Microsoft Surface Pro 12 and Surface Laptop 13 Get New Snapdragon X2 Plus Versions

At the Snapdragon Summit event, Microsoft introduced updated versions of the Surface Pro 12 (2nd Edition) and Surface Laptop 13 (2nd Edition). The main change was the switch to a new generation of Qualcomm processors, while the displays and battery life also received slight improvements.

Surface Pro 12 (2nd Edition) tablet

The new generation of the tablet is powered by a 6-core Snapdragon X2 Plus chip, paired with a powerful 80-TOPS Qualcomm Hexagon neural processing unit. The device comes with 16 or 24 GB of RAM, while the built-in SSD has a capacity of 256 or 512 GB. The 12-inch PixelSense display has a resolution of 2196×1464 pixels and a refresh rate of 90 Hz. The panel is 25% brighter than its predecessor, reaching 500 nits. In local video playback mode, the device can run for up to 15.5 hours on a single charge.

The software has also received an update: Microsoft’s Ink Canvas app comes preinstalled on the tablet and is designed for drawing, taking notes, analyzing text, and generating images. For convenient stylus use, the back of the device has a magnetic attachment with wireless charging. Enterprise users will have access to a version with 5G support.

Surface Laptop 13 (2nd Edition)

The updated laptop uses a similar hardware platform, with a Snapdragon X2 Plus processor, 16/24 GB of RAM, and 256/512 GB of storage. The 13-inch PixelSense touchscreen has a 3:2 aspect ratio, a resolution of 1920×1280 pixels, and a refresh rate of 60 Hz. Its brightness has also increased by 25%, to 500 nits. The model’s main advantage is its long battery life—up to 22.5 hours of video playback.

Compared with previous generations of the devices, Microsoft claims performance gains of up to 17% in office tasks and more than 60% in graphics. Battery efficiency has increased by up to 18%, while the speed of local AI processing has risen by up to 95%. Through joint chip optimization by Microsoft and Qualcomm, engineers were able to create completely silent, fanless devices.

Microsoft also released an updated Surface Mouse for $79.99. Its key features are built-in haptic feedback, which activates when clicking, snapping windows, or aligning elements, and a separate customizable button for launching the Copilot AI assistant or other macros.

Prices for the new products have increased significantly compared with the previous generation:

• Surface Pro 12 (2nd Edition)—from $1,149.99 (the previous Snapdragon X Plus version started at $799);
• Surface Laptop 13 (2nd Edition)—from $1,199 (the previous Snapdragon X Plus version started at $899);
• Surface Mouse—$79.99.

Official sales of the entire lineup are scheduled to begin on October 13.