Microsoft introduced the first Surface computing device with Snapdragon Windows to ARM architecture and everything related to new AI capabilities.

And the Redmond firm kicked off its annual developer event very strongly, BUILD 2024, which officially kicks off this afternoon, but which saw some great progress yesterday at Microsoft’s event, where we got to see some great news. Prominence for AI, no doubt, but also with a focus on ARM. And the bet represents a big change given that Microsoft has been a major defender of Intel’s x86 architecture. The new priority was and is known: beat Apple and its Silicon Mac.

Surface with Snapdragon

Microsoft has teamed up with Qualcomm to promote a new attempt at a ‘Windows on ARM’ platform, and here we have the first teams. While all the major PC manufacturers used Microsoft’s event to announce the launch of their notebooks, the company also introduced its own. We discuss the main news.

Surface Pro

It was clear that the star device of Microsoft’s own brand of hardware and one of the best sellers in the “2 in 1” category would be one of the designs used to launch this new generation. The big news is the processor Snapdragon X Elite that it is assembled, which, without being the most advanced from Qualcomm, promises to compete with the Apple MacBook Air notebooks with M3 SoC. You can choose with 16 or 32 GB of RAM and a replaceable SSD with a capacity of 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB.

There is one more big news that needs to be mentioned 13-inch HDR OLED display with Dolby Vision IQ, which – always thinking of Apple – is thinking of fighting with the new iPad Pro tablets with an OLED panel. It has a native resolution of 2,880 x 1,920 pixels, a refresh rate of 120 Hz and Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

It has to be said that the LCD screens of previous Surface Pros were already impressive in terms of color accuracy and sharpness, but Microsoft has always stuck with traditional backlighting, which limited things like black depth. Now, with per-pixel control enabled by an OLED panel, the Surface Pro display looks great. The company will also sell versions with IPS panels to keep the price down.

Other notable features include support for the latest version of the wireless standard. Wi-Fi 7 and 5G broadband option. We also have a QHD front camera with Windows Studio effects and fast battery charging support that promises a level of autonomy “excellent, maintaining high performance”.

2 in 1 will have new accessories such as the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard, which now works wirelessly, allowing you to place it separately from the tablet where appropriate. It also features additional layers of carbon fiber for added stability and durability, and a new customizable haptic touchpad. It has a hole for placing an integrated pencil, which also functions as a charger.

The new Surface Pro comes pre-installed with Windows 11 and will be available in four colors (black, platinum, gold and blue) with prices starting from $999 with an IPS LCD screen and $1,499 for a version with an OLED panel. They are now available for pre-order on the Microsoft Store in some regions, with delivery in June.

Surface Laptop

The second of the Snapdragon Surfaces, this “Copilot Plus Surface Laptop,” as the company calls it, is available in two sizes: 13.8 inches and 15 inches. Both variants use 3:4 IPS touchscreens with respective native resolutions of 2,304 x 1,536 pixels and 2,496 x 1,664 pixels. The refresh rate has been increased to 120 Hz and they now support high dynamic range, HDR.

They are equipped with Snapdragon “is 86% faster than the Intel Surface Laptop 5”. The 13.8-inch version can be configured with Snapdragon X Elite or Plus processors, while the larger variant will only be available with the more advanced Snapdragon X Elite. The main configuration is complemented by 16 GB or 32 GB LPDDR5X RAM and up to 2 TB SSD for internal storage.

In addition to improving performance, the new Qualcomm processors promise a significant increase battery life. The 13.8-inch Surface Laptop can play up to 20 hours of video, while the 15-inch variant can play up to 22 hours.

In terms of connectivity, they have been updated Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. Contains two ports USB-C/USB4 for charging devices, transferring data, powering external displays (up to three 4K displays) or connecting accessories. There’s also a USB-A 3.1 port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and the old Surface Connect port. The 15-inch variant also includes a microSDXC card reader.

The Surface Laptop also features a new haptic trackpad and has a 1080p webcam with Windows Hello and Windows Studio effects, Dolby Atmos speakers and Studio microphones. With Windows 11 and in black, platinum, gold and blue, the price starts at $999 (13.8″ version) and $1,299 (15″). From there, because configured to the maximum, it reaches the price of $2,500. They are now available for pre-order at the Microsoft Store.

Undoubtedly. A very ambitious bet by Microsoft with Surface with Snapdragon, with some sort of “PC Copilot Plus” that all of its partners will be launching to take on Apple’s Macs. A new attempt at Windows on ARM, with improved Qualcomm chips and support for artificial intelligence technologies.