Although switching to Qualcomm chips increases speed, some apps may not work and battery life will be lost
With a new kind of chip at its heart, Microsoft’s next Surface tablet promises a major generational advance that goes beyond gains in speed, quietness, and efficiency.
The Surface Pro 11 is not the first Microsoft product to use Arm-based chips—similar to those seen in smartphones and Apple’s most current Macs and iPads—instead of conventional Intel or AMD PC CPUs. Still, it is the most successful by far, surpassing even the 2020 Surface Pro X and the Surface Pro 9 5G from the previous year.
The immensely improved Qualcomm Snapdragon X CPUs, which power a new line of “Copilot+ PCs” from multiple manufacturers, including Microsoft’s Surface Pro 11, are at the heart of this shift. Nevertheless, some users may find the compromises on software and accessories that come with switching to Arm CPUs to be unworkable.
Aside from the new CPUs, Microsoft has kept the popular features from its predecessors, like fantastic speakers, a premium aluminium frame, a built-in kickstand, and quick Windows Hello facial recognition. The flagship model’s new 13-inch OLED screen, which is among the best on any PC or laptop, is the standout feature and makes watching HDR movies enjoyable.
But the Surface Pro 11 is, and always has been, an expensive computer. With an LCD screen and Snapdragon X Plus chip, the new model has a starting price of £1,049 (€1,199/$999/A$1,899); however, this price does not include a keyboard, which is available for £140 (€160/$140/A$240) at the lowest. The more expensive alternative is the higher-end model, which starts at £1,549 (€1,799/$1,499/A$2,699) and has a speedier Snapdragon X Elite chip along with a new OLED screen.
The Surface Pro works well as a tablet without a keyboard, but it isn’t as touch-friendly or suitable for watching media as an iPad. Actually, if you want to take full advantage of the Surface’s laptop characteristics, you must have the detachable keyboard. Microsoft provides a variety of keyboard alternatives, one of which is the brand-new, top-tier £339 (€410/$350/A$600) Flex keyboard. Unlike less expensive models, this one has an enhanced haptic trackpad akin to those found on expensive computers and can be used apart from the tablet via Bluetooth for more versatility. Although the Flex is a great keyboard, £340 is a lot of money for one.
Specifications
Screen: 13-inch LCD or OLED, 2880×1920 (267 PPI), 120Hz
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus or X Elite
RAM: 16GB or 32GB
Storage: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
Graphics: Qualcomm Adreno
Operating System: Windows 11 Home
Camera: 10.5MP rear, 12.2MP front-facing, 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
Efficiency and performance are the two main benefits of switching from previous versions’ x86-based Intel CPUs to the Arm-based Snapdragon X Elite.
Tests reveal that its performance is on level with the newest generation of high-end Intel laptop chips and on par with Apple’s M3 in the MacBook Air, which is a major advancement over earlier Arm chips used in Surface devices.
When using the Surface in daily life, it seems snappy and quick. The fans only sound when the device is under a lot of strain during gaming, so it is essentially silent when doing most things.
Similar to the Intel-powered Surface Pro 9, the battery life under active use lasts for about 8 hours when performing common tasks like browsing, writing, and utilising chat programmes. While it meets the needs for a workday, it is not up to the standards for prolonged use. When subjected to higher workloads, the battery outperforms Intel counterparts, giving customers working on creative projects more endurance than comparable Intel computers.
App compatibility
There is one noteworthy potential problem, though. Windows software has always been designed for x86 PC CPUs, while many apps have already been upgraded to support Arm computers. That means in order for some apps to function on the new Surface processor, a translation system is needed.
Apps that use this translation technology perform noticeably worse than optimised versions. For lightweight apps, such as the note-taking app Evernote (which does not have an Arm-compatible version), performance is often sufficient. But more resource-hungry apps, like Steam, the game platform from Valve, are noticeably slow.
There are other Windows games and apps that just would not operate. It might not be a problem if these are not necessary for your requirements. The fact that Google Drive’s desktop software is completely non-functional on the Surface Pro 11 raises serious concerns for me, though. Google needs to fix their Windows on Arm software, or else I might have to look at using a another file syncing provider.
Most will find that programmes function flawlessly on Arm, with the exception of those who are reliant on outdated software. Only five of the fourteen non-Microsoft apps I routinely use were missing Arm versions, and Google Drive was the only one that didn’t work. This also applies to add-ons like printers, which typically connect and operate with Windows’ built-in drivers. On the other hand, unless the vendor has created Arm-compatible versions, devices that need particular drivers could not work.
AI tools
Several new AI technologies that are specific to Copilot+ PCs from Microsoft are included with the Surface Pro 11. Although Copilot is only available as a web application, it gives users instant access to Microsoft’s AI chatbot and feels a lot like using it in a browser on any device. It also lacks the contentious “Recall” feature, which has been delayed because of privacy issues.
While the accuracy of the captions can vary, the live captioning technology functions similarly to most smartphones for both videos and calls, providing automated translation as needed. New effects are included in the webcam to improve video calls. Although the scanning and automated panning features work well, the blur effects and portrait lighting are not very good. Similar capabilities are already included in a lot of video call providers, which lessens their novelty.
Paint’s Cocreator mechanism is really fascinating. It improves your drawings by giving you a text prompt that directs your work with descriptions or themes pertaining to the thing you’re drawing. You can manually change the AI’s level of creative input using a slider. You can turn a simple outline into a finished piece of art with a little practice. The AI runs locally, guaranteeing quick performance, but in order to compare its results to a list of prohibited subjects intended to prevent abuse, it requires an internet connection.
Sustainability
With a detachable SSD and a service guide, the tablet is generally easy to repair. Screen repair is £622.80 and battery replacement is £467.10 if Microsoft handles the repair outside of warranty. The tablet received an eight out of ten repairability rating from iFixit experts.
Rare earth metals and aluminium are among the 72% of recycled materials used in the tablet. In addition to publishing a comprehensive analysis of each product’s environmental impact and a company-wide sustainability report, Microsoft provides recycling programmes for outdated devices.
Price
Starting at £1,049 (€1,199/$999/A$1,899), the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 sports an LCD screen and a Snapdragon X Plus processor. The starting price for the OLED-screened Snapdragon X Elite variant is £1,549 (€1,799/$1,499/A$2,699).
The new Flex keyboard is available for £139.99 (€159.99/$139.99/A$239.95) to £339 (€409.99/$349.99/A$599.95).
Verdict
The Surface Pro 11 raises the bar for Windows tablets with Arm processors. It is incredibly powerful, silent, light, and stylish. But how amazing it is overall depends only on the particular apps you use.
Your experience will be exceptional if all of your necessary accessories and software have already been optimised for the new Snapdragon X CPU. But you can run into problems or outright incompatibility if the essential app or device you rely on is limited to standard x86 Intel or AMD computers.
Although the performance is great, there hasn’t been the expected boost in battery life. Although the Surface has an eight-hour battery life, this is sadly comparable to its Intel predecessors and is not as long as the best models, which have a double-digit battery life.
The high-end model’s new OLED screen and Flex keyboard are fantastic, but they’re rather expensive. You can find a far more competent PC or Mac elsewhere for almost £1,900.
Although I’m not totally sure that Arm chips will replace Windows PCs in the future, their benefits are clear, particularly for small and light devices. Nevertheless, Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC initiative’s AI component falls short of expectations and isn’t currently a strong enough argument to pick it over an AMD or Intel processor.
