Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch get Snapdragon X2 Plus, from A$1,999
Microsoft's compact Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch move to Snapdragon X2 Plus, start at 16GB of RAM and arrive in Australia on 13 October, alongside a redesigned Surface Mouse.
Microsoft has refreshed its smallest and most affordable Surface PCs. The Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch, announced on 23 September 2026, move to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Plus chip, gain brighter screens and drop the entry-level 8GB memory option. Both go on sale on 13 October 2026, with Australian pricing starting at A$1,999 for the Surface Pro and A$2,099 for the Surface Laptop, according to ChannelNews.
More power, more memory
Both devices use a six-core Snapdragon X2 Plus. Microsoft and Qualcomm quote "up to 95% faster local AI performance" from the chip's Hexagon NPU, rated at 80 TOPS, which matters as more AI features in Windows run on the device rather than in the cloud.
The biggest structural change is memory. Microsoft has removed the 8GB base configuration, so both machines now start at 16GB of RAM, with a 24GB option. Storage comes in 256GB or 512GB. Windows Central reports that dropping the 8GB tier is the main reason entry prices have risen; 9to5Google notes the base Surface Pro 12-inch is US$300 more than its predecessor.
Surface Pro 12-inch
- 12-inch PixelSense LCD at 2196 x 1464, up to 90Hz
- up to 500 nits peak brightness, which 9to5Google says is 25 per cent brighter than before
- up to 15.5 hours of local video playback, or 13 hours of web browsing
- weighs about 680g (1.5 lb)
- optional 5G model for commercial customers, with pricing to come
Surface Laptop 13-inch
- 13-inch PixelSense touchscreen at 1920 x 1280, 60Hz
- up to 22.5 hours of battery life
- weighs about 1.2kg (2.7 lb)
- two USB-C (3.2) ports, one USB-A, a 3.5mm headphone jack, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
Both come in Platinum, Violet and a new Black. Windows Central reports the Ocean Blue colour has been dropped.
A new Surface Mouse
Alongside the PCs, Microsoft has redesigned the Surface Mouse for the first time in a decade. It adds built-in haptic feedback and a customisable action button that can be set up for Copilot. It is priced at US$79.99 in the US and also arrives on 13 October.
Price and availability
- Surface Pro 12-inch: from A$1,999 (US$1,149).
- Surface Laptop 13-inch: from A$2,099 (US$1,199).
- Surface Mouse: US$79.99; Australian pricing not confirmed.
- On sale: 13 October 2026.
For buyers weighing up a compact Windows machine, the higher entry price is offset by double the base memory, which should help both devices age better as AI features in Windows grow more demanding.
Sources: Microsoft Devices Blog and ChannelNews
