Surface Pro 13-inch and Surface Pro 12 inch: Early Predictions and Implications for Surface Laptop Performance and Usability at Microsoft and Best Buy
You can pre-order the new Surface Pro at Microsoft or Best Buy, with pricing starting at $799. The new Microsoft Surface Pro and 13-inch Surface Laptop will be available to consumers and businesses on May 20th, and will be available in businesses on July 22nd.
The Surface Laptop 13-inch qualifies as a Copilot Plus PC with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus chip inside, so you get access to the new Recall feature as well as AI-powered Windows search, Click to Do, and a number of other Windows AI features inside Paint, Photos, and other apps.
Another disappointing aspect is that the Surface Laptop 13-inch is still not fan-less. Microsoft made a switch to a fan-less design for the new Surface Pro 12-inch but it kept a fan inside of the smaller Laptop variant to keep it running cool. This should mean that the Surface Laptop 13-inch will throttle less than the Surface Pro 12-inch, but we’ll have to test that during reviews.
Disappointingly, Microsoft has also ditched Windows Hello facial recognition support on this smaller Surface Laptop, so you’ll have to use a fingerprint reader that’s positioned on the power button if you want to log into this laptop without a password or PIN code. There is still a front-facing camera on the 13 inch Surface Laptop, but Microsoft has kept Windows Hello facial recognition on the small Surface Pro 12-inch model.
Much like the new Surface Pro 12-inch, Microsoft has also removed the Surface Connect charging port from this device. There are now two USB-C 3.2 ports for charging, data transfer, or DisplayPort 1.4a support, as well as a single USB-A 3.1 port and a headphone jack.
Surface Pro 12-inch (and 12-inch) Spectrometer: A Comparison of Surface Pro 12 inch and 12 inch Surface Pro Keyboards and Related Models
I briefly tried out the display and it didn’t look noticeably worse than the larger models, but if you’re used to the smoothness that the 120Hz panel provides then the drop to 60Hz will certainly be noticeable.
Microsoft is using a1080p front-facing camera on the Surface Pro 12-inch, instead of the 1440p version found on the larger model. A rear-facing camera has been positioned on the Surface Pro 12-inch. so it’s easier to take portrait video or photos, if you really want to use a tablet for that.
The 12 inch Surface Pro keyboard is a new model, but Microsoft has stopped using some of the aLCantara fabric on it. The palm rests have a smooth finish that is no longer alcantara. The keyboard has options for slate, violet, or ocean green on it, as well as on the Surface Pro 12-inch.
I also tested the Surface Pro 12-inch on my lap, and I think I ultimately prefer the angled keyboard on the larger Surface Pro 11 instead of the flat one on this smaller model. Both are good at decreasing the bounce and flex on the older versions of the Surface Pro.