Microsoft is all in on AI, unveiling a new line of Copilot+ PCs with AI-focused technology. The new Surface Pro is one of the first Copilot+ PCs powered by Qualcomm’s Arm-based Snapdragon X Elite processor.
Microsoft is already pitting the Surface Pro against Apple’s M3 MacBook Air, claiming in marketing materials that the Surface Pro has more processing power and battery life. Compared to the 15-inch MacBook Air with 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, the Surface Pro and other Copilot+ PCs with 12-core and 10-core processors have 58% greater sustained multithreaded performance.
Regarding battery life, Copilot+ PCs can handle up to 15 hours of web surfing or 22 hours of local video playback. The MacBook Air versions provide 15 hours of wireless web browsing and 18 hours of local video playing.
The Surface Pro consistently outperformed the MacBook Air during Microsoft’s media demos. Windows PCs have recently struggled to stay up with Apple’s silicon, but Qualcomm’s technology is catching up.
The Surface Pro starts at $1,000, while the one with an OLED display, Snapdragon X Elite CPU, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD costs $1,500. Microsoft also launched the Surface Laptop, which uses the same Snapdragon X Elite CPU and starts at $1,299.
Customers will receive their Surface devices beginning on June 18.