In Its 2025 Surfaces, Microsoft Is Still Sweet on Snapdragon X. But Why? (2025)

Microsoft has two new Surface products for 2025, a new pair of Copilot+ PCs with the latest AI features and cool new colors. However, I was surprised to see that Microsoft again went exclusively with Qualcomm Snapdragon X processors in these new machines.

Sure, back in January, new enterprise Surface models came out, dubbed Surface for Business, with Intel Core Ultra 200V ("Lunar Lake") silicon. But if you were waiting for an Intel version of the regular Surface Laptop or Surface Pro tablet, you're out of luck. Despite lacking the x86 architecture that Windows was built on—and that Qualcomm rivals AMD and Intel soldier on with—Snapdragon is Microsoft's chip of choice once again in its consumer-minded Surfaces.

Last year, I almost dismissed the move to Snapdragon X chips as an experiment Microsoft might try once and support with some aggressive PR. Instead, I've seen more Qualcomm-powered systems from more PC makers in the last year than I have in the rest of my decade-plus career of writing about laptops.

Before I address this Microsoft/Qualcomm double-down, I'll share what I know about these new-for-2025 Qualcomm-based Surface devices so far.

Microsoft's New Surface Laptop and Surface Tablet: Smaller, Slimmer, and Snappier

Microsoft has two new Surface products on deck: a slimmer-than-before 13-inch Surface Laptop, and a smaller-screen 12-inch Surface Pro tablet. The fresh pair of Copilot+ PCs will launch later in May.

The revised Surface Laptop 13-Inch looks poised for MacBook Air comparisons. (Credit: Microsoft/PCMag)

The new Surface Laptop is the thinnest and lightest laptop in Microsoft's lineup, with a slim anodized-aluminum chassis available in three colors: Ocean (blue), Violet, and Platinum (silver). This Copilot+ PC houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus processor with a neural processing unit (NPU) rated at 45 trillion operations per second, or TOPS. (TOPS is the current leading measurement of AI processing ability.)

Microsoft's new 13-inch design is more compact than last year's 13-inch Surface Laptop, measuring just 0.61 inch thick and weighing 2.7 pounds to the outgoing model's 0.69-inch thickness and 2.96 pounds. It should run for longer on a charge, too, with Microsoft claiming the battery will last for 23 hours of video playback and up to 16 hours during web browsing—three more hours than last time.

The 12-inch Surface Pro tablet also brings a more compact design to shoppers, in the form of a 2-in-1 detachable that weighs just 1.5 pounds and measures 0.3 inch thick. It's notably smaller than last year's Microsoft Surface Pro, a 13-incher. When paired with an optional Surface Pro 12-Inch Keyboard (as ever, sold separately), it becomes a capable laptop replacement, complete with a Windows Copilot key. If you're upgrading from an older Surface Pro model, of course, you'll have no choice but to buy one of these new keyboards to suit the new size.

Microsoft's latest Surface Pro goes to a smaller screen size, which is bound to be divisive. (Credit: Microsoft)

The Surface Pro does work with the existing Surface Slim Pen for writing and drawing on the tablet. You can, as before, store and wirelessly charge the pen on the back of the tablet when you're not using it. Like the new Surface Laptop, the 12-inch Surface Pro tablet has a Snapdragon X Plus processor with a 45 TOPS NPU. Naturally, the Surface Pro tablet and optional accessories come in a trio of colors: Slate (a gray), Ocean, and Violet.

The new 12-inch Surface Pro tablet and 13-inch Surface Laptop will begin selling on May 20, priced at $799 for the Surface Pro (the tablet only, no keyboard) and $899 for the laptop. Both are designated as Copilot+ PCs and will feature Windows with the latest Copilot features, such as Recall, Click to Do, and Copilot Vision.

However, you might be wondering, "Why this loyalty to Qualcomm chips?"

Why Stick With Qualcomm Again?

Microsoft built Windows primarily to run on processors using the x86 architecture and instruction set, like Intel's and AMD's. Why this push for Windows on Arm's x64 architecture and instruction set in Microsoft's flagship products?

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus chips—not the Elite models—earn the limelight this time. (Credit: Qualcomm)

When I asked Microsoft about this last year, the answer was that Qualcomm was the first chip partner to provide an NPU that delivered the 40-plus TOPS required by Microsoft to support Copilot+ PC features. That was true a year ago, but Snapdragon X is no longer alone in that club. More than a few Copilot+ systems powered by Intel's Core Ultra 200V-series and AMD's Ryzen AI 300-series processors have crossed our test benches, and the flood is coming. Turbocharged NPUs are no longer the exception: They're the rule in most new chips. But that still leaves us wondering why we're seeing Qualcomm Surface products for 2025.

One answer is power efficiency. Based on our testing, Snapdragon X processors are often more energy efficient than competing x86 chips. Qualcomm-based systems deliver some of the longest battery life we've seen in various form factors.

Snapdragon does that while driving competitive performance, a testament to how well Windows on Arm has matured. What was once a curiosity for those passionate about alternatives to Intel's market dominance has become a more mainstream option in today's market. Qualcomm has made inroads with several other laptop brands, notably Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. (Maybe mainstream-ish is a better way to say it, since we haven't seen actual numbers about Qualcomm's market share in current laptops.)

And none of this changes the fact that Qualcomm hardware still has drawbacks on Windows 11. Software compatibility is the big one. Many apps work on Arm's x64 architecture now, thanks to Microsoft's Prism emulator and a growing amount of native app development work on Arm. But you'll still run into issues here and there with simple tasks like printing or running legacy software. That's a huge problem for businesses that rely on niche software that's still essential in their industry, such as software for legal, medical, or industrial manufacturing use. (This is likely why Microsoft still produces Intel-based Surface products for businesses.)

Anyone needing serious gaming graphics will skip Arm-based systems, too, since no Snapdragon system to date has discrete graphics. Also, Arm CPUs in desktops are exceedingly rare. Qualcomm has found its way into a few mini PCs, like the Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo 50q, but that's a far cry from anything gamers will be building.

The bigger question may not be around battery life, app compatibility, or even pure performance. Instead, it might be something more mundane but far more serious to Microsoft: contracts and strategic partnerships.

Microsoft's Build 2024 conference saw the debut of the first Snapdragon Copilot+ PCs. (Credit: Brian Westover)

During Microsoft's Build 2023 conference, the software giant and Qualcomm announced a collaboration to "scale AI capabilities and bring best-in-class AI experiences to users across consumer, enterprise, and industrial devices." While the specifics of any contract between the two aren't public, the agreement led to foundational new hardware and software for the nascent AI PC category just a year later.

The level of collaboration needed for this latest Windows on Arm push suggests an agreement that includes supporting and building out the Arm ecosystem, which has certainly happened in the past year. Because those ecosystems need time to take root and grow, it's likely a multi-year endeavor.

It's also possible that the broad Qualcomm support we've seen from other laptop makers since last year resulted from Microsoft's influence. Microsoft holds the keys to Windows. With deep ties to manufacturers, Microsoft can easily suggest that PC makers pick up a favored platform.

These comments are speculation, but Qualcomm's surge in PC prominence can't be down entirely to reasonably good performance numbers and upticks in battery life. Established Intel competitor AMD still lags in adoption despite its often superior-performing Ryzen AI 300 chips. This discrepancy is in part because PC makers know Intel's larger brand recognition evinces loyalty from many shoppers, faster alternatives be damned. Moving away from that would probably require some incentives, such as favorable deals, discounts, and licensing agreements.

The Takeaway: Chip Confusion, Yes, But Also Competition and Choice

All of this talk about processor architecture, branding, and partnerships might sound confusing. But this cloud has a silver lining: more competition.

Intel's PC-platform dominance is waning now more than ever. The cracks began to show when Apple ditched Intel for its own in-house chip designs based on Arm technology. With AMD powering up and Qualcomm rising, Intel has more challengers than ever, too. Even Nvidia is talking about getting into the CPU game with Arm-based chips of its own.

These developments all come at a significant inflection point: the rise of the AI PC. Intel has been a prominent name in all of it, but AMD and Qualcomm are delivering the TOPS in that vertical, too. And it's part of a trend for Intel. The company's revenue has been dipping for years. The CEO spot has changed so often it looks like a well-paid game of musical chairs. And the AI revolution has opened up opportunities for competitors to make huge gains.

That's tough news for Intel investors, but fantastic news for PC shoppers, because competition drives two significant long-term effects: lower prices, and increased innovation.

More choices mean lower prices, because the different companies offering CPUs and systems are all trying to appeal to the biggest number of purchasers, and the biggest subset of people in any market are the ones who want to save a buck. Manufacturers know this and price accordingly. (Obviously, the economics of technology are a little more complex than that, but the principle from basic economics still holds.)

The other benefit is innovation. When multiple players try to outdo the competition with new features, a powerful, consistent push for developing new technologies emerges. This hot period sees PC makers repurposing and refining existing tech, finding ways to improve it. AI is the latest example of this, and it's rapidly becoming the driving force behind the entire tech industry.

That all translates into more options for consumers to choose from. We're already seeing AI PCs and features bloom, and a growing number of chipmakers powering it all. The coming years should bring more diverse technology and competitive pricing, which is a win-win. All that remains to be seen is whether Qualcomm and Arm will come out ahead, and by how far, and how well Intel and AMD—and their x86 empires—weather the storm.