A review of Microsoft's new Surface Laptop 13in, a more compact and cheaper Windows 11 machine. It offers a premium experience with a good keyboard, decent touchscreen, and long battery life (up to 14 hours), powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus Arm chip. While it has some app compatibility issues due to the Arm chip and lacks USB4/Thunderbolt, it's praised for its general performance, AI tools like Recall and Copilot, and repairability, making it a solid option despite its price.
Surface Laptop 13in review: Microsoft’s cheaper, more compact Windows 11 machine
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AI Summary
TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️A review of Microsoft's new Surface Laptop 13in, a more compact and cheaper Windows 11 machine. It offers a premium experience with a good keyboard, decent touchscreen, and long battery life (up to 14 hours), powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus Arm chip. While it has some app compatibility issues due to the Arm chip and lacks USB4/Thunderbolt, it's praised for its general performance, AI tools like Recall and Copilot, and repairability, making it a solid option despite its price.
- 1 Summer last year (2024): Microsoft launched the Surface Laptop 13.8in and 15in.
- 2 Currently: The Microsoft Surface Laptop 13in is reviewed.
- 3 June 10: The Surface Laptop 13in is scheduled to ship.
- 4 Later this year: More features are expected to be added to the 'Click to Do' AI tool.
- The Surface Laptop 13in offers a new, more affordable option in Microsoft's premium laptop lineup.
- Potential buyers need to consider the current app compatibility issues associated with Windows on Arm chips.
- The laptop's long battery life and integrated AI tools are highlighted as key benefits.
What: A review of Microsoft's new Surface Laptop 13in, a compact and more affordable Windows 11 AI notebook.
When: The article was published on June 4, 2025. The Surface Laptop 13in ships on June 10. Larger Surface Laptop models were launched in the summer of last year (2024).
Why: To provide a comprehensive assessment of Microsoft's latest laptop offering, detailing its features, performance, battery life, AI capabilities, and overall value proposition for potential buyers.
How: The review assesses the laptop's design, screen quality, keyboard, trackpad, speakers, webcam, performance (using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus Arm chip), battery life, port selection, Windows 11 on Arm compatibility, and integrated AI features like Recall and Copilot.