The Surface Laptop 5 has finally been revealed by Microsoft, and it’s looking mighty fine. As we predicted, this is more of an internal hardware update than a major redesign; after all, the excellent Surface Laptop 4 already gave the product line a major overhaul in 2021.
Still, there’s a lot to be excited about here. From 12th-gen Intel processors to Windows 11 preloaded straight out of the box, the Surface Laptop 5 is looking to be a serious contender for our best laptops guide. Let’s take a look at the details.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? Microsoft’s next flagship laptop in the Surface line
- When is it out? October 25
- What will it cost? Starting at $1000/£999
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 release date
Following its announcement on October 12, the Surface Laptop 5 will be available to purchase from October 25!
Pre-orders are now live on the Microsoft website!
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 price
The Surface Laptop 5 will be starting at $999.99 in the US and £999 in the UK. Australian pricing has not yet been confirmed but it should be somewhere in the range of AU$1,700.
The most expensive model (the 15-inch i7 model with a 1TB SSD and 32GB of RAM) will cost a whopping $2,399.99. The cheapest 15-inch model starts at $1,299.99/£1,299.
For comparison, its predecessor the Surface Laptop 4 started at $899 for the 13.5-inch model and $1,199 for the 15-inch model, with exact pricing varying based on the specifications of the laptop (processor, RAM, storage).
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5: What we want to see
As predicted by just about everyone, the Surface Laptop 5 will be shipping with Intel’s 12th-gen Core processors – specifically the i5-1235U and the i7-1255U, depending on the model. This means up to 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM thanks to the DDR5 support provided by Intel’s new CPUs.
Beyond that core component, we’ve got a choice of 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB SSDs for storage – which are user-upgradable, which is nice to see. There’s unsurprisingly no discrete GPU here; the Surface Laptop 5 will run on the Intel CPU’s integrated graphics, like previous models.
There are two screen options here; a full-size 15-inch model or a more compact 13.5-inch version with a slightly higher resolution. Both are PixelSense displays with full touchscreen functionality, and both use esoteric resolutions due to their productivity-focused 3:2 aspect ratio. Only the 13.5-inch model will be available with the less powerful Intel Core i5 processor.
In terms of physical connectivity, both versions are equipped with a USB-A port, a Thunderbolt 4-enabled USB-C, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the omnipresent Surface Connect port (which we really wish Microsoft would just ditch already). There’s Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1, which feel par for the course for any ultrabook at this point.
There’s a variety of colors (including the new Sage Green) and you can get a wrist rest in either sleek metal or Microsoft’s iconic Alcantara fabric.
The webcam is still a very pedestrian 720p affair, which is a bit of a shame. There’s an IR camera for logging in with Windows Hello, and a set of Dolby Atmos speakers. The power supply is a simple 60W unit; battery life is claimed to be around 17-18 hours at most, but we’ll reserve judgment on that until we can test it ourselves.