Microsoft's small Surfaces are getting a new chip, and a higher price.
On September 23, 2026, Microsoft announced the 2nd Edition of the Surface Pro 12-inch and the Surface Laptop 13-inch at Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit. Both now use the Snapdragon X2 Plus chip. Both go on sale on October 13, 2026 in select markets. The Surface Pro 12-inch starts at $1,149.99. The Surface Laptop 13-inch starts at $1,199 (Microsoft's own store lists it at $1,199.99).
These are Microsoft's lightest, most portable Surfaces. They sit well below the new Surface Laptop Ultra, which starts at $2,599. Here is what changed, what it costs, and who should buy the old model instead.
Key dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| September 23, 2026 | Microsoft announces both 2nd Edition devices |
| October 13, 2026 | Surface Pro 12-inch, Surface Laptop 13-inch and the new Surface Mouse go on sale in select markets |
| October 13, 2026 | Microsoft Ink Canvas app arrives in the Microsoft Store for other supported PCs |
| Later in 2026 | A Wi-Fi + 5G Surface Pro 12-inch for business customers (no price yet) |
The Microsoft Store already lists the Surface Laptop 13-inch as a pre-order.
Surface Pro 12-inch: old vs new
| Surface Pro 12-inch (2nd Edition) | Surface Pro 12-inch (1st Edition) | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (U.S.) | $1,149.99 (16 GB / 256 GB) | Launched at $799 in 2025; Thurrott says the new model is $100 more than the current 16 GB price |
| Chip | Snapdragon X2 Plus, 6 cores | Snapdragon X Plus, 8 cores |
| NPU | 80 TOPS | 45 TOPS |
| Memory | 16 GB or 24 GB | 16 GB (an 8 GB model was added in June 2026) |
| Storage | 256 GB or 512 GB | 256 GB or 512 GB |
| Display | 12-inch, 2196 x 1464, 90 Hz, up to 500 nits | 12-inch, 90 Hz, about 25% dimmer |
| Battery (Microsoft) | 15.5 hours video, 13 hours web | One hour less web browsing |
| Weight | 690 g | Not checked for this article |
| Ports | 2x USB-C 3.2 | 2x USB-C |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Colors | Platinum, Violet, new Black | Platinum, Violet, Ocean |
The keyboard and Slim Pen are sold separately, as before. Thurrott reports the old keyboard and pen still work with the new model.
Surface Laptop 13-inch: old vs new
| Surface Laptop 13-inch (2nd Edition) | Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (U.S.) | $1,199 (16 GB / 256 GB) | Thurrott says the new model is $50 more than the 16 GB 1st Edition |
| Top U.S. config | $1,499.99 (24 GB / 512 GB, Microsoft Store) | 16 GB / 512 GB |
| Chip | Snapdragon X2 Plus, 6 cores | Snapdragon X Plus, 8 cores |
| NPU | 80 TOPS | 45 TOPS |
| Display | 13-inch, 1920 x 1280, 60 Hz, 500 nits | 13-inch, about 25% dimmer |
| Battery (Microsoft) | 22.5 hours video, 18 hours web | 23 hours video, 16 hours web |
| Weight | 1.23 kg | Not checked for this article |
| Ports | 2x USB-C 3.2, 1x USB-A, headphone jack | Same layout |
| Colors | Platinum, Violet, new Black | Platinum, Violet, Ocean |
Note the battery change. Video playback is slightly lower on paper (22.5 vs 23 hours), but web browsing goes up by two hours, according to ITdaily's comparison of Microsoft's figures.
What is new
- A new chip. The Snapdragon X2 Plus has six cores, two fewer than the old Snapdragon X Plus. Microsoft still claims it is faster: up to 17% faster in Office work, over 60% faster graphics and up to 95% faster AI tasks on the NPU, in its own tests.
- Better battery efficiency. Microsoft claims up to 18% more efficient battery use than the 1st Edition.
- A brighter screen. Both screens now reach 500 nits, which Microsoft says is 25% brighter. That helps near windows and outdoors.
- More memory options. You can now get 24 GB of RAM. The 16 GB models count as Copilot+ PCs again.
- A black color. Black joins Platinum and Violet on both devices.
- Ink Canvas. The Surface Pro comes with Microsoft Ink Canvas, an app that turns sketches and handwriting into summaries and images with Copilot. The AI features need a Microsoft 365 subscription.
- A new Surface Mouse. It costs $79.99, has haptic feedback and a Copilot button, and uses Bluetooth 6.0.
The price problem
This is the part to think about before you buy.
Both devices now cost more to get in the door. Thurrott reports the Surface Pro 12-inch is $100 more and the Surface Laptop 13-inch is $50 more than the 1st Edition with 16 GB of RAM. Microsoft also dropped the $849.99 Surface Pro with 8 GB of RAM that it added in June.
Compared to launch, the jump is bigger. The 1st Edition Surface Pro 12-inch started at $799 in 2025. ITdaily reports the same pattern in Europe, where the new Surface Pro starts at €1,259, up from €979 at the 1st Edition launch. ITdaily links the higher prices to the memory shortage hitting the whole PC industry.
Sources compare against different "old" prices (the 2025 launch price vs the 2026 list price), so the size of the increase depends on which one you use. Either way, these are no longer cheap Surfaces.
Where each one wins
- Surface Pro 12-inch wins if you want a tablet first. It is 690 g, has a pen that charges on the back and a 90 Hz screen. You need to budget for the keyboard and pen on top of the price.
- Surface Laptop 13-inch wins if you type a lot. It has a built-in keyboard, a USB-A port, a headphone jack and the longest battery claim of the two.
- The 1st Edition wins on price where retailers have it discounted. It has the same size, the same ports and a solid chip for everyday work.
Which should you buy?
- You want a light Windows tablet and plan to keep it 4+ years: get the Surface Pro 12-inch 2nd Edition. The faster NPU will matter more as Windows adds AI features.
- You want a small laptop for school or travel: get the Surface Laptop 13-inch 2nd Edition. It is only $50 more than the old 16 GB model, and the web battery claim went up.
- You only do email, Office, web and video: a discounted 1st Edition is still a good buy. Compare the price with the new model before you pay.
- You need more power for heavy work: look at the bigger Surfaces. Read our Surface Laptop Ultra vs MacBook Pro 16 article.
- You are thinking about a tablet instead: see our Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra vs iPad Pro M5 comparison.
- Wait: if you are not in a hurry, wait for reviews after October 13. Microsoft's speed and battery numbers come from its own tests, and real-world results on the six-core chip are not out yet.
You can also line up specs side by side with our compare tool.
Other tech news this week
- Apple holds its "Welcome home" launch on October 13. See our Apple October 13 event preview.
- Apple opens iPhone Duo pre-orders on October 16. Read our iPhone Duo pre-order guide.
- Amazon ships the new Kindle Colorsoft on October 28. Read our new Kindle vs Paperwhite vs Colorsoft article.
Sources
- Windows Blog (Microsoft): Introducing the next Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch with Snapdragon X2 Plus
- Microsoft Store: Surface Laptop, 13-inch (2nd Edition)
- Thurrott: Microsoft refreshes its entry-level Surface Pro and Surface Laptop with Snapdragon X2 Plus chips
- ITdaily: Microsoft Surface Pro 12 and Laptop 13 with Snapdragon X2 Plus
- BGR: 5 new gadgets to keep on your radar in October 2026
- Amazon: Surface Pro 12-inch (1st Edition) listing
- Amazon: Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) listing
Image: Surface Pro 12-inch (2nd Edition) with Slim Pen and Surface Mouse, via Microsoft Windows Blog.
