Microsoft's new Surface Pro and Laptop swap to Snapdragon X2 — starting at $1,499
Microsoft's new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop are available today, June 16, both running Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 chip — and both costing significantly more than their predecessors. The Surface Pro starts at $1,499; the Surface Laptop opens at $1,599. That's a $300–$500 jump Microsoft attributes to higher memory costs, though rival Windows laptops with the same chip already sit on store shelves at lower prices.
The hardware
The 13-inch Surface Pro keeps its tablet-plus-keyboard formula. The Snapdragon X2 delivers a 53% graphics boost over the previous Snapdragon X generation, and Microsoft claims 15.5 hours of battery life. The base model ships with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Display options include a standard IPS panel or a new OLED screen with deeper blacks and better contrast. The front camera shoots at 1440p with a wide-angle lens and automatic framing — useful for video calls. Colors are Platinum, Black, and Dune.
Surface Pro (2026) in Platinum — the base config starts at $1,499 with 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD.
The Surface Laptop arrives in 13.8-inch and 15-inch sizes. Here the Snapdragon X2 pushes graphics performance up 58% versus last year's model. Battery life claims are ambitious: 20 hours for the 13.8-inch and 19 hours for the 15-inch — figures that won't be verifiable until independent reviews land. The 15-inch display also gets a pixel density jump from 201 PPI to 262 PPI. Base config is 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. Both sizes add a haptic trackpad that generates subtle vibration feedback when snapping windows or scrubbing video. A new Jade green color is exclusive to the 13.8-inch model.
Surface Laptop (2026) in the new Jade green, exclusive to the 13.8-inch model.
The price reality
Buy early and the sting is softer. Through June 30, US buyers who order a Surface Pro get a free Flex Keyboard (normally $169.99), and Surface Laptop buyers receive a free Arc Mouse. After that, accessories are back to full price.
The trickier comparison is with Apple. The Surface Laptop 13.8-inch at $1,599 goes up against a MacBook Air M5 that starts below $1,400 — and the MacBook Air gets an OLED-class display experience along with a more established app ecosystem for ARM. Microsoft is betting that Windows on ARM has matured enough, and that the Surface brand carries enough loyalty, to justify the premium.
ASUS and Lenovo already sell Snapdragon X2 machines at more aggressive prices, so Microsoft's positioning leans on design, build quality (100% recycled aluminium), and software integration — including a dedicated AI processor (NPU) for on-device tasks and the new Surface Repair diagnostic program.
Business models follow on July 14. Note for UK and EU buyers: the power supply is sold separately, per Thurrott.
