Microsoft unveils new Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch with Snapdragon X2 Plus, brighter screens, and 5G options — here's a first look

Microsoft Surface
The new black Surface Pro 12-inch. (Image credit: Zac Bowden / Windows Central)

If you’re a fan of Microsoft’s smaller and lighter Surface PCs, we’ve got some good news! During Qualcomm’s annual Snapdragon Summit event in Hawaii, Microsoft announced new versions of the Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch, now powered by the Snapdragon X2 Plus and featuring brighter screens, longer battery life, and even 5G on select models.

We previously reviewed both the Surface Pro 12-inch (2025) and Surface Laptop 13-inch (2025), giving the former some very high praise, while the Laptop 13-inch we were a bit less impressed with, mostly due to the price.

Hands-on: New Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch with Snapdragon X2 Plus + Surface Mouse - YouTube Hands-on: New Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch with Snapdragon X2 Plus + Surface Mouse - YouTube
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The new refreshed models will be available starting October 13 and start at $1,149 for the Surface Pro 12-inch and $1,199 for the Surface Laptop 13-inch.

Both come in a new Black colorway (in addition to Platinum and Violet; Ocean Blue has sadly been retired) and feature screens that can now reach up to 500 nits of peak brightness, making them easier to view outdoors in direct sunlight.

Both Surface Laptop 13-inch and Surface Pro 12-inch 2nd Editions come in the Violet colorway with the optional new Surface Mouse. (Image credit: Microsoft)
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Surface Pro 12" (Gen2)

Surface Laptop 13" (Gen2)

Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus (6 Core)

Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus (6 Core)

NPU

Qualcomm Hexagon with 80 TOPS

Qualcomm Hexagon with 80 TOPS

Graphics

Qualcomm Adreno GPU

Qualcomm Adreno GPU

Memory

16GB and 24GB LPDDR5x RAM

16GB and 24GB LPDDR5x RAM

Storage

256GB, 512GB (UFS)

Removable 256GB, 512GB (UFS)

Display

12" PixelSense LCD
2196 x 1464 (220 PPI)
Up to 90Hz (60Hz default)
Adaptive Color/Contrast
Up to 500 nits

13" PIxelSense
1920 x 1280 (178 PPI)
Up to 60Hz
Adaptive Color/Contrast
Up to 500 nits

Weight

1.5 lbs. (0.69kg)

2.7 lbs. (1.23 kg)

Battery life

Up to 15.5 hours of local video playback
Up to 13 hours of active web usage

Up to 22.5 hours of local video playback
Up to 18 hours of active web usage

Price

Starts $1,149

Starts $1,199

Release date

October 13 (Wi-Fi)

October 13

Microsoft Surface Pro 12" (2nd Edition)
NEW
Microsoft Surface Pro 12" (2nd Edition): $1,149 at Best Buy

Surface Pro 12‑inch is built for ideas on the move. At just 1.5 pounds, it delivers tablet flexibility with full Windows laptop power so you can sketch, create, stream, and work from almost anywhere. With fast performance and up to 15.5 hours of battery life, it stays productive from morning through night.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 13" 2nd Edition
NEW
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13" 2nd Edition: $1,199.99 at Best Buy

Surface Laptop 13‑inch is Microsoft's most portable model at just 2.7 pounds, built for people who work wherever life takes them. It combines a precision keyboard, premium design, a 13‑inch touchscreen, and up to 22.5 hours of battery life to stay productive on the go.

Both devices feature the same designs as last year, but with more power and battery life. Indeed, Microsoft claims the Surface Laptop 13-inch gets up to 22.5 hours of battery life, while Surface Pro 12-inch up to 15.5 hours.

Under the hood is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Plus SoC in a 6-core configuration, paired with 16GB RAM and 256GB storage in the baseline configuration. If you need more RAM or storage, you can customize memory up to 24GB RAM and 512GB storage for a higher price.

Notably, it seems Microsoft has removed the 8GB RAM option that was available on the last-gen Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch, which allowed the company to price those models below $1,000. The new devices start at 16GB RAM, which explains why their starting prices are so high.

The new Surface Pro 12-inch will also be available with 5G as an optional configuration for commercial customers. No pricing or configuration details have been revealed as yet, but the company has confirmed that it’s coming soon.

The Surface Pro 12-inch also comes pre-loaded with a new Windows app called Microsoft Ink Canvas, which Microsoft describes as an AI-powered, pen-first experience for sketching, annotating, generating images and summarizing text directly on the canvas.” The new app will be made available to download via the Microsoft Store on October 13.

Alongside the new PCs, Microsoft also unveiled a new Surface mouse, available in black or platinum colors, and featuring built-in haptics and a new action button that can be configured by the user. It’s the first update to the Surface mouse we’ve seen since it was first introduced 10 years ago.

All three new devices are expected to be made available starting October 13 at the Microsoft Store and third-party retailers like Best Buy and Amazon, though you can now preorder the Surface Pro 12" at Best Buy, as well as the new Surface Laptop 13".

Let us know in the comments your thoughts on the refreshed Surface lineup!


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Zac Bowden
Senior Editor

Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central and has been with the site since 2016. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows, Surface, and hardware. He's also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch on Twitter and Threads

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