Microsoft's new Copilot+ Surface devices are built for business with Intel inside

Microsoft launched its first wave of Copilot+ PCs last summer. For most of the company’s business customers, however, the new devices were nonstarters because of compatibility concerns over the Arm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon X processors inside.

If you were tempted by one of those Surface devices but are more comfortable with traditional x86 processors, you can now take a second look. Today, Microsoft expanded its Surface lineup to include business-focused Copilot+ devices powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors (codenamed Lunar Lake). The new models will begin shipping on Feb. 18, 2025, and are available for pre-order beginning today at Microsoft’s Surface for Business store and through resellers.

Also: The Microsoft 365 Copilot launch was a total disaster

Although they’re nearly indistinguishable from their Arm-based variants, these machines offer a handful of business-focused security and management features not found on their consumer counterparts.

Surface Laptop 7th Edition for Business

The new Intel-powered laptops are available in the same 13.8-inch and 15-inch form factors as the Snapdragon-based versions, with the same selection of ports (two USB-C/USB4, one USB-A 3.1), Wi-Fi 7, and Surface Connect. One noteworthy change is that the displays on these business devices are anti-reflective. On 15-inch models only, an optional smart card reader is available for an additional $50 to $100. All configurations are available in Platinum or Black.

The entry-level 13.8-inch Intel Core Ultra 5 model includes 16GB of RAM and 256GB of NVMe storage for $1,500; the top configuration includes an Intel Core Ultra 7 with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage for $2,400. Models equipped with the Core Ultra 7 start at $1,700 and top out at $2,600.

Also: Microsoft kills off Smart Lookup feature in Word as it pushes Copilot

Microsoft claims that the 15-inch Surface Laptop has “an incredible battery that lasts up to 22 hours.”

If you’re holding out for a laptop with mobile connectivity, you’ll have to wait a little longer. Microsoft says an all-new Surface Laptop 5G will be available “later in 2025.”

Surface Pro 11th Edition for Business

The Intel Core Ultra 5 models start with the same base configuration (15GB RAM/256GB storage) and $1,500 price tag as the Surface Laptop. With double the amount of RAM and storage (16GB/512GB), the price goes up to $2,000.

All of the new Surface Pro models include antireflective displays. Models equipped with the Core Ultra 7 also come with an OLED display. The base configuration, with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of NVMe storage, starts at $2,000; the top configuration includes 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage for $2,500.

Also: How to remove Copilot from your Microsoft 365 plan

Microsoft’s release doesn’t make any detailed battery life claims for this device, saying only that it “delivers up to 2x the battery life during Teams calls compared to Surface Pro 9.”

Surface USB4 dock

Today’s announcements also include a slim new USB4 dock that offers fast charging with 65W power passthrough. It includes the usual assortment of ports: two USB-C, one USB-A, and Ethernet, with dual 4K display support over HDMI. It’s priced at $200.

What makes business PCs different?

In case it wasn’t already blindingly obvious, today’s post announcing the new Surface models opens with this declaration: “Microsoft is the Copilot company.” In that spirit, the company announced that it’s adding a new Security Copilot to the Surface Management Portal. Microsoft promises that IT admins can use these new natural language and generative AI features to “quickly search for and resolve specific device issues, summarize warranty information, and access support tickets and service orders related to their organization’s Surface devices.”

The new features will be available in a public preview starting Feb. 24, 2025.

Also: What is an AI PC exactly? And should you buy one in 2025?

Because the Lunar Lake processors include an NPU, these Copilot+ PCs are capable of doing on-device processing of AI-related tasks.

The release also boasts that customers can use the Surface Pen to take handwritten notes on the Surface Pro and that the onboard NPU can “quickly summarize and analyze notes locally on the device, without requiring any internet connectivity, while maintaining all encryption and permissions.”

That solves a pressing security need for businesses, but a footnote reveals the catch: That feature will require not just a Copilot+ PC but also a Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription, and it won’t be available until later this year.

One of the most intriguing new features is an upgraded Windows Search experience that uses the NPU to quickly search through both local files and OneDrive for Business files using natural language search, without having to remember exact file names or keywords. The new search capabilities also allow users to search images based on their content, including text found in an image.

For security-conscious admins, the authentication features in the new Surface devices are essential. In addition to offering the capability to sign in using facial recognition with the built-in Windows Hello Camera, employees can use security keys like the YubiKey 5C NFC for password-free sign-ins. The latter feature uses the Yubico Login for Windows software, which works on x86 machines but is not compatible with Arm devices.

Microsoft also boasts that the Surface Pro is certified for use with Imprivata Enterprise Access Management (EAM), which is especially useful in healthcare settings, where providers can tap an NFC-enabled badge or security key to quickly and securely sign in and out.