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When Microsoft announced its new Windows PC series in May, the company stated that these computers are “designed for artificial intelligence,” featuring Qualcomm’s new chips that are more energy-efficient than previous Intel processors. Among the initial devices launched under the name Copilot+PC is a Surface Pro convertible tablet. It handles heavier computing tasks and boasts longer battery life compared to laptops using Intel processors. This strategy echoes Apple’s approach starting in 2020 with custom energy chips for its MacBook, which has proven quite successful. However, Microsoft’s latest Surface Pro is more of a solid upgrade to its predecessor rather than a groundbreaking move into a new era of AI computing. At least for now. Surface PCs have not been a major revenue driver for Microsoft. The company reported device revenue of $1.07 billion for the first quarter, a small fraction of its total revenue of $61.86 billion. I’ve been reviewing the Surface Pro for two weeks now. Here’s what you need to know.
What’s Good
The Surface Pro hardware is high-end. Microsoft sent me a review unit equipped with Qualcomm’s 12-core Snapdragon X Elite chip, a 512GB SSD, 16GB of RAM, and an OLED display. The device starts at $999 but this model costs $1499.99. Performance in web browsing—Google launched an Arm version of Chrome for Windows in March—productivity software, and some video games like “Retrowave World” and “Poly Bridge 3” is solid. The display is sharp and bright, scrolling smoothly thanks to its 120Hz refresh rate. The touchscreen is responsive. The iconic stand that supports the display remains sturdy and durable. Beneath the stand, there’s a compartment protecting the SSD, making storage upgrades or replacements easy. In my early tests, the Surface Pro’s battery life exceeded 8 hours. Microsoft promises up to 10 hours of web browsing time. The Surface Pro 9, launched in 2022 with Microsoft’s Arm-based SQ3 chip, boasted up to 19 hours of battery life, though reviewers found app compatibility still an issue. Unlike previous Arm-driven Surface PCs like the 2019 Surface Pro X, this model can run a wide range of applications, meaning buyers don’t have to compromise heavily on compatibility. This is due to Microsoft introducing a new emulator called Prism to help these new computers run programs designed for Intel and AMD chips.
Almost daily, developers demonstrate intelligent software based on AI models. Often, these programs use servers in data centers to handle complex tasks. But increasingly, developers are offloading some processing onto users’ phones and computers. With a neural processing unit (NPU), the Copilot+PC should be well-suited for this emerging type of software. The architecture extends battery life as the rest of the chip handles other tasks. Microsoft introduced some AI features based on NPUs in Windows 11. If you join a video call, you can open the “Settings” app on the Surface Pro Copilot+PC and then select an option called “Eye Contact.” It makes you look at the webcam during calls or even while reading text. Apple offers a similar simulated eye contact feature for FaceTime calls on iPad. In Paint, you can enable Cocreator mode to generate an image based on what you draw on the screen and describe using text input. The computer’s NPU processes the image, but only after Microsoft sends your text prompt to the cloud to ensure you’re not attempting to create harmful or offensive content. I found it intriguing to see how Cocreator interprets my suggestions, though the results weren’t particularly impressive. I found it more effective to press the Copilot key on the keyboard, opening a window to chat with Microsoft’s Copilot and request image creation during text chats. However, it only has so many free image generation points before it starts processing requests more slowly, while the “draw” function remains fast. A communication adapter box magnetically locks onto Microsoft’s proprietary Surface Connect port. Anyone who’s purchased Surface devices in the past decade will be familiar with it. However, you can also charge using one of two USB-C ports, which is convenient. The Surface Pro can connect up to three 4K resolution monitors, whereas a MacBook Air with an M3 chip can drive a single external display with a resolution of up to 6K at a 60Hz refresh rate. The $999 tablet lacks a headphone jack. It also doesn’t come with a traditional keyboard by default. After all, iPads still don’t come with keyboards. A standard Surface Pro keyboard, magnetically attached to the bottom of the Surface Pro, sells for $139.99. If you want one with Microsoft’s Slim Pen stylus, you’ll need to pay $279.99. Microsoft sent me the new Surface Pro Flex keyboard, which includes an ultra-thin pen, priced at $449.98. It’s more expensive than a standard detachable keyboard because it connects via Bluetooth. Microsoft promises the accessory can continuously type for up to 41 hours and charges when connected to the Surface Pro. For some users, detaching the keyboard and using it at a short distance from the tablet may be helpful. I didn’t find this accessory to be a major upgrade from the old Surface Pro keyboard.
What’s Not Good
The biggest AI features of this new Surface Pro and other Copilot+PC models have yet to be rolled out. When Microsoft announced Copilot+PC in May, executives spent a lot of time discussing Recall, which allows you to type a few words to search your PC activity and see matching results. The company postponed its release, citing security researchers finding that hackers could potentially capture screenshots of what Recall displays, thus accessing users’ private data. Meanwhile, some applications including Google Drive and ExpressVPN still don’t run on these new computers, at least for now. While early adoption of Windows on Arm sometimes sees Microsoft’s app store offering traditional versions of apps, native Arm versions can be found on developers’ websites (such as media player VLC). Overall, software is less of an issue now for Surface PCs with long battery life. Microsoft has reduced Copilot’s ability to control the computer on these devices, likening it to accessing a chatbot online. Last fall, when Microsoft introduced Copilot to Windows 11, the assistant could open programs, switch to dark mode, and disable Bluetooth.
Should You Buy?
The Surface Pro 11 is worth considering as long as you’re certain the applications you need will run on an Arm-based machine. This is more likely now than five years ago. The battery life is good, I appreciate how easy it is to upgrade and replace storage, and the screen is excellent. It’s a robust upgrade from earlier models. Microsoft made the right call switching to Arm-based processors. However, while the company has marketed it as an “AI PC,” the biggest AI features are yet to materialize.
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Observation: Joanna Stern of The Wall Street Journal praises Microsoft’s new AI-powered personal computers with a thumbs-up.
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Joanna Stern of The Wall Street Journal’s Squawk Box says Microsoft’s new AI-powered PCs deserve a thumbs-up
