Microsoft is planning a two-stage rollout of new Surface Laptop and Surface Pro models.
While the Intel-powered variants could launch this spring, the Snapdragon X2 models could arrive in summer, reportedly due to supply chain constraints (via Windows Central).
What’s actually changing for Surface buyers?
The upgrades include display improvements, with Microsoft going with OLED panels for the Surface Laptop for the first time (though limited to higher-end configurations), along with a higher-resolution screen rumored for some models.
Along with the Intel and Qualcomm chipsets, the notebooks could come with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for their base models, while the top-specced variants could feature 64GB of RAM and 2TB of storage.
In addition, the report also mentions upgraded hatpics. However, the upcoming lineup doesn’t really answer the MacBook Neo question Apple posed to all manufacturers in March 2026.
The upcoming surface lineup almost certainly sits in the premium and ultra-premium notebook category; it doesn’t really appeal to value buyers the way the MacBook Neo does.
Why does the price gap matter?
Microsoft’s cheapest Surface PC, the 12-inch Surface Pro, already jumped from $799 to $1,049 due to the ongoing memory shortage. The Surface Laptop 13-inch is the next most affordable option, starting at $1,149.99.
A regular user shopping for a capable everyday laptop now has a stark choice: a $599 MacBook Neo with 256GB of storage ($499 with education pricing) or a Microsoft Surface laptop that starts at almost double the price, with double the memory but similar storage.
I understand and appreciate that Microsoft is betting on the display upgrade and chip performance to sell its premium Surface offerings, but to a regular user, who simply wants to carry a solid machine to school, work, or vacation, they might not be able to justify the price tag with reference to the MacBook Neo.
Apple’s winning the budget laptop game
This is exactly where the MacBook Neo is winning and could continue to do so in the near future. Even compared to budget Windows laptops or Chromebooks, much less Microsoft’s Surface lineup, the Neo comes out on top with a superior battery, a solid build quality, and useful AI features in a lighter package.
Take the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 or the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34, both well-regarded options in the $400 to $600 price range. However, they run on Chrome OS, which effectively locks users out of full desktop applications.
Affordable Windows machines like Lenovo IdeaPad or HP’s range with Intel Core i3 and 8GB of RAM hover around a similar price, but they often stumble on battery life and build quality (they’re noticeably heavier) in ways that don’t bother the MacBook Neo.
While Chromebook and Windows OEMs are facing rising memory and component costs, Apple seems to have leveraged its position as one of the largest laptop sellers to time the market and undercut the most popular options.
MacBook Neo could still win with a small price hike
Even if Apple launches a new MacBook Neo with 16GB of RAM, a more powerful chipset, and revises the price to $600 or $700, it would still remain one of the most value-for-money, daily-use machines that are a no-brainer for iPhone users, but perhaps a thinker for Android users.
For now, Microsoft’s inability, or unwillingness, to chase the MacBook Neo’s price point is a sign of a deeper strategic gap. Historically, Apple has moved first, and Microsoft has responded later, and perhaps that is what will happen in this scenario as well.
