Microsoft recently held its “AI Era” live event, which showcased a new line of laptops featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips, and offerings from its laptop manufacturing partners.
All machines described below meet the minimum requirements for Windows Copilot+, the AI-powered assistant that Microsoft is working hard on. Several manufacturers, including not only Microsoft but also Dell and HP, are going all-in with AI, opting for the Arm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon X line over x86 architecture.
Below we go into more detail with an overview of what has been announced and what is expected after the Microsoft event. The best laptops are changing right before our eyes and it’s one of the most exciting changes to the established formula from what we’ve seen in recent years. Let’s get into it.
New Microsoft Surface Laptop and Surface Pro in detail
The manufacturer has unveiled brand new revisions for the Microsoft Surface Laptop and Microsoft Surface Pro, starting with the new Microsoft Surface series. Both new devices will use Qualcomm Snapdragon X processors, which is in direct contrast to the current generation Surface Pro 10 with Intel Meteor Lake.
It’s an interesting move considering the Surface Pro 10 was only released a few months ago with Intel Core Ultra 100 hardware. The same can be said of the Surface Laptop 6, which has only been on the radar for a handful of months. It appears that Microsoft is ditching the numbered naming convention for these new models, perhaps to highlight their new AI capabilities.
What’s especially exciting about both new products is the stated battery life and the alleged performance improvements when switching to Arm from older Intel x86 chips. According to Microsoft, the new Surface Laptop offers up to 22 hours of video playback with 15 hours of web browsing. It is claimed to be twice as fast as Apple’s MacBook M3.
The new Surface Laptop will be available with configurations up to 64GB RAM and 1TB SSD, which is no slouch, but the screen is what’s most exciting. That’s because both the 13.5-inch and 15-inch models will have a 120Hz HDR touchscreen. Connectivity also sees a boost with 2x USB-C ports, a 3.5mm jack and a MicroSD card reader. New colorways include silver, black, blue and bronze.
The same can be said of the new Surface Pro device. It is reportedly 90% faster than the 2022 Surface Pro 9, with a significantly updated camera system. That’s because it has a QHD portrait camera and a 4K rear shooter. In addition, up to 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD with a 120 Hz screen are also available as standard, and an OLED model is also available.
Dell unveils new Snapdragon X laptops
Dell has announced a new revision to the XPS line that is ready for the AI computing revolution. The new laptop will be powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon
Traditionally, Dell has only used Intel silicon in its machines, which are among the best ultrabooks on the market. The new XPS 13 will feature a refined aluminum chassis with an OLED 3K touchscreen display up to 13.4 inches. Colorways include platinum and graphite, which appear quite smooth.
In addition to the arrival of the Qualcomm Snapdragon If the price is right, this machine could rival a comparable Apple MacBook while running Arm-based Windows with its advanced AI functionality.
However, that’s not the only new laptop Dell has unveiled. That’s because new Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus-powered Dell Inspiron 14 and 14 Plus models are also on the way. Unlike the XPS 13, these new revisions are aimed more at serving the mid-range market with the Plus chip instead of the Elite SoC found in the flagship.
That said, the Snapdragon As with other AI-first laptops, the new Dell Inspiron 14 and 14 Plus feature a dedicated Copilot button on the keyboard.
Acer is also going all-in on AI
Acer is also jumping on the AI computing bandwagon with its new line of Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite and Plus processors. There will be several versions of the aptly named Acer Swift 14 AI available, all of which are tailored to use Copilot’s range of features such as Recall and Windows Studio Effects.
The new Acer Swift 14 AI features a 14.5-inch WQXGA (2560×1600) 120Hz display with up to 32 GB LPDDR5X RAM with up to 1 TB SSD and an impressive 100% sRGB color gamut. Connectivity also sees a boost with standard Wi-Fi 7 in addition to Bluetooth 5.4, and ports include 2x USB-C, 2x USB 3.2, HDMI 1.4 and a 3.5mm jack.
In terms of price, the first Acer Swift 14 AI will go on sale in the US in July for $1,099 (around £865 / AU$1,645), but no availability in other regions or prices have been confirmed as of yet. It’s an exciting development for Acer as it makes the move into AI computing and the price tag seems consistent with the other entry-level models mentioned above.
For more events like this one, check out our Microsoft Surface AI event live blog, which covers all the details. We’ll bring you updates on these announced devices as they roll out over the coming months.
Samsung launches the GalaxyBook4 Edge for AI
Samsung also confidently announced its new GalaxyBook4 Edge AI laptop, which is “powered by GalaxyAI” and Microsoft Copilot in combination. It also runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor with the Hexagon NPU on 45 TOPs. Pre-orders are available now in the US and UK and will ship on June 18.
The Samsung GalaxyBook4 Edge will be available in two sizes, 14-inch or 16-core, all of which feature the Snapdragon X Elite 12-core CPU. The starting price is $1,349 for the base model and up to $1,749 for the top version. Interestingly, the 14-inch is actually heavier at 3.4 lbs compared to the 2.6 lbs of the 16-inch version.
According to the press release, Samsung claims its new GalaxyBook4 Edge has up to 22 hours of battery life with “super fast charging” for all-day use. The screen appears to be a huge improvement over its predecessors, with a “dynamic 2X AMOLED” screen with a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth operation.
Security and business use also seems to be another area of concern for the GalaxyBook4 Edge. The new laptop is backed by Samsung Knox (after Fort Knox), which is said to detect real-time threats and protect against potential vulnerabilities. This functionality reportedly makes it ideal for AI-powered business use for on-premises and cloud computing.
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x AI laptop arrives
Lenovo is the latest manufacturer to bet all its chips on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chipset with its newly unveiled Yoga Slim 7x. This machine weighs only 5.5 lbs (2.82 kg) and is only 0.5 inches thick. The machine also features a pretty stunning display with a 14.5-inch, 16:10 3K OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate.
It’s also nice and bright with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits and benefits from 100% sRGB color gamut coverage. There’s a starting price of $1,199 (about £950 / AU$1,795) and availability is expected in June. The Yoga Slim 7x appears to be aimed at video conferencing with a 1080p webcam armed with four microphones and a quad-speaker setup. If you’re often in meetings, this one is promising.
HP also supports the Snapdragon X Elite chip for businesses
While many of the computers mentioned above were aimed at consumer use, HP has shown how the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip can be used for businesses. Meet the EliteBook Ultra G1q, which positions itself as a premium option for professionals and looks good doing it.
The EliteBook Ultra G1q weighs just 2.9 kg and has a 2.2K 14-inch screen. There’s also Wi-Fi 7 connectivity included and a hefty 59WHr battery with fast charging function, which can charge up to 50% in just 30 minutes via the included AC adapter. This ultrabook is also claimed to have a battery life of 26 hours, which is very impressive if accurate.
