Two devices that were conspicuously missing from Microsoft’s Surface and AI event last fall are finally here — and they’re both what we expected and a little surprising. Today, Microsoft introduced the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6, which feature the same design as the previous models, but now with the artificial intelligence technologies of Intel’s new Core Ultra CPUs. You won’t be able to get them at Best Buy, Target, or any other retailer that sells Surface Devices. Both of these computers have the foreboding words “for business” attached to their names, so you’ll only be able to buy them from Microsoft’s website or commercial resellers.
If you’re a little confused by this, you’re not alone. It’s almost as if Microsoft is about to exit the consumer PC market, but a spokesperson says that’s not the case. “We are completely committed to consumer devices,” they said. “Creating great devices that people love to use aligns closely with our company’s mission to empower individuals and organizations. We’re excited to bring devices that deliver great AI experiences to our customers. This commercial announcement is just the first part of this effort.”
It looks like new consumer hardware is finally on the way, but keeping two long-awaited devices out of retail doesn’t inspire confidence. Next to it Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Laptop Go 3 Last year, Microsoft also quietly revealed Surface Go 4 for Business, targeting this budget tablet at enterprise and education customers. It wasn’t exactly a death sentence for that machine, but it killed a lot of the hype we usually see when new Surface hardware arrives.
So what does this all mean for the Surface Pro 10? for work and Surface Laptop 6 for work? For fans of Microsoft’s PCs, they’re offering some notable upgrades with these new Intel Core Ultra chips, but they’ll be a little harder to come by than before. The average consumer likely won’t even know they exist, especially since older Surface hardware will still be available at Best Buy and other retailers.
Let’s take a look at what’s new: The Surface Pro 10 comes with a Core Ultra 5 135U or Ultra 7 165U CPU, and it can be equipped with up to 64GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. While the tablet case remains the same, Microsoft has also pushed a new 1440p webcam with an incredibly wide 114-degree field of view. Microsoft calls it an AI-enhanced camera, but that just means it can tap Windows Studio effects using the Core Ultra’s NPU for AI workloads.
The Surface Laptop 6 is available again in 13.5-inch and 15-inch models and can be equipped with Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and Ultra 7 165H processors. These chips are much more powerful than the U-variant options in the Surface Pro 6, so they’re a better choice for more demanding tasks. (The 14-inch Surface Laptop Studio 2 remains the most powerful Microsoft laptop, but since its 13th-gen Intel CPU lacks an NPU, it’s not an AI computer.) The Notebook 6 can also be configured with up to 64GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. It offers more graphics options than its tablet sibling: the 8GB RAM model has basic Intel graphics, but if you go for more memory, you’ll get Intel’s more powerful Arc graphics.
Oddly, the Surface Laptop 6 Pro doesn’t share the 10’s sharp new camera, instead sticking with the 1080p HD option. If for some reason you need to use smart cards regularly, you can also configure the Laptop 6 with a built-in smart card reader. (But still no SD card slot? Come on, Microsoft.)
Both the Surface Pro 10 and Laptop 6 also come with the new Copilot key, which we’ve also seen on Dell’s new XPS laptops and several other AI computers. I haven’t found the switch particularly useful on other systems, but at this point Microsoft is so committed to putting Copilot AI everywhere that it would be a shame not to make it available on the new Surface machines.
Microsoft claims the Surface Pro 10 is 53 percent faster than the Pro 9 on the 3DMark TimeSpy benchmark, and the Surface Laptop 6 is twice as fast as the previous model. (That’s mostly due to Intel’s more powerful Arc graphics.) These aren’t machines you’ll want to rush out to if you have a Pro 9 or Laptop 5, but thanks to an AI-powered Intel CPU and a nifty webcam, the Surface is a must-have if you have an older Surface tablet. , the Pro 10 could be a leap forward.
While it’s unclear whether focusing on business users will actually benefit Microsoft, the Surface Laptop 6 and Pro 10 are signs that the company is still trying to make a mark in the PC market. However, we’re more interested in what Microsoft has in store for consumers next. By refocusing the old tablet and laptop design on enterprise users, the company can have room to innovate a little more. Maybe we’ll actually see a Surface foldable this year?
The Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 for Business are available for pre-order today, starting at $1,200 each. They will begin to be delivered to customers on April 9.
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