The brand-new Surface Laptop 13 is smaller, lighter, and more affordable than the Surface Laptop with a 13.8-inch display and Snapdragon X Plus processor. However, it still claims to have longer battery life than even the 15-inch model. The price is high, considering the features.
Microsoft previously offered the Surface Laptop with either a 13.8-inch or 15-inch display. Now, a smaller version with a 13-inch screen is available. With a thickness of 15.6 millimeters and a weight of 1.22 kilograms, it’s also thinner and lighter than the more expensive models. This model also features the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus, albeit in a slower version with only eight cores.
Considering that the Laptop 13 is “only” 100 euros cheaper than the 13.8-inch version, it’s disappointing that Microsoft uses a slow 60 Hz IPS panel. Although designed in a 3:2 format, it achieves a resolution of only 1,920 x 1,280 pixels and a brightness of 400 nits. The device lacks HDR support, and the touchscreen uses ‘tempered glass’ for scratch protection instead of Gorilla Glass.
This reduces power consumption, enabling a battery life of up to 23 hours when watching a video or 16 hours when surfing the web. The Surface Connect port has been removed, and the two USB-C ports on the cheaper model only support USB 3.2 instead of USB 4, although the USB-A port is still on board. Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, a 1080p webcam, and dual studio microphones for Microsoft Copilot+ round out the features.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13 Price and Release Date
The new Surface Laptop 13 is now available for pre-order from the B&H Photo online store, with shipping expected to begin on May 20. The base model with an eight-core Snapdragon X Plus processor, 16 GB RAM, and a 256 GB SSD costs $899.99, making it $100 cheaper than the 13.8-inch Surface Laptop with the same storage, better display, and faster 10-core Snapdragon X Plus processor. Microsoft does not include a charger with the lower-priced model.
UK customers can pre-order now on Amazon.co.uk, with deliveries starting on June 10. Prices begin at £999.
