On May 20, 2024, Microsoft opened preorders for the Surface Pro 11th Edition, its first Arm-powered flagship tablet since the Surface Pro X. The new 2-in-1 marks a pivotal shift: it runs exclusively on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite and Plus platforms, ditching Intel and AMD to fully embrace Windows on Arm. Preorders are live on the Microsoft Store, Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo, with in-store availability set for June 18. The launch signals Microsoft’s most serious attempt yet to make Arm-based Windows PCs not just viable but desirable—tying that bet to a wave of AI features dubbed Copilot+.

Industry watchers have been eyeing the Snapdragon X chips for months, and the Surface Pro 11 is the halo device for Qualcomm’s renewed assault on the PC market. With a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) hitting 45 trillion operations per second (TOPS), the device underpins Microsoft’s vision of an “AI PC” that can run large language models locally, enable on-device generative AI, and integrate deeply with Windows 11’s expanding Copilot assistant. The Surface Pro 11 is not just a tablet—it’s a statement about the future of computing.

Preorder Details and Pricing

Preorders started at 9 a.m. Pacific on May 20, giving early adopters a direct path to the first wave of Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft is offering two primary processor choices: the Snapdragon X Plus (10-core, NPU at 45 TOPS) and the Snapdragon X Elite (12-core, NPU at 45 TOPS, with higher clock speeds). RAM configurations span 16 GB to 64 GB of LPDDR5x, all soldered. Removable SSDs (PCIe Gen4) range from 256 GB to 1 TB.

The lineup breaks down into two display options:
- A 13-inch PixelSense Flow touchscreen with LCD (2880 × 1920, 120 Hz dynamic refresh rate, 600 nits peak brightness)
- A premium OLED panel with the same resolution and refresh rate but deeper contrast (up to 1,000 nits in HDR)

Base pricing:
- Surface Pro 11 with Snapdragon X Plus, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, LCD: $999.99
- Surface Pro 11 with Snapdragon X Elite, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, OLED: $1,499.99
- Top configuration (Elite, 64 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, OLED) reaches $2,499.99

All models ship with Windows 11 Home and a 39-watt power supply. The iconic Surface Pro Flex Keyboard with Silo and Slim Pen pairing is sold separately—$349.99 for the keyboard and $129.99 for the Slim Pen 2. Microsoft is also offering a Signature Keyboard (without the silo) at $139.99. Preorder bundles knock $50 off the keyboard-and-pen combo. Colorways have expanded to Platinum, Black, Dune (warm sandy hue), and Sapphire (deep blue). The Sapphire finish is exclusive to the LCD model, while OLED-only shades include Platinum and Black.

What’s New in Surface Pro 11

Beyond the Arm transplant, the Surface Pro 11 refines the iconic form factor. It measures just 9.3 mm thick and weighs roughly 1.97 pounds (with LCD), making it slightly lighter than its Intel predecessor. The kickstand still extends to 165 degrees, and the chassis uses recycled aluminum—Microsoft claims 59% recycled materials by weight in the enclosure.

Port selection remains slim: two USB-C (USB4/Thunderbolt 4—a first for Surface Pro Arm devices), a Surface Connect port, and a keyboard connector. There’s no headphone jack. Wireless includes Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. The front-facing camera gets a boost to Quad HD (1440p) with an ultrawide field of view, supporting Windows Hello face authentication and AI-enhanced Windows Studio Effects like automatic framing, background blur, and gaze correction. The rear camera is a 10 MP shooter capable of 4K video.

Microsoft says the fanless design—possible thanks to the Snapdragon’s efficiency—allows for silent operation, a trait long appreciated in ARM-based devices. The 5G cellular option, a hallmark of previous Surface ARM tablets, is conspicuously absent at launch—though a Wi-Fi only model is available now, with a 5G variant expected later in 2024.

Under the Hood: Snapdragon X Elite

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite is built on a 4-nanometer process and uses custom Oryon CPU cores, delivering a claimed 2x performance per watt over competing x86 laptop chips. The SoC integrates a 45 TOPS NPU, an Adreno GPU capable of up to 4.6 TFLOPS, and an always-sensing ISP. For the Surface, the chip enables native run of Microsoft’s Copilot+ features without a constant cloud connection.

Early Geekbench 6 results show single-core scores around 2,900–3,000 and multi-core nearing 15,000, placing the Elite competitive with Apple’s M3 Pro and Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H. In a tightly controlled thermal envelope, sustained performance remains a question—but Microsoft’s vapor chamber cooling should mitigate throttling better than many fanless designs.

Battery life is another headline: Microsoft claims up to 14 hours of video playback on the LCD model and 12.5 hours on OLED. Real-world mixed-use is likely lower, but still a significant leap over x86 Surface tablets. Anecdotes from early hands-ons suggest that even under heavy office workloads, the device clears an 8-hour day easily.

The Copilot+ AI Experience

The Surface Pro 11 is certified as a Copilot+ PC, which means it gets exclusive AI features that won’t run on older hardware. The centerpiece is Recall—a semantic search across everything you’ve seen on your PC, using local AI to let you scroll back in time through a timeline of snapshots. Users can type natural language queries like “Find that graph from last month’s presentation” and get relevant results instantly. All processing stays on-device to address privacy concerns, with options to exclude specific apps or pause recording.

Cocreator (stylized as CoCreator) arrives in Paint, generating images based on text prompts combined with simple sketches. Unlike cloud-based image generators, this runs entirely on the NPU, producing images in seconds. Live Captions get real-time translation across 44 languages, useful for video calls and streaming. Auto Super Resolution—an AI upscaling technology—boosts game resolution and frame rates, though only on compatible titles; it’s a direct answer to Apple’s MetalFX and NVIDIA DLSS. Windows Studio Effects now include an eye contact teleprompter, portrait light, and creative filters, all accelerated by the NPU.

Microsoft also preloads the Copilot key on the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard, a hardware shortcut that summons the Copilot sidebar for natural language queries across your device and the web. The integrated Copilot experience in Windows 11 24H2 can adjust system settings, summarize documents, and even organize windows.

App Compatibility and the ARM Transition

Windows on Arm has long been dogged by the “app gap.” Microsoft hopes to bridge it with Prism, a new emulation layer that claims 10–20% better x86 emulation performance than the previous Windows on ARM emulator—and for the first time, it’s on par with Apple’s Rosetta 2 in early comparisons. Native Arm64 apps run at full speed; the Microsoft Office suite, Edge, and Adobe Creative Cloud tools (including Photoshop, Lightroom, and a native Arm version of Premiere Pro due this summer) are key flagships.

Microsoft has been working with ISVs for months to ensure the most-used apps are available natively. Zoom, Spotify, Slack, Chrome, and dozens of others have announced Arm64 versions. For the long tail of x86-only legacy business apps, Prism steps in. Early demos show reasonable performance, but complex plug-ins or drivers may still stumble. Gaming remains a mixed bag—some titles run fine, but any game with kernel-level anti-cheat (like Valorant, Fortnite, or Destiny 2) currently won’t start. Microsoft is engaging with developers to resolve this, but for now hardcore gamers should steer clear.

Crucially, the Surface Pro 11 supports Secure Core PC standards, Pluton security processor, and Windows Hello, marking it one of the most secure mobile devices Microsoft has shipped. BitLocker encryption and TPM 2.0 come baked in.

Competitive Landscape

Preorders position the Surface Pro 11 against Apple’s iPad Pro (M4) and MacBook Air, as well as Intel/AMD 2-in-1s like the HP Spectre x360 and Lenovo Yoga 9i. Microsoft bets that the AI features will differentiate Windows tablets, as iPadOS still lacks a truly integrated AI assistant, and Apple Intelligence won’t be widely available until fall 2024. The Surface Pro’s ability to run full desktop apps in tablet form gives it a productivity edge over the iPad, while its portability and silent operation challenge ultraportable laptops.

Pricing, however, remains a sticking point. The base $999 model includes only an LCD screen and a modest 256 GB SSD. Adding even the cheapest keyboard pushes the total past $1,100—still less than an iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard, but more than many decent Intel laptops. Microsoft is clearly positioning this as a premium product.

Early Verdict

With preorders now open, the Surface Pro 11 represents bold corporate conviction: Windows on Arm is finally ready for prime time, and on-device AI is the vehicle to get it there. The combination of competitive Snapdragon performance, multi-day battery potential, and genuinely useful AI tools creates a compelling package for knowledge workers, students, and mobile pros.

But the risk is execution. Past Windows on Arm promises have fallen short due to sluggish emulation and sparse developer support. While Prism is a step change, the real test comes when buyers try to run their company’s legacy CRM or the latest indie game. Microsoft’s Copilot+ gamble could either redefine the ultraportable segment or become another footnote in the long journey to Arm parity.

For now, early adopters can secure a unit at major retailers. Those willing to bet on Microsoft’s AI PC vision will receive their devices starting June 18. The rest of the industry—from Intel to Apple—will be watching closely.