The clash of ultra-light laptops is becoming fiercer than ever before, as Microsoft has announced the launch of its Surface Pro 12-Inch laptop. With this machine, the brand aims to deliver a balance of exceptional performance and all-day battery life, complemented by a hint of a groundbreaking AI experience, all within a portable chassis.
Weighing just 680 grams, carrying the Surface Pro 12-inch in a bag for hours will be far from a taxing job on the shoulders. In essence, this machine is a 12-inch tablet with a kickstand, powered by a laptop-grade processor (which I will talk about later). However, as part of the Surface Pro lineup, the Surface Pro 12-inch comes equipped with the series’ notable 2-in-1 flexibility. It attaches magnetically to a detachable keyboard, turning itself into an ordinary-looking laptop.
The keyboard features a dedicated Co-Pilot key, a touchpad, and a backlit keyset that can illuminate for comfortable typing in the dark. It can be folded flat when someone needs to sketch on the Surface Pro 12-inch. Speaking of sketching, Microsoft also bundles a Slim Pen with this Surface, which magnetically attaches to the back and charges itself.
As Microsoft is committed to sustainability, it built this Surface machine using 82.9% recycled content in the enclosure and 100% recycled cobalt in the battery. I am glad that it chose this sustainable route for this product because its action will definitely help reduce e-waste through replaceable components.
At the heart of this machine is the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus processor, which has been used in laptops like the Acer Swift Go 14 AI. In our experience with laptops powered by the same line of processors, such as the Swift Go 14 AI or the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, we have noted that these products deliver tremendous performance, on par with those driven by Intel and AMD processors. Therefore, it is safe to assume that the Surface Pro 12-inch can deliver snappy performance for everyday tasks, creative workflows, and light to moderate multitasking.
However, what makes this processor special is that it features a 45 TOPS NPU. So, it can quickly execute AI-powered functions at the snap of a finger. Also, it is optimised to run efficiently and provide all-day battery life, as Microsoft claims.
Alongside its hardware strengths, Microsoft is also spotlighting dedicated Copilot+ PC experiences on this device. These include Recall (preview), which helps users retrace their steps across apps and documents, Click to Do (preview) for quick actions on text and images, a new agent in Settings that suggests fixes in natural language, and Photos Relight to enhance lighting in images. On battery claims, Microsoft specifies up to 16 hours of video playback on a single charge. The Surface Pro 12-inch comes in two variants: ₹90,999 for the 256GB model and ₹99,999 for the 512GB model. As part of the launch, customers who preorder before October 5 will also receive a complimentary Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard worth ₹15,199.
As an overall package, the Surface Pro 12-inch looks compelling. At a starting price of ₹ 90,999 for the 256GB variant, its value increases even more considering the brand image. Generally, Microsoft had a notorious history of pricing its products above what they truly deserved. However, this new Surface laptop demonstrates a positive change in the right direction. At this price point, Asus offers the Vivobook 14 Flip, a 2-in-1 laptop powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor. In our testing, we found that this laptop delivered excellent performance without compromising battery life. If the Surface Pro 12-inch manages to outperform, then it will become an easy recommendation. However, for that, we have to wait and thoroughly test the product. So, stay tuned to MySmartPrice.
