Microsoft is refreshing its smallest Surface devices with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Plus chip. The Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch keep last year's designs but gain faster graphics, up to 95% faster on-device AI, and better battery efficiency, according to Microsoft. The Verge reports the Pro gets an extra hour of web browsing and the Laptop two extra hours. All three outlets note the displays are brighter at 500 nits.
Pricing is a sticking point. The Pro starts at $1,149 (Engadget rounds to $1,150) and the Laptop at $1,199, up from $799 and $899 respectively. The Verge attributes part of the increase to a new 16GB minimum RAM, with no 8GB base model. Sources differ slightly on Microsoft's claimed Office performance: Engadget says 18% faster, while Tom's Hardware says 17%.
Both devices launch October 13, alongside a $79.99 haptic Surface Mouse and, on the Pro, a new Ink Canvas app for sketching and annotation. The Pro also gets an optional 5G configuration for commercial customers, and black returns as a color option.