Microsoft has finally released the Surface Laptop 5, and it looks pretty good. As we predicted, this is more of an internal hardware refresh than a major redesign. After all, the excellent Surface Laptop 4 has already overhauled the line in 2021.
Still, there’s a lot to be excited about here. From 12th Gen Intel processors to Windows 11 out of the box, the Surface Laptop 5 promises to be a serious contender for our best laptops guide. Let’s look at the details.
Release date
Following the October 12th launch, the Surface Laptop 5 will start shipping on October 25th!
Price
The Surface Laptop 5 starts at $999.99 in the US and £999 in the UK. Australian pricing has yet to be confirmed, but it should be around AU$1,700.
The most expensive model (a 15-inch i7 model with a 1TB SSD and 32GB of RAM) costs a whopping $2,399.99. The cheapest 15-inch model starts at $1,299.99/£1,299.
By comparison, its predecessor, the Surface Laptop 4, starts at $899 for the 13.5-inch model and $1,199 for the 15-inch model, depending on the laptop’s specs (processor, RAM, storage).
Specification
As almost everyone predicted, the Surface Laptop 5 will feature Intel’s 12th Gen Core processors — specifically the i5-1235U and i7-1255U, depending on the model. That means up to 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM, thanks to DDR5 support from Intel’s new CPUs.
In addition to that core component, we have a choice of 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB SSDs for storage — those are all user-upgradable, which is nice to see. Unsurprisingly, there’s no discrete GPU here. Surface Laptop 5 will run on Intel CPU’s integrated graphics like previous models.
There are two screen options here; a full-size 15-inch model or a more compact 13.5-inch version with a slightly higher resolution. Both are PixelSense displays with full touchscreen capabilities, and both use esoteric resolutions because of their productivity-centric 3:2 aspect ratio. Only the 13.5-inch model comes with a less powerful Intel Core i5 processor.
In terms of physical connectivity, both versions feature a USB-A port, a Thunderbolt 4-capable USB-C, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the ubiquitous Surface Connect port (which we really wish Microsoft had given up on) . There’s Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1, which is the same for any ultrabook at this point.
Available in a variety of colors (including the new sage green), you can get the wrist rest in smooth metal or Microsoft’s signature Alcantara fabric.
It’s a bit of a shame that webcams are still a pretty normal 720p affair. There’s an infrared camera for logging into Windows Hello, and a set of Dolby Atmos speakers. The power supply is a simple 60W unit; battery life is said to be around 17-18 hours at most, for now this will need to be tested after the product is officially released.
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