Microsoft claims new Surface Pro outperforms Apple's 15" M3 MacBook Air

Microsoft is making bold claims with its latest release, the Surface Pro, part of a new line of AI-focused Copilot+ PCs.

This device is among the first to feature Qualcomm's Arm-based Snapdragon X Elite processor, positioning it as a direct competitor to Apple's M3 MacBook Air.

Microsoft asserts that the Surface Pro offers superior processing power and battery life compared to the 15-inch MacBook Air, which boasts an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU. The new Surface Pro, along with other Copilot+ PCs, features a 12-core and 10-core processor, claiming a 58% better sustained multithreaded performance according to Cinebench benchmarks.

In terms of battery life, the Surface Pro promises up to 15 hours of web browsing or 22 hours of local video playback. In comparison, the MacBook Air offers 15 hours of wireless web browsing and 18 hours of local video playback.

The Verge reports that Microsoft's media demonstrations highlighted several performance comparisons where the Surface Pro consistently outperformed the MacBook Air. This suggests that Qualcomm's technology is beginning to rival Apple's silicon, which has dominated the market in recent years.

The Surface Pro is a versatile 2-in-1 laptop running Windows, equipped with an OLED display similar to Apple's latest iPad Pro models. Weighing under two pounds, it supports Wi-Fi 7 and features advanced AI capabilities enabled by its neural processing unit.

Pricing for the new Surface Pro starts at $1,000. The model with an OLED display, Snapdragon X Elite chip, 16GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD starts at $1,500. Microsoft also introduced the Surface Laptop with the same Snapdragon X Elite chip, starting at $1,299. Both devices are set to ship to customers starting June 18.