Since making its debut five years, the Surface Laptop has consistently ranked among the best thin and light laptops you can buy. 2020 was the first year without a new device in the lineup, but Microsoft put that right just a few months later.
The Surface Laptop 4 arrived in the spring slot usually associated with minor hardware updates, and it was undoubtedly a cautious upgrade. Despite impressing in core areas such as display, performance and battery life, it’s clear Microsoft could go further to make the device best in class.
That’s exactly what we’re hoping for from the Surface Laptop 5, which could be just a few weeks away. Here’s everything we know at this stage.
When will the Surface Laptop 5 be released?
Microsoft confirmed in September that its next hardware event will be on 12 October, starting at 10am ET.
The company is yet to even confirm the existence of the Surface Laptop 5, but it looks like the device will be launched in the next few weeks.
According to Windows Central’s Zac Bowden, that was originally meant to be spring alongside the Surface Laptop Go 2. However, Microsoft’s usual autumn/fall slot is now the most likely:
Lots of people asking if I’ve heard anything about a Surface Laptop “5” launching soon. I was told late last year that Laptop 5 was pushed back from spring to fall due to the ongoing component shortage. AFAIK, this has not changed. Expect Laptop 5 in Oct.— Zac Bowden (@zacbowden)
German tech site is slightly more specific, suggesting the Surface Laptop 5 will launch alongside the Surface Pro 9 in mid-October – with the event now in the diary.
The Surface Laptop 5 is almost certain to be among the announcements. Assuming that is the case, the device will probably go on sale a couple of weeks later.
How much will the Surface Laptop 5 cost?
Microsoft brought AMD Ryzen processors to the 13.5in Surface Laptop 4 for the first time. This allowed it to drop the starting price, as these are from the older (but still very capable) Ryzen 4000 Series. Here’s how that compares to previous generations:
- Surface Laptop – from $799/£649
- Surface Laptop 2 – from $999/£979
- Surface Laptop 3 – from $999/£999 (13.5in), $1,199/£1,199 (15in)
- Surface Laptop 4 – from $899/£799 (13.5in), $1,199.99/£1,299
Remember, the 15in model was only introduced in the Surface Laptop 3. We’re expecting Microsoft to continue with both screen sizes on the Laptop 5.
However, according to , Microsoft may not release models of the Laptop 5 powered by AMD – just Intel. It suggests the 13.5in model will start at €1,200, but you’ll supposedly have to way €1,500 or more for a 15in display.
Surface Laptop 5 design & new feature rumours
The first big news came courtesy of , where you’ll find full specs for a device claiming to be the Surface Laptop 5. Its layout mirrors what you’ll find on the Microsoft website for existing Surface products, but that doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to be accurate. It’s the only page on the whole site, and WindowsPrime has no track record when it comes to leaks. However, the specs it predicts don’t seem too far wide of the mark.
Microsoft will supposedly stick with 13.5in and 15in models for the Surface Laptop 5, although both will apparently have a 120Hz refresh. The latter is something Windows Central’s Daniel Rubino also said in an , and it mirrors what we’ve seen in the Surface Pro 8 and Surface Laptop Studio. Windows 11‘s Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) feature is now available, so the Laptop 5 should be able to automatically adjust refresh rate depending on what you’re doing. This is likely to benefit battery life.
Talking of battery life, the Laptop 5 will have a capacity somewhere between 53Wh and 58Wh according to . Depending on the processor and size, this will apparently get you somewhere between 17.5hrs and 21hrs of maximum battery life.
The main processors available will almost certainly be from Intel’s 12th-gen lineup, with reporting that there’ll be a choice between the Core i5-1235U and i7-1255U. However, an earlier suggested it’d use the performance focused P-Series instead.
An option for AMD processors (potentially from the Ryzen 6000 Series) is also possible, but by no means guaranteed. The same suggests Microsoft may ditch the option on the Surface Laptop 5, although author Roland Quandt indicates that it’s still not certain.
Whichever CPUs arrive, expect them to be paired with integrated graphics on all models,. That’ll be Iris Xe on Intel models or Radeon if we see AMD versions.
According to , the only other new features of note are a new 1080p webcam (up from 720p on the Laptop 4) and Windows 11 running out of the box. You’ll still get 8/16/32GB of RAM and SSDs from 256GB to 1TB, as well as a relatively limited selection of ports will also remain – that means Surface Connect as the main charging method.
It’s possible everything WindowsPrime mentions will make it into the final product, but it doesn’t tell you if the Surface Laptop 5’s design will be updated. Its predecessor is beginning to look outdated, so it’d be nice to see something similar to the Pro 8. In an , Daniel Rubino suggested we could get slimmer bezels on the Laptop 5, and hopes to see some upgrades that will make the 15in model a more compelling device. Could we see the option for Intel Arc graphics?
In the same video, Zac Bowden speculates that Microsoft may make a thin and light version of the Surface Laptop Studio, albeit without the pull-forward display. It probably won’t be branded as the Surface Laptop 5, though.
We’ll update this article once more information is revealed.