Microsoft has made a big claim while introducing the new Surface Pro. It says this device is quicker than Apple’s 15″ M3 MacBook Air and with that, it enters into the world of AI as well. Microsoft showed off Copilot+ PCs that have been specially crafted for Artificial Intelligence tasks. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro leads the range with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor.
In terms of performance, the Surface Pro along with its Copilot+ versions has a superior sustained multithreaded performance by 58% when compared to MacBook Air as per Cinebench benchmarks. However, it isn’t only about brute strength; these devices also excel in terms of battery life – they can last for around 15 hours while browsing the web or offer astonishingly long-lasting support lasting up to 22 hours during local video playbacks.
The Surface Pro starts at $1,000. It is equipped with an OLED display and Snapdragon X Elite chip. The device has 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD. Microsoft also unveiled the new Surface Laptop that uses the same Snapdragon X Elite chip; its base model starts at $1,299. Both Surface Pro and Surface Laptop will be available for customers from June 18th onwards.
Clearly, Microsoft is not merely competing with Apple in terms of hardware but also pushing the boundaries with AI integration. The latest Surface Pro weighs under two pounds and touts impressive AI abilities taking advantage of its neural processing unit.
The race between Microsoft and Apple is getting more intense. Apple has claimed the lead since switching to the custom M chip. The entry of Microsoft into the AI scene with its Copilot+ PCs hints at substantial alterations in tech. Meanwhile, Apple is playing catch-up when it comes to AI. It is reportedly working on AI-based browser assistant, and on-device AI features slated to arrive on iOS 18.