Keep reading to learn how these two new Surface devices compare.  

Price 

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch is available from May 20th with prices starting at $899. Pre-orders are open now, 

The Microsoft Surface Pro 12-inch is also available to buy from May 20th with pre-orders open now. Prices start at $799, making the 2-in-1 device $100 cheaper than the Surface Laptop 13-inch. 

The Microsoft Surface Pro 12-inch boasts a 2-in-1 design 

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch might be smaller than a standard notebook at 11.25 x 8.43 x 0.61-inches, but the Surface Pro 12-inch is even more compact at 10.8 x 7.47 x 0.30-inch thanks to its versatile 2-in-1 design. 

At 686g, the Surface Pro weighs half that of the Surface Laptop, which measures in at 1.22kg. This makes the tablet even more convenient for slipping into your back for working, sketching and entertainment on the go. 

You can use the Surface Pro 12-inch as a tablet and sketch with the Surface Slim Pen or use the device as a laptop with the help of the detachable keyboard and kickstand. The Slim Pen now magnetically snaps onto the back of the tablet for convenient charging, while the tweaked backlit keyboard lies flat for a quiet typing experience. 

While both devices include 1080p front cameras for hopping onto video calls, the Surface Pro also features a 10-megapixel rear camera for convenient photo capturing and document scanning. 

As Copilot+ PCs, both the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch and the Surface Pro 12-inch are packed with modern AI capabilities. 

Both devices are powered by the same combination of a Snapdragon X Plus processor, Qualcomm Adreno GPU and Qualcomm Hexagon 45 TOP-NPU and are designed to improve productivity and creativity with a hand from AI. 

Key features here include Recall to search for and reopen content securely, Improved Windows Search to search for images and files across your PC and Click To Do to identify text and images on-screen and take actions to increase productivity. The NPU can also help offload creative tasks, such as real-time audio separation and control in Moises Live by Music.AI and up to 16x image upscaling in Gigapixel AI by Topaz Labs. 

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch includes more ports 

When it comes to connectivity, both the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch and the Surface Pro 12-inch support the latest Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 standards. 

Both devices also include two USB-C ports. However, if you prefer not to carry a dongle around, you might be more inclined to pick up the Surface Laptop, as this device also includes a USB-A port and a headphone jack. 

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch has a longer battery life

Finally, the battery life on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch blows the smaller Surface Pro 12-inch out of the water. 

The Microsoft Surface Laptop can deliver up to 23 hours of local video playback or up to 16 hours of active web usage, whereas the Surface Pro offers up to 16 hours of local video playback or up to 12 hours of active web usage. 

If you plan to use your device out and about often and don’t always have access to a power outlet for frequent recharges, the Surface Laptop might be the better fit. 

Early verdict 

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch and Surface Pro 12-inch are two smart Copilot+ devices with matching CPU, GPU and NPU specs, though you’ll want to wait for our full reviews to hear how these two devices compare in our benchmarking tests. 

The Surface Pro’s biggest strength is the versatility of its 2-in-1 tablet and laptop design. The Surface Laptop, on the other hand, benefits from a wider selection of ports and a longer battery life. 

That said, we’d recommend visiting this page again once we’ve tested both devices for ourselves and formed our final verdict on how they compare in day-to-day use.