Microsoft's Arm-powered Surface Pro gets an OLED display, serious AI processing power

Better all around: Microsoft has introduced the first-ever Copilot+ PCs from its Surface line, and chief among them is the all new Surface Pro. Microsoft's refreshed Surface Pro is its most flexible 2-in-1 to date, with improvements across the board.

It starts with a new (optional) 13 inch OLED with HDR display: 2,880 x 1,920 resolution with a 3:2 aspect ratio, 267 PPI, and a dynamic refresh rate up to 120 Hz, and 10-point multi touch. That display is driven by Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus processors that Microsoft claims are up to 90 percent faster than Surface Pro 9. The display is said to be coated in Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for enhanced durability.

The Qualcomm Hexagon NPU, meanwhile, is able to generate up to 45 trillion operations per second for AI workloads, while a Qualcomm Adreno GPU handles traditional graphical tasks.

Systems can be configured with either 16 GB or 32 GB of LPDDR5x RAM and a removable solid-state drive in your choice of 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB capacities.

Multitaskers will appreciate support for up to three external 4K displays as well as dual UBS 4 ports. Wi-Fi 7 support affords the fastest possible connection to Wi-Fi networks, and optional 5G connectivity (not ready at launch, but coming later) ensures a fast cellular connection on the go.

Up front is a quad-HD, front-facing camera that Microsoft claims is the best to ever find a home in a Surface device. Around back, you will find a 10-megapixel Ultra HD rear-facing camera with autofocus that supports up to 4K video recording.

Microsoft claims the new Surface Pro 11th edition is good for up to 14 hours of video playback on a single charge. It ships running Windows 11 out of the box, and the whole thing weighs just 1.97 pounds.

Also new for 2024 is the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard, which can be used while attached to your Pro or detached for additional freedom and flexibility. Microsoft said it is built with extra carbon fiber layers for enhanced stability, and features an oversized haptic touchpad.

A Surface Pro Copilot+ PC starts at $999.99 in your choice of sapphire, dune, black, or platinum color schemes. The base model gets you the Snapdragon X Plus CPU, an LCD display, 26 GB of RAM, and a 256 GB SSD.

Those wanting to step up to the Snapdragon X Elite with OLED display will need to tack on an additional $500 out of the gate. Another $600 upsell gets you a model with 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD.

Oh, and if you want the new Surface Pro Keyboard, it is going to cost you even more. The Surface Pro Flex Keyboard with Slim Pen will set you back another $449.98 when it launches on June 17.

Microsoft expects to start shipping its new Surface Pro by the middle of June 2024.

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Microsoft's Arm-powered Surface Pro gets an OLED display, serious AI processing power

OMG stop with the BS copilot+ PC crap already.

I'd like to see how this new Snapdragons behave under Linux (So, probably some other device + some time before Linux can have proper drivers ready)

And that's mostly because I don't think they managed to change the equation here: Windows + Arm = Zero in terms of compatibility and things to do. I'd like to be pleasantly surprised but most 'reviews' are still on full on embargo to not talk about Windows + Arm and let's just say that doesn't exactly gives me pause to change my view that this will flop again.