Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 13 nearly surpassed the MacBook Air. Here’s what it lacked.

      Microsoft is embarking on a new phase for its Surface hardware, one that pits it against the best offerings from Apple across various designs. The latest releases include a laptop that closely resembles a MacBook Air and a tablet that utilizes a design inspired by the iPad.

      The newly launched 13-inch Surface Laptop and the 12-inch Surface Pro tablet are intriguing additions to Microsoft's product range. What's particularly puzzling is that Microsoft opted for Qualcomm (along with Windows on Arm) rather than Intel and AMD, both of which now have silicon ready for Copilot+ devices.

      There can be some leniency with the tablet; however, the new Surface Laptop is clearly aimed at rivaling the MacBook Air. It indeed has some impressive features, including being the thinnest and lightest Surface Laptop produced by Microsoft so far, and it even surpasses Apple's offering in terms of ports and price.

      Nevertheless, despite the impressive specs on paper, it falls just short of being the superior choice, even with a cost advantage. I appreciate the overall package, but I wish Microsoft had made a greater effort to provide its latest model with clear advantages in essential areas.

      A narrowly missed display advantage

      The MacBook Air’s display performs adequately without any significant flaws. With some adjustments, you can overlook the contentious notch. However, it doesn't rank among the best in terms of quality or specifications.

      Brands like Asus provide an OLED display at a lower cost and offer screens with higher refresh rates for more affordable prices. Unfortunately, the new Surface Laptop does not exceed its Apple counterpart in either area, as it incorporates a 60Hz LCD screen.

      It’s quite surprising, given that the 13.8-inch variant features a faster 120Hz display, with a more durable glass surface, HDR support, and automatic color adjustment.

      The panel isn't poor, based on my experiences with the 15-inch Surface Laptop, but it doesn’t stand out either. If only the 13-inch model had included a higher refresh rate or an OLED display, it would have gained a significant advantage over the MacBook Air.

      The inadequate storage situation

      Apple faces criticism for its limited storage offerings, which is justified. Paying a thousand dollars for a laptop should guarantee more than a meager 256GB of storage. Unfortunately, this situation hasn't improved for Apple through to 2025.

      Regrettably, Microsoft isn’t doing anything different. I hoped that the company would finally correct its course with the next generation of hardware, but that hasn't happened with the new 13-inch Surface Laptop.

      Another concern is the type of storage offered. The 256GB model comes with SSD storage, while the 512GB option uses a UFS storage module. It’s not user-replaceable, and if issues arise, it would necessitate a visit to a service center.

      I’ve learned the hard way about storage, and I wouldn't make that mistake again. Opting for a 256GB laptop almost guarantees you'll need external storage within a year or two.

      Unless your work heavily relies on cloud services, you shouldn’t settle for less than 512GB if you plan to use a laptop long-term. This is crucial, especially in 2025, given the space occupied by AI modules needed for local processing with tools like Copilot or Apple Intelligence.

      Restricts itself to solely Snapdragon silicon

      My experiences with Copilot laptops—and Windows on Arm machines in general—have been quite smooth. However, I belong to the fortunate group of users for whom app compatibility is not an issue, and the performance impact of raw emulation doesn’t disrupt my workflow.

      There are significant benefits to choosing an Arm chip, including superior efficiency and the resulting impressive battery life in laptops. In some benchmarks, their single-core performance even eclipses that of Apple’s M4 silicon.

      However, restricting users to only the Arm experience is not the most considerate strategy, especially for creative professionals who need access to the entire x86 app ecosystem. Intel and AMD now also have chips that meet the baseline NPU performance criteria for Copilot PCs, providing a broader selection for users.

      Gaming remains a notable weakness in the Windows-on-Arm landscape, along with the inconsistent availability of Arm64 drivers for peripherals like printers. The situation is not entirely grim, but it's far from seamless.

      Loses its signature design identity

      Microsoft may not have made significant waves in the laptop market with its product range, but the Surface hardware has always been distinct. Its signature wedge shape with sharp angles and flat sides gave it a recognizable visual identity.

      The Alcantara keyboard is among my favorite elements of laptop design. It was visually appealing and felt great to touch, though it posed challenges for repairability. Microsoft has also tried an all-metal design but without altering the fundamental appearance.

      In its attempt to seemingly outdo the MacBook Air, Microsoft has unfortunately abandoned its hallmark design and closely mimicked Apple’s style. The 13-inch Surface Laptop adopts a more industrial design with curved edges on the base,