Microsoft has kicked off its AI PC revolution with the launch of the Surface Pro 11, which has an optional OLED display, a new and improved Surface Pro Flex keyboard and, of course, a ton of AI power under the hood thanks to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series processors.
The Surface Pro 11 also promises up to 14 hours of battery live and up to 90% faster performance compared to the Surface Pro 9. Could this be the best 2-in-1 laptop yet? Here's everything you need to know about the Surface Pro 11.
Surface Pro 11 price and release date
The Surface Pro 11 starts at $999 and goes on sale June 18. There's lot of options available, including your choice of processors (Snapdragon X Plus and Snapdragon X Elite), memory options (16GB and 32GB) and SSDs (256GB to 1TB).
Just keep in mind that the Surface Pro 11 with OLED display (from $1,499) is the only model with Snapdragon X Elite up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The keyboard and pen cost extra at a very steep $449 as a combo.
Surface Pro 11 specs
Surface Pro 11 design and display
The Surface Pro 11 looks very similar to other Surface devices but there are some notable changes. The kickstand appears to offer more angles so you can customize how you use the device, and the new Surface Pro Flex keyboard can be used while attached or detached from the tablet. The keyboard also has extra carbon fiber layers for more stability and an enlarged haptic touchpad.
If you really care about screen quality you'll want to splurge for the optional OLED with HDR display, which promises "near infinite contrast ration and greater peak brightness. Adaptive color and Dolby Vision IQ features will also help make watching videos more enjoyable and immersive.
As for the Surface Slim Pen, Microsoft promises a smoother and more accurate experience with Zero Force Inking, ultra-precise shading and 4,096 points of pressure sensitivity. There's a built-in haptic engine as well, similar to the Apple Pencil Pro on the iPad Pro 2024.
Performance and AI features
Microsoft promises its Copilot + PCs — including the Surface Pro 11 — are faster than the MacBook Air M3, and that's thanks to Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus processors. We're talking over 45 million operations per second from the powerful NPU. But can you do with this chip?
With the new Recall features, you can find what you're looking for on your PC using natural language searches. And with Cocreator in Paint you can use ink strokes and words to describe the image you want to create and the AI will help you make what you want. There's also a Live Captions feature built in with live translation.
Third-party apps are getting in on the AI act as well, including applying visual effects in Davinci Resolve and removing the background in video clips using CapCut.
Surface Pro 11 cameras and connectivity
The Surface Pro 11 features an ultra-wide, quad-HD front camera for better looking video calls. And Automatic Framing will keep you in focus even as you move around. There's also a 1OMP Ultra HD rear camera that supports 4K video.
In terms of connectivity, the Surface Pro 11 supports Wi-Fi 7 for the fastest available speeds as well as optional 5G.
Surface Pro 11 Outlook
The Surface Pro 11 certainly looks impressive on paper, but it's pretty pricey when you consider that the keyboard and pen are not included. Plus, this 2-in-1 will have to battle a wide range of devices form Acer, Asus, Dell, HP and Lenovo that all have Snapdragon X series chips inside.
Still, the Surface Pro 11 seems like a bold step forward for the 2-in-1, and we can wait to test it to see if it lives up to the AI PC hype.
