Microsoft just unveiled two new additions to its Surface PC lineup today (May 6) that are fundamentally the same Surface Pro and Surface Laptop we met last year. But these latest versions arrive in a slightly smaller size — and a slightly cheaper price.
This is pretty much exactly what we expected to see after key details of the new Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Laptop leaked yesterday (May 5), and it looks like those reports were basically correct.
These new Surface PCs are slightly smaller, lighter and less powerful than last year's models, but they're also advertised to last a bit longer on a charge thanks to their lowered specs. They're also less upgradable than last year's models and have slower screens. But they come in two new colors: Violet and Ocean (a pale silvery blue).
But perhaps most importantly of all, they're each $100 cheaper than the starting price of last year's models.
Both of these new Surface machines will become available for you to buy on May 20; Microsoft says Surface for Business models with Windows 11 Pro and other business-focused features will arrive in select markets July 22. Let's dig into the specs to see what's changed!
Microsoft Surface Pro (12-inch)
When the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 launched in 2024, I thought it was easily the best Windows tablet the company had made in years, thanks to the one-two punch of great battery life powered by its Snapdragon chipset and a lovely OLED display option.
Now, nearly a year later, Microsoft is rolling out a slightly smaller, lighter and less powerful model that starts $100 cheaper than the $999 11th Gen Surface Pro from last year.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Microsoft Surface Pro 11 (12-inch) | Microsoft Surface Pro 11 (13-inch) |
|---|---|---|
Starting Price | $799 | $999 |
CPU | Snapdragon X Plus (8-core) | Snapdragon X Plus (10-core) |
RAM | 16GB | 16GB |
Storage | 256GB, 512GB | 256GB, 512GB |
Display | 12 inch (2196 x 1464 pixels) 90Hz LCD touchscreen | 13 inch (2880 x 1920) 120Hz LCD touchscreen |
Graphics | Qualcomm Adreno | Qualcomm Adreno |
Ports | 2x USB-C | 2x USB-C |
Wireless | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
Battery life | 12 hours web, 16 hours video | 10 hours web, 14 hours video (12:10 tested) |
Size | 10.8 x 7.4 x 0.3 inches | 11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37 inches |
Weight | 1.5 pounds | 1.97 pounds |
Microsoft is calling this new Surface Pro simply the Surface Pro (12-inch), but since it's functionally a 12-inch version of the existing Surface Pro 11 we'll refer to it as the Surface Pro 11 (12-inch) from here on out.
I've charted the key specs of this new Surface Pro 11 against its larger predecessor above so you can see there are just a few noteworthy changes.
First and foremost, the 12-inch Surface Pro 11 features an 8-core Snapdragon X Plus CPU that's slightly weaker than the 10-core model that came standard on last year's model. It also has a slightly smaller, lower-resolution LCD display with a slower refresh rate than last year's model (90Hz vs 120Hz).
But this newer, cheaper Surface Pro 11 (12-inch) is also smaller and nearly half a pound lighter than last year's model, and it comes in two new color schemes: Ocean and Violet (pictured above). Of course, it also has a redesigned detachable keyboard that you can buy for an additional fee that's also available in Ocean and Violet colors to match the new hardware.
The new Surface Pro 11 (12-inch) is slated to become available later this month (May 20) at a starting price of $899.
Microsoft Surface Laptop (13-inch)
Microsoft's Surface Laptops have been solid workhorses for years, and while I wish the company would do more to make this Windows 11 laptop a little more exciting and useful, I understand why so many people use them as productivity devices.
Now, Microsoft is rolling out a slightly newer model of the Surface Laptop 7 that's just a smidge smaller and cheaper than last year's model.
This makes things slightly confusing, because the original Surface Laptop 7 came in two screen sizes: 13.8 and 15 inches. For simplicity's sake we referred to them as the 13-inch and 15-inch models, but now that the newer, smaller 2025 Surface Laptop 7 sports an LCD screen that's actually 13 inches across (diagonally speaking), we're going to have to be a little more specific.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Surface Laptop 7 (13-inch) | Surface Laptop 7 (13.8-inch) | Surface Laptop 7 (15-inch) |
|---|---|---|---|
Starting Price | $899 | $999 | $1,299 |
CPU | Snapdragon X Plus (8-core) | Snapdragon X Plus (10-core) or Elite | Snapdragon X Elite |
RAM | 16GB | 16GB, 32GB, 64GB | 16GB, 32GB, 64GB |
Storage | 256GB, 512GB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
Display | 13 inch (1920 x 1280) 60Hz touchscreen | 13.8 inch (2304 x 1536) 120Hz touchscreen | 15 inch LCD (2496 x 1664) 120Hz touchscreen |
Graphics | Qualcomm Adreno | Qualcomm Adreno | Qualcomm Adreno |
Ports | 2x USB-C, 1x USB-A, 1x headphone jack | 2x USB-C, 1x USB-A, 1x headphone jack | 2x USB-C, 1x USB-A, 1x headphone jack |
Wireless | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
Battery Life | 23 hours (video playback) | 20 hours (video playback), 15:44 (tested) | 22 hours (video playback) |
Size | 11.25 x 8.43 x 0.61 inches | 11.85 x 8.67 x 0.69 inches | 12.96 x 9.41 x 0.72 inches |
Weight | 2.7 pounds | 2.96 pounds | 3.67 pounds |
As you can see from the spec charts above, the new 2025 Surface Laptop 7 (13-inch) starts at $100 cheaper than the least expensive Surface Laptop 7 (13.8-inch). The new model is powered by a slightly weaker 8-core Snapdragon X Plus CPU.
The new Surface Laptop 7 (13-inch) comes with a touchscreen that's not just smaller than its predecessor, it's also slower — 60Hz instead of the 120Hz touchscreens available on last year's models. That's still perfectly fine for day-to-day use, but it does mean you won't enjoy the slightly smoother scrolling you get on a screen with a higher refresh rate.
But on the plus side, the new Surface Laptop 7 is smaller and lighter than last year's model as well as being cheaper, and it promises slightly better battery life to boot. Like the Surface Pro 11 (12-inch) the Surface Laptop 7 (13-inch) also comes in new Ocean and Violet colors.
Bottom line
Microsoft's Surface PCs are rarely exciting, for better or worse, and the new models we met this week are no exception.
While I'm not surprised that Microsoft announced these smaller, cheaper Surface devices while ongoing U.S. tariff drama is playing havoc with electronics pricing, it feels like there must be more to the company's plans for the Surface lineup in 2025 than these two new PCs.
Perhaps that's why the company announced them now, two weeks before the big Microsoft Build 2025 event at its Redmond HQ.
We've been reading reports and rumors for months now that Microsoft's 2025 Surface lineup includes at least one surprise new model, and if that's true, Build would be the place to unveil it. So if the company wanted to focus only on new, exciting hardware during its big conference, it makes sense to launch the less exciting new Surface PCs a few weeks beforehand.
We'll just have to wait and see. I expect to be at Build in person bringing you interviews and hands-on reports live from the event, so I should have a chance to go hands-on with these new Surface PCs (and hopefully more) when Build kicks off May 19. Stay tuned!
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