We may earn a commission from links on this page.

Microsoft announced a pair of ultraportable Surface devices yesterday, both of which differ significantly from their predecessors. There's the creatively named Surface Laptop 13-inch, which is shrunken down from the previous model's 13.8-inches, as well as a new version of the Surface Pro, which is down from 13-inches to a 12-inch chassis. Like the rest of the Surface lineup, both are positioned to compete in the same space as Apple's MacBook Air, which comes in 13-inch and 15-inch varieties, and the latter could even potentially come for the iPad Pro, which hovers around a similar price point. The trick this time around? Aside from being smaller, they're also cheaper.

The compromises

Along with shrinking the sizes and prices on these new Surface devices, Microsoft has also cut down the specs a bit to match. The 13-inch laptop, available in ocean (a metallic blue), violet, or platinum finishes, slashes the resolution of the previous iteration down from 2304 x 1536 to 1920 x 1280, to accommodate the smaller display. The panel also lacks HDR, and the refresh rate has dropped from 120Hz down to 60Hz. 

The 12-inch Pro model also, notably, doesn't include a keyboard by default, although this isn't entirely unique for the Surface Pro. The Surface keyboard has been redesigned, too, and while it still connects magnetically, it lays flat rather than at an angle. Additionally, Microsoft has ditched the included slot for the Surface Pen, which will now attach to, and charge directly on, the back of the Surface Pro itself. Finally, the Pro's display has also dumped some refresh rate overboard, dropping to 90Hz from 120Hz, although it maintains a 2196 x 1464 resolution.

Also gone from both Surface models are the handy Surface Connect ports with their magnetic attachment points, replaced with standard USB-C 3.2 ports. While this means fewer proprietary cables, it also means that there's a danger of tripping on the cord and, instead of having the cable easily disconnect, pulling your entire laptop onto the floor. 

Finally, for internals, both of the new Surface devices are built around the 8-Core Snapdragon X Plus chip from Qualcomm. These lose two cores off the default of prior models. Both also default to a respectable 16GB of RAM, though a fairly scant 256GB of storage, with the option to double it to 512GB (the default on prior models) if you're willing to pay for the privilege. 

Can these budget Surface models hold up against Apple?

Generally, when it comes to raw specs, Apple's alternatives outclass these new Surface releases, with one caveat. Let's start with displays.

Here, Apple has more features and supports higher resolutions. The Liquid Retina panel in the MacBook offers HDR with a resolution at 2560 x 1664, although it's also limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. Meanwhile, despite being smaller then the 12-inch Surface Pro, the iPad Pro 11-inch model sports a sharp 2420 x 1668 resolution (which can go up to 2752 x 2064 on the 13-inch version), plus it's OLED and has a variable refresh rate that tops out at 120Hz. 

As for performance, while the Snapdragon chip in the new Surfaces is certainly efficient, it doesn't compare favorably to Apple's M4 chip, which is at the heart of both the latest iPad Pro and MacBook Air. It falls behind in both single-core and multi-core performance, so Apple's devices have a clear advantage for those that prioritize horsepower.

But one significant difference between the two Surface devices is how they're cooled, which sees at least one improvement over prior Surface iterations. Like the MacBook Air and iPad Pro, the smaller 12-inch Pro is completely fanless, and the more thermally efficient processor has also allowed Microsoft to remove the vents present in the previous version of the Pro. Sadly, the same can't be said of the 13-inch Surface Laptop, which still includes fans.

Lower prices

Microsoft's goal with these new models seems to have been to keep prices as low as possible, so these compromises do come with savings, and here is one spot where PC beats Mac.

Starting prices for these models fall below $1,000 and, most importantly, below the MSRP of the MacBook Air and iPad Pro. The Surface Laptop 13-inch starts at $899 and the Surface Pro 12-inch at $799, while the base MacBook Air retails for $999 for the 13-inch model and $1,199 for the 15-inch model. The iPad Pro, meanwhile, starts at $999 for the 11-inch version and $1,299 for the 13-inch upgrade. If cost is king, the new Surface lineup may be the best fit for you, but bear in mind that there's only a $100 margin between the base price of the Surface Laptop and the MacBook Air.

That said, upgrades are costly on both sides. Again, adding the keyboard to the 12-inch Pro will add another $150 to your price tag, and bumping the storage up to 512GB will inflate the price another $100, meaning you're looking at $1,049 for the full package. Similarly, the 13-inch laptop jumps another $100 if you want to increase the storage to 512GB, totaling $999. But upgrading nearly any facet of one of the Apple devices adds up quickly as well; for instance, jumping from 256GB to 512GB of storage on the Air will immediately add $200 to the price tag. 

So, as is common when looking at PC vs. Mac, the question ultimately comes down to price vs. performance. Surface is now more budget-friendly than ever, but there are compromises to keep in mind with those savings. Luckily, the rest of Microsoft's Surface lineup is still as available as ever, so if you pay up, you can find more performant alternatives to Apple's machines.

The Surface Laptop 13-inch is available to preorder from Amazon, Microsoft, and other retailers. The Surface Pro 12-inch is also available for preorder from Best Buy, Microsoft, and Amazon, and both models will begin shipping on May 20th.