Microsoft Surpasses with 'AI PCs': How the New Surface Innovation Challenges Apple, According to ZDNet

Discover the New Wave of Smart Technology: Microsoft’s Release of Surface Pro 10 and Laptop 6 with Enhanced Artificial Intelligence, Featured

Microsoft/ZDNET

Microsoft today unveiled two new Surface devices, the Surface Pro 10 and the Surface Laptop 6, marking the company’s first hardware launch since the AI PC era kicked off with Intel’s and AMD’s NPU-equipped chipsets .

Also: Five biggest announcements at Microsoft’s March Surface and AI event

Both Surface devices look nearly identical to their two-year-old predecessors, and yet they’re currently only available to business users. (I wouldn’t rule out Microsoft releasing consumer versions of these Surface laptops later this year.)

At the center of both models is a new Intel Core Ultra (5 or 7) processor. “From a performance perspective, Surface Laptop 6 is 2x faster than Laptop 5, and Surface Pro 10 is up to 53% faster than Pro 9,” Microsoft touts in its press release. The dedicated Neural processing Unit in the new chipsets should yield greater performance and efficiency – and, therefore, battery life – especially with AI-related tasks such as Windows Studio Effects, Live Captions, and productivity tools.

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Other hardware changes include a new anti-reflective coating that, when paired with the brighter display of both devices (600 nits on the Surface Pro 10 and 400 nits on the Surface Laptop 6), should improve screen quality and viewing angles.

For security, the 15-inch model of the Surface Laptop 6 can be fitted with an integrated smart card reader while the Surface Pro 10 includes an NFC reader to support security keys and other passwordless authentication tools.

Also: The best security keys of 2024: Expert tested

Another hardware upgrade exclusive to the Surface Pro 10 comes in the form of a new ultrawide, 10.5MP webcam, capable of recording in 1440p resolution at a 114-degree field of view. That’s up from the preceding model’s 1080p sensors, which I found were just good enough during ZDNET’s review . The Laptop 6 also gets a camera upgrade, but only from a 720p sensor to 1080p.

Microsoft also unveiled a new Surface Pro keyboard cover with a bolded keyset and dedicated Copilot key.

Microsoft

The efficiency gains from the Intel Core Ultra processors have given Microsoft the confidence to rate the battery life of both the Surface Pro 10 and Laptop 6 higher than their predecessors, with the former lasting up to 19 hours (up from 15) and the latter lasting up to 19 hours (up from 17).

Also: Surface vs. MacBook: Can Microsoft’s new Arm-based AI PCs compete with Apple?

Microsoft also told The Verge that the new Surface devices are more repairable and serviceable than ever, too, with QR codes on internal components for easier sourcing and visual indicators to identify screws and driver types.

Both models will be offered now with 64GB of LPDDR5x RAM (previously capped at 32GB), with the Surface Pro 10 starting at a base storage of 256GB instead of 128GB. The Surface Laptop 6 will still be available in 13.5-inch and 15-inch sizes. Pricing will start from $1,199 and both devices will begin shipping on April 9.

And for the first time, Microsoft is offering the Intel-equipped Surface Pro with 5G support, a capability previously limited to devices powered by Qualcomm’s SQ3 processor, as well as its Adaptive Accessories for commercial customers.