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Microsoft’s latest Surface tablet promises to be a generational upgrade that goes beyond just being faster, quieter, and more efficient — all thanks to a change in the type of processor at its heart.
The Surface Pro 11 isn’t the first Microsoft machine to swap out traditional Intel or AMD PC processors for Arm-based chips, similar to those in your smartphone or Apple’s. Recent Macs And iPad. But it is by far the most successful, surpassing even recent editions like the Surface Pro X 2020 and last year Surface Pro 9 5G in the dust.
At the heart of the change is a set of significantly improved Qualcomm Snapdragon X chips that power a new lineup of “PC Copilot+” from various manufacturers, including Microsoft’s Surface Pro 11. But their move to Arm chips comes with compromises in software and accessories that might be deal-breakers for some.
Beyond the new chips, Microsoft has stuck with the winning formula of its predecessors, including a great built-in kickstand, a quality aluminum frame, very good speakers, and fast Windows Hello facial recognition. The new 13-inch OLED display on the top-of-the-line model is the star of the show – one of the best on a PC or laptop, making it easy to watch HDR movies.
But this isn’t and never has been a cheap PC. The new model starts at £1,049 (€1,199/$999/A$1,899) with an LCD screen and Snapdragon X Plus chip, but that doesn’t include the keyboard, the cheapest of which costs £140 (€160/$140/A$240). The top-of-the-range tablet with a new OLED screen and faster Snapdragon X Elite chip – as tested – costs from £1,549 (€1,799/$1,499/A$2,699), making it a pricey proposition.
Without a keyboard, the Surface Pro works well as a tablet, but it’s not as tactile or as good for media consumption as an iPad. In reality, the detachable keyboard is essential to getting the most out of the Surface as a laptop. Microsoft has a few options to choose from, including a new premium Flex keyboard for £339 (€410/$350/A$600). It has a new and improved trackpad similar to those on premium laptops, and unlike cheaper options, it can be used detached from the tablet via Bluetooth for greater flexibility. The Flex is great, but £340 is a lot for a keyboard.
Features
Screen: 13-inch 2880 x 1920 (267 PPI) 120 Hz LCD or OLED display
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus or X Elite
RAM: 16 or 32 GB
Storage: 256, 512 GB or 1 TB
Chart: Qualcomm Adreno
Operating system: Windows 11 Home
Camera: 10.5 MP rear, 12.2 MP front, Windows Hello
Connectivity: Wifi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, 2x USB-4, Surface Connect
Dimensions: 287 x 209 x 9.3 mm
Weight: 895g (without keyboard)
Snapdragon Power
The move to the Arm-based Snapdragon X Elite has two big advantages over Intel’s predecessor x86-based chips: efficiency and performance.
Tests showed its performance to be roughly similar to current Intel laptop chips and similar to Apple’s M3. the MacBook Airwhich represents a significant step forward from previous Arm chips in Surface devices.
Overall, the Surface feels fast and responsive in day-to-day use and the fans can only be heard when really cranked up while gaming, so it’s effectively silent most of the time.
Battery life is similar to that of the Surface Pro 9 with Intel processorwith a battery life of around 8 hours using a mix of browsing, writing and chat applications. It’s solid enough for a day’s work but not much more, which is a bit disappointing. Battery life does fare better than the Intel versions under heavier workloads, though, so those doing a lot of creative work should get more out of it than the equivalent Intel machine.
Application Compatibility
There is one potential significant problem, however. Although many apps have already been updated to work on Arm systems, Windows software is traditionally written for x86 PC chips. This means that some applications require a translation system to run on the new Surface’s chip.
Apps that require this translation system run much slower than those that have been updated. Performance is generally acceptable for programs like the note-taking app Evernote, which doesn’t have an Arm-compatible version. But heavier programs like Valve’s Steam gaming platform are noticeably slow.
There are also some Windows apps and games that simply refuse to work. If you don’t need them, this won’t be an issue, but the big one for me is that Google Drive’s desktop software won’t work at all on the Surface Pro 11. To fix this, Google will need to update its software for Windows on Arm, or I’ll need to change my file sync service.
Outside of those running older software, most applications will run without issue on Arm. Of the 14 non-Microsoft applications I regularly use, only five didn’t have an Arm version, and only Google Drive refused to work. The same can be said for using accessories like printers, as most devices connect and work with drivers built into Windows. But devices that require special drivers to be installed probably won’t work unless the manufacturer has written Arm-compatible versions.
AI Tools
The Surface Pro 11 also features a handful of new AI tools from Microsoft, exclusive to Copilot+ PCs. It offers instant access to Copilot, Microsoft’s AI chatbotbut the bot is confined to a web application and therefore gives you essentially the same experience you would get using it in the browser on any system. It also lacks the controversial “Recall” function that has been delayed pending privacy issues.
The live captioning system works like it does on most smartphones for videos and calls, with automatic translation if necessary, although the accuracy of the captions is variable. The webcam also has new effects that can be applied to video calls. The auto-pan and scan feature works well, but the lighting and blurring of portraits aren’t the best, and most video calling services already have something similar built in, making it less than revolutionary.
Paint’s Cocreator system is more interesting. It populates your drawing with a text prompt to give it direction, like a theme or a description of the object you’re trying to draw. A slider lets you manually adjust how much creative freedom the AI is given. With a little practice, you can turn a rough outline of something into a fully formed work of art. The AI runs locally, making it very fast, but it requires an internet connection to work because it checks a list of forbidden subjects to prevent abuse.
Sustainability
The tablet is usually repairable, with a service guide available and a Removable SSD. THE out of warranty service charges The battery replacement costs £467.10 and the screen £622.80 when repaired by Microsoft. The tablet received a eight out of 10 for repairability by iFixit specialists.
The tablet contains 72% recycled materials, including aluminum and rare earth metals. Microsoft is using recycling programs for old machines. He also publishes a Company-wide sustainability reporting and a distribution of the environmental impact of each product.
Price
The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 starts at £1,049 (1,199 €/$999/$1,899 AUD) with a Snapdragon X Plus and an LCD display. The Snapdragon X Elite version with an OLED display starts at £1,549 (€1,799/$1,499/A$2,699).
Keyboard options start at £139.99 (€159.99/$139.99/A$239.95) and go up to £339 (€409.99/$349.99/A$599.95) for the new Flex keyboard.
Verdict
The Surface Pro 11 sets a new standard for Arm-based Windows tablets. It’s thin, light, quiet, and very powerful. But how well it performs depends entirely on the apps you use.
If all the software and accessories you need are already updated to run on the new Snapdragon X chip, you’ll have a great experience. But if the program or device you’re relying on is only compatible with traditional Intel or AMD x86 systems, your path may be fraught with difficulties, if not completely blocked.
Performance may be great, but the promised battery life gains haven’t materialized. The Surface can last an eight-hour workday, but it’s disappointingly similar to its Intel predecessors and can’t match the best that last twice as long.
The new OLED screen is great in the top-of-the-range model, as is the new Flex keyboard. But the price to get them is very high. You can get plenty of PCs or Macs elsewhere for around £1,900.
I’m not entirely convinced that Arm chips are the future of all Windows PCs, but for thin and light devices, the benefits are very clear. The AI portion of Microsoft’s PC Copilot+ initiative doesn’t live up to the hype, though, and isn’t a reason to buy one over an Intel or AMD machine right now.
Benefits: fantastic 120Hz OLED display, great performance, cool running, USB4, great kickstand, Windows Hello, great speakers, good camera, solid build, removable SSD, easier to repair.
The inconvenients: extremely expensive with no keyboard included, app and accessory compatibility issues remain for the Arm chip, no USB-A port, no microSD card slot, no headphone jack, disappointing AI features.