, if you go to the Microsoft website, it looks like the new devices are substantially cheaper than their predecessors.
Microsoft announced the new Surface Laptop (13 inch) and Surface Pro (12 inch) on May 6, 2025 and at time of publication they have starting prices of $900 and $800, respectively. Meanwhile a Surface Laptop with a 13.8 inch screen sells for $1031 and up while 15 inch models start at $1300. And the Surface Pro (13 inch) starts at $1200.
But a few days ago you could find both of those selling for $800 and up. And if you visit third-party retailers like Amazon and Best Buy you can still find the higher-performance versions of these computers selling for the same price as the new models.
So pretty much the only reason to buy the new models is if you're willing to sacrifice some features and performance for a slightly smaller device.
What kind of sacrifices are we talking about? Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus (X1P-42-100) processor has two fewer CPU cores than its higher-priced counterparts, a slightly lower top speeds, less cache, and about half the GPU performance. It does have the same neural processing unit as all other Snapdragon X chips though, which means that the new laptops offer up to 45 TOPS of AI performance and support all of Microsoft's Copilot+ features.
Microsoft Surface Pro (12 inch) Microsoft also cut some corners when it comes to display quality, port selection, and biometric security.
DisplayThe new models are a bit lighter though – the Surface Laptop with a 13 inch display weighs 2.7 pounds, compared with 2.97 pounds for the 13.8 inch model. And the new Surface Pro with a 12 inch screen is 1.5 pounds, compared with 1.97 pounds for the 13 inch version.
Surface Laptop lineup (2025) Surface Laptop (13 inch) Surface Laptop (13.8 inch) Surface Laptop (15 inch) Display 13 inches1920 x 1280 pixels178 ppi3:2 aspect ratioIPS LCD60 Hz refresh rate1000:1 contrast ratio"strengthened glass"Adaptive ColorAdaptive Contrast 13.8 inches2304 x 1536 pixels201 ppi3:2 aspect ratio120 Hz refresh rate1400:1 contrast ratioCorning Gorilla Glass 5Dolby Vision IQAdaptive colorAdaptive contrastAuto color management 15 inches2496 x 1664 pixels201 ppi3:2 aspect ratio120 Hz refresh rate1300:1 contrast ratioCorning Gorilla Glass 5Dolby Vision IQAdaptive colorAdaptive contrastAuto color management Processor Snapdragon X Plus (8-core) Snapdragon X Plus (10-core)Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) Snapdragon X Elite (10-core) RAM 16GBLPDDR5x 16GB, 32GB, or 64GBLPDDR5x Storage 256GB or 512GBUFS (removable) 256GB, 512GB, or 1TBPCIe Gen 4 SSD (removable) Camera 1080p 1080p w/Windows Hello face authentication Speakers Omnisonic speakers with Dolby AudioDual studio mics with enhanced voice focus Omnisonic speakers with Dolby AtmosDual studio mics with voice focus Ports 2 x USB 3.2 Type-C (with DisplayPort Alt Mode)1 x USB 3.1 Type-A1 x 3.5mm audio 2 x USB4 Type-C (with DisplayPort Alt mode)1 x USB 3.2 Type-A1 x Surface Connect1 x 3.5mm audio 2 x USB4 Type-C (with DisplayPort Alt mode)1 x USB 3.2 Type-A1 x Surface Connect1 x 3.5mm audio1 x microSDXC Express card reader Wireless WiFi 7Bluetooth 5.4 Dimensions 286 x 214 x 16mm11.3″ x 8.4″ 0.6″ 301 x 220 x 18mm11.9″ x 8.7″ x 0.7″ 329 x 239 x 18mm13″ x 9.4″ x 0.7″ Weight 1.22 kg2.7 pounds 1.34 kg3 pounds 1.66kg3.7 pounds Staring price $900 $1031 $1300 Surface Pro lineup (2025) Surface Pro (12 inch) Surface Pro (13 inch) Display 12 inches2196 x 1464 pixels220 ppi90 Hz refresh rateUp to 400 nits1200:1 contrast ratioAdaptive colorAdaptive contrast"strengthened glass" 13 inches2880 x 1920 x pixels267 ppi3:2 aspect ratio120 HzDolby Vision IQAdaptive colorAdaptive contrastAuto color managementCorning Gorilla Glass 5OLEDUp to 600 nits SDRUp to 900 nits peak HDR1,000,000:1 contrast ratioLCDUp to 600 nits1200:1 contrast ratio Processor Snapdragon X Plus (8-core) Snapdragon X Plus (10-core)Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) RAM 16GBLPDDR5x 16GB, 32GB, or 64GBLPDDR5x Storage 256GB or 512GBUFS 256GB, 512GB, or 1TBPCIe Gen 4 SSD (removable) Camera 1080p front (w/Windows Hello)10MP rear 1440p front (w/Windows Hello)10MP rear Speakers Stereo 2W speakersDual Studio Mics with enhanced voice focus Ports 2 x USB 3.2 Type-C w/DisplayPort Alt Mode and 45W charging 2 x USB4 Type-C w/DisplayPort Alt Mode and 65W charging1 x Surface Connect Wireless WiFi 7Bluetooth 5.4 WiFi 7Bluetooth 5.4Optional 5G & 4G LTE support Dimensions 274 x 190 x 8mm10.8″ x 7.5″ x 0.3″ 287 x 209 x 9mm11.3″ x 8.2″ x 0.4″ Weight 686 grams1.5 pounds 895 grams2 pounds Starting Price $800 $1200via Windows Blog
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