Microsoft has announced the availability of its new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop devices powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 processors. These Windows on Arm devices arrive as the Windows 11 x86 alternative continues to expand, with Microsoft also teasing that its premium Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by NVIDIA's new RTX Spark processor, is on track to release sometime "later this year."
Microsoft notes that the Surface Laptop Ultra is its "most powerful Surface Laptop ever, built for developers and creative professionals pushing their work further." In addition, Microsoft will release a Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, marking Surface's entry into the Mini PC realm with a powerful Windows on Arm box featuring the new RTX Spark processor.
As for the new Snapdragon X2 devices, they are definitely more affordable options (early word from all RTX Spark partners hints that those devices are "premium," which means expensive), with the Surface Pro 13-inch being a 2-in-1 tablet-and-laptop hybrid. Starting at $1,499 USD, Microsoft is touting a 53% improvement in graphics performance compared to first-gen Snapdragon X devices, up to 15.5 hours of battery life, and impressive features such as an OLED display and a 1440p Quad HD camera.
The new Snapdragon X2-powered Surface Laptop will be available in 13.8-inch and 15-inch models, starting at $1,599 USD. Again, you've got a sizeable improvement to graphics performance thanks to the next-gen integrated GPU, alongside all-day battery life that will deliver up to 20 hours of use on a single charge. These will feature more traditional LCD screens rather than OLED, but they will be built for clarity and color accuracy, with an impressive 262 PPI rating on the 15-inch model. Naturally, these devices will also feature improved AI hardware with a dedicated NPU optimized for on-device and cloud-based workloads.
Available in multiple colors, Microsoft's second-generation Surface Pro and Surface Laptop devices are available now.
