Microsoft recently held its 'AI Era' live event which saw a new line of laptops featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips, and offerings from its laptop manufacturing partners.
All the machines detailed below meet the minimum requirements for Windows Copilot+, the AI-powered assistant that Microsoft is pushing hard. Multiple manufacturers, including not only Microsoft but also Dell, and HP, are going all in with AI and choosing the Arm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon X line over x86 architecture.
Below, we're going in-depth with an overview of what's been announced and what's expected after the Microsoft event. The best laptops are changing right before our eyes and it's one of the most exciting shake-ups of the established formula from what we've seen over the past handful of years. Let's get into it.
New Microsoft Surface Laptop and Surface Pro in detail
The manufacturer has unveiled brand-new revisions for the Microsoft Surface Laptop and Microsoft Surface Pro, starting with the new Microsoft Surface lineup. Both new devices will be utilizing the Qualcomm Snapdragon X processors, which is in direct contrast to the current generation Surface Pro 10 running Intel Meteor Lake.
It's an interesting move considering that said Surface Pro 10 was only released a handful of months ago running Intel Core Ultra 100 hardware. The same can be said of the Surface Laptop 6, which has only been on the radar for a handful of months. It looks like Microsoft is ditching the numbered naming convention for these new models, perhaps to emphasize their newfound AI capabilities.
What's particularly exciting about both new products is the quoted battery life and alleged performance improvements when switching to Arm from older Intel x86 chips. According to Microsoft, the new Surface Laptop features up to 22 hours of video playback with 15 hours of web browsing. It's claimed to be twice as fast as Apple's MacBook M3.
The new Surface Laptop will be available with configurations up to 64GB of RAM and 1TB SSD which is no slouch, however, the display is most exciting. That's because both the 13.5-inch and 15-inch models will feature a 120Hz HDR touchscreen. Connectivity also sees a boost with 2x USB-C ports, a 3.5mm jack, and a MicroSD card reader. New Colorways include silver, black, blue, and bronze.
Similar can be said of the new Surface Pro device. It's reportedly 90% faster than the Surface Pro 9 from 2022 with a vastly overhauled camera system. That's because it features a QHD portrait camera and a 4K rear shooter. Additionally, there's also up to 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD with a 120Hz display as standard, and an OLED model available, too.
Dell unveils new Snapdragon X laptops
Dell has announced a new revision of the XPS line which is ready for the AI computing revolution. The new laptop will be powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor which is a massive departure from the current Dell XPS hardware running Intel Core Ultra (Meteor Lake) CPUs.
Traditionally, Dell has only ever utilized Intel silicon with its machines, which can be considered among the best ultrabooks on the market. The new XPS 13 will feature a refined aluminum chassis with up to 13.4 inch OLED 3K touchscreen display. Colorways include Platinum and Graphite, which appear to be quite slick.
As well as the advent of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite SoC, the new Dell XPS 13 will feature up to 64GB RAM, up to 4TB Gen 4 NVMe SSD, and a 1080p webcam. If the price is right then this machine could rival a similarly specced-out Apple MacBook while running Arm-based Windows with its advanced AI functionality.
However, that's not the only new laptop that Dell unveiled. That's because there's also there's also new Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus-powered Dell Inspiron 14 and 14 Plus models coming, too. Unlike the XPS 13, these new revisions are more to serve the mid-range market with the Plus chip instead of the Elite SoC found in the flagship.
With that said, the Snapdragon X Plus is no slouch of an SoC as it's running the same custom Hexagon NPU with the same Adreno integrated graphics for a similar level of performance overall. As with other AI-first laptops, the new Dell Inspiron 14 and 14 Plus feature a dedicated Copilot button on the keyboard.
Acer also goes all-in on AI
Acer is also jumping on the AI computing train with its new line of Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite and Plus processors. Several versions of the aptly named Acer Swift 14 AI will be available, all of which are geared up to use Copilot's suite of features like Recall and Windows Studio Effects.
The new Acer Swift 14 AI features a 14.5-inch WQXGA (2560x1600) 120Hz display with up to 32GB LPDDR5X RAM with up to 1TB SSD, and an impressive 100% sRGB color gamut. Connectivity also sees a boost as well with Wi-Fi 7 as standard alongside Bluetooth 5.4, and ports include 2x USB-C, 2x USB 3.2, HDMI 1.4, and a 3.5mm jack.
In terms of pricing, the first Acer Swift 14 AI will retail for $1,099 (around £865 / AU$1,645) in July in the US, however, no availability in other regions or pricing has been confirmed as of yet. It's an exciting development for Acer as it moves into AI computing and its price tag seems consistent with the other entry-level models mentioned above.
For more events as it happened, you can check out our Microsoft Surface AI event live blog which goes over all the details. We'll be bringing you updates on these announced devices as they roll out over the next handful of months.
Samsung launches the GalaxyBook4 Edge for AI
Samsung has also confidently announced its new GalaxyBook4 Edge AI laptop which is "powered by GalaxyAI" and Microsoft Copilot in tandem. It's also running the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor featuring the Hexagon NPU running at 45 TOPs. Pre-orders are available now in the US and the UK and shipping on June 18.
The Samsung GalaxyBook4 Edge will be available in two sizes, either 14-inch or 16-core, all of which feature the Snapdragon X Elite 12-core CPU. The starting price is $1,349 for the base model and up to $1,749 for the top-end version. Interestingly, the 14-inch is actually heavier at 3.4 lbs compared to the 2.6 lbs of the 16-inch version.
According to the press release, Samsung claims its new GalaxyBook4 Edge features up to 22 hours of battery life with "super-fast charging" for all-day usage. The display appears to be a sweeping improvement over its predecessors with a "dynamic 2X AMOLED" display sporting a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth operation.
Security and business usage appear to be another arm of the GalaxyBook4 Edge as well. The new laptop is backed by Samsung Knox (after Fort Knox) which is said to detect real-time threats and protect against any potential vulnerabilities. Said functionality reportedly makes it ideal for AI-powered business use for local and cloud computing.
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x AI laptop arrives
Lenovo is the latest manufacturer to bet all its chips on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chipset with its newly revealed Yoga Slim 7x. This machine weighs in at just 2.82lbs and is only 0.5 inches thick. The machine features quite a staggering display as well with a 14.5-inch, 16:10 3K OLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate.
It's nice and bright as well with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits and benefits from a 100% sRGB color gamut coverage. There's a starting price of $1,199 (around £950 / AU$1,795) with availability expected in June. The Yoga Slim 7x appears to be geared towards video conferencing with a 1080p webcam armed with four microphones and a quad-speaker setup. If you're frequently in meetings, this one shows promise.
HP backs the Snapdragon X Elite chip for business too
While many of the computers covered above have focused on consumer use, HP has shown how the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip can be utilized for business. Enter the EliteBook Ultra G1q which positions itself as a premium option for professionals and it looks the part.
The EliteBook Ultra G1q weighs in at just 2.9lbs with a 2.2K 14-inch display. There's also Wi-Fi 7 connectivity included and a sizable 59WHr battery with quickcharging functionality, able to juice up to 50% in only 30 minutes through the included AC adapter. It's also claimed that this ultrabook features a 26 hour battery life, which is very impressive if it's accurate.
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