UPDATE: May. 22, 2024, 11:25 a.m. EDT This story has been updated with an additional preorder listing at B&H Photo.
A hot new MacBook rival enters the villa: Microsoft debuted a redesigned, AI-powered Surface Laptop on Monday ahead of its annual Build developer conference. The so-called "Surface Laptop 7th Edition" comes in 13.8- and 15-inch sizes starting at $999.99 and $1,299.99, respectively, and preorders are live ahead of its June 18 launch.
At the time of writing, nearly two dozen configurations were available across Best Buy, B&H Photo, and the Microsoft Store. If you happen to be a paid member of the former's My Best Buy program (Plus or Total tiers), your purchase will include a free 50-inch Insignia smart Fire TV worth $299.99.
One of several new "Copilot+ PCs," the thin, clamshell-style Surface Laptop features fresh Qualcomm Snapdragon X chips that may give the Apple M3 processor a serious run for its money. This CPU also "distinguishes it from the Intel-based Surface Laptop 6 for business that launched earlier this year," reports Mashable's Alex Perry.
Other notable specs include WiFi 7 support, a keyboard with a dedicated Copilot key, a Precision Haptic Touchpad with an adaptive touch mode, a 1080p webcam with AI-supported Studio effects (like automatic framing), and a 120Hz HDR touchscreen display that's rated at 600 nits of brightness.
The 13.8-inch Surface Laptop packs a Snapdragon X Plus or Elite chip, 16GB to 64GB of memory, and 256GB to 1TB of storage. It weighs 2.97 pounds, offers up to 20 hours of video playback, and comes in four aluminum finishes: Black, Platinum, a beige Dune, and a sky-blue Sapphire.
Weighing in at a slightly heavier 3.67 pounds, the 15-inch model only comes with the Snapdragon X Elite chip and in two colors (Black or Platinum), but it's configurable with the same RAM and storage options. Hypothetically, it will last up to 22 hours on a single charge — another detail that should worry Apple.
