Microsoft Unveils Affordable AI-Powered Surface Devices with Qualcomm Chips
Microsoft announced on Tuesday that it will launch more affordable AI-enabled Surface devices powered by Qualcomm chips, aiming to bring advanced “Copilot+” features to a broader user base, including students and early-career professionals.
The new Surface Laptop (13-inch) and Surface Pro Tablet (12-inch) will go on sale starting May 20, priced at $899 and $799 respectively. Both devices will be equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus chips, positioning them competitively between Apple’s entry-level MacBook Air ($999) and iPad Pro models (from $649 to $999).
These will be Microsoft’s lowest-priced devices to support the Copilot+ suite, a bundle of AI features introduced in 2023. The tools include natural language commands for changing system settings and generating AI-powered first drafts for documents. Previously, most devices supporting Copilot+ had been priced above $1,000 due to hardware requirements.
Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Windows and Devices, said the move is intended to expand access to AI tools. “We think these new Surface Pro and laptops are for a set of customers for whom affordability is going to be important,” he stated during an April 28 press briefing.
Microsoft’s latest hardware launch reflects an ongoing strategy to democratize AI functionality across its ecosystem, while also responding to competitive pricing pressures in the consumer tech market.