PERSONAL TECH

Snapdragon X2 silicon and recycled aluminum are nice, the sticker shock less so

Microsoft has unveiled new Surface hardware at prices that could keep customers away until the hardware supply chain sorts itself out.

Two devices were announced – a new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop with Snapdragon X2 silicon. The 13-inch Pro has, according to Microsoft, 53 percent faster graphics performance than the previous generation, and the 13.8 and 15-inch Laptop deliver 58 percent better graphics performance. The batteries should last all day, and the touchpad on the Laptop features haptic technology.

Of course, there is dedicated NPU silicon for those on-device AI tasks that have yet to become a killer application. Still, nice to have.

Less nice is the price. The Pro starts at $1,499, and the Laptop $1,599. The base Pro comes with 16 GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD, as does the base Laptop. The base 15-inch Laptop ups the storage to 512 GB, although the price starts at $1,699.

The devices look great and appear well built. Microsoft has claimed they are "designed with sustainability and repair in mind," with 100 percent recycled aluminum enclosures and a new Surface Repair Tool to guide users through repair workflows for components such as the battery or display.

But there is no getting around the prices, which are a hike on top of the increases Microsoft rolled out in April. Remember the Surface Laptop 7? It came in at $999 when it launched in 2024 and included a 256 GB SSD and 16 GB RAM. The new Surface Laptop is a whopping $600 more.

Microsoft is not the only company affected by rising component costs, and has attempted to soften the blow a little. There's a free keyboard on offer for Surface Pro 13-inch buyers, and a free Surface Arc Mouse for Laptop purchasers. There's also up to $900 on offer for trade-ins. It is, however, difficult to recommend the devices or indeed any premium device in the current hardware climate.

The problem Microsoft faces is the rise of portables like Apple's $599 MacBook Neo. While it is a vastly underpowered device when compared to the latest Surface Laptop, it is more than adequate for most purposes and an attractive proposition for customers reluctant to drop another thousand dollars on Microsoft's (or any other premium vendor's) latest and greatest.

The latest Surface devices represent a missed opportunity for Microsoft. Although a price hike for a premium device is difficult to avoid, considering component shortages, other vendors appear capable of releasing more basic hardware at a price point that is not so heart-stopping. Dell, for example, has launched a new XPS 13 laptop for $699.

In Microsoft's last earnings report, revenue from Windows OEM and Devices was down 2 percent. It is difficult to see how the newly announced Surfaces will change this trend as customers consider whether a premium device is worth quite such a premium price. ®