Key Takeaways
- Microsoft’s new Surface Pro features Qualcomm chips, ditching Intel for faster performance, particularly in AI.
- Other significant features include Wi-Fi 7, enhanced cameras, a Flex Keyboard accessory, and configurations with OLED displays.
- Preorders are already live, with prices starting at $999.99.
Microsoft on Wednesday revealed the latest iteration of the Surface Pro, its signature tablet. The new model represents a significant overhaul, being what the company designates a Copilot+ PC, with a processor designed to accelerate Windows 11’s Copilot AI. In fact Microsoft has fully switched over from Intel chips, offering the Pro with Qualcomm’s new ARM-based Snapdragon X Plus and Elite processors.
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The 2024 Pro is claimed to be up to 90% faster than its predecessor, and provide superior battery life, rated up to 14 hours when doing non-stop video playback. Other features include Wi-Fi 7, two USB 4 ports, and an ultra-wide “Quad HD” front camera. The rear camera sports a 10-megapixel sensor. All configurations have a 13-inch display with a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate, but if you’re willing to spend extra, you can upgrade from an LCD touchscreen to OLED to get a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. That’s the dividing line in processors as well — all LCD models use the Snapdragon X Plus, so you’ll have to bump up to OLED to get the performance of the Snapdragon X Elite.
Microsoft is also selling a new keyboard accessory, the Flex Keyboard. It costs $449.98, but comes with a Slim Pen, and can be used both attached and detached from the Pro. This lets you position the Pro itself at whatever angle is most convenient.
Preorders for the new Surface Pro are now open, with prices starting at $999.99 for an LCD/Snapdragon X Plus model with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. A maxed-out OLED/Snapdragon X Elite model with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage is $2,099.99. Color options include Black, Platinum, Sapphire (blue), and Dune (gold). Options with 5G cellular should be available later in 2024.
Why are Qualcomm chips a big deal?
Microsoft and other PC makers have long been dependent on processors from either Intel or AMD. Qualcomm’s ARM-based architecture is potentially more efficient in a mobile context, but until now both Microsoft and Qualcomm have struggled to make Windows run as well or better on ARM. Indeed while there was a Qualcomm-equipped version of the Surface Pro 9, it was widely criticized for poor performance and reliability — its only real advantage was extended battery life.
If the Microsoft/Qualcomm partnership is a success, it could potentially pose a challenge to Apple. For a few years now Macs and iPads have benefited from Apple Silicon, which is deeply optimized for macOS and iPadOS, and has so far been difficult for Windows PCs to beat outside of gaming-ready systems with advanced CPUs and dedicated graphics cards. Those gaming machines sacrifice battery life, often running just a few hours at full tilt.
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