2 days ago
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13in review: best everyday notebook I've tested in 2025
Microsoft recently introduced a new more affordable and compact 13in Surface Laptop that I've been testing for several weeks.
Buying a Surface notebook delivers an Apple MacBook style experience as both the Windows 11 software and the hardware are made by the same company.
The new 13in Surface Laptop joins the current seventh-generation 13.8in and 15in models that were introduced in 2024.
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I love the portability of the new slim and light 13in model. I have taken it everywhere with me with ease and used it as my primary computer without any hiccups. It weighs slightly less than a 13in MacBook Air but the all-aluminium chassis feels as robustly made and looks as stylish as its Apple rival.
The anodised finish on the notebook lid effectively minimises fingerprint smudges. The bright and colourful 13in 1,920 x 1,280 (full HD) resolution LCD touchscreen display has a 60Hz refresh rate and a 3:2 aspect ratio that is so handy for productivity tasks.
It's worth noting how dim the screen can go with the brightness reduced to the minimum. It's so useful when you need to use your laptop in a dark environment, such as a lecture theatre or when catching up on work in bed late at night without disturbing anyone else. The full-size keyboard offers an excellent typing experience, and the spacious trackpad is smooth and precise. Surface Laptop 13in comes in the choice of these three colours, Platinum, Violet and Ocean (Image: Microsoft)
Surface Laptop 13in is powered by an eight-core 3.3Ghz Snapdragon X Plus chip and is a capable performer, handling demanding tasks such as running multiple browser windows with dozens of open tabs with ease. When you do hear the small fan fire up, the sound is hardly noticeable. There is 16GB of RAM, incidentally, and my review unit had 512GB of storage.
The processor also includes a dedicated Qualcomm Hexagon neural processor that supports all the latest Copilot+ artificial intelligence (AI) features bundled with Windows laptops and it does so without impacting battery stamina.
This machine includes the Recall ability, which takes screenshots periodically so that you can retrace your steps if anything goes wrong, along with productivity tools, webcam filters and image generation. And the new Click to Do feature enables you to hold the Windows key and click on something on your screen to perform actions such as remove an image's background or rewrite the text.
If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, Copilot is integrated into all of the Office suite of programs as a helpful AI assistant. Surface Laptop 13in other features
The webcam is full HD resolution and delivers a crisp and colourful feed for video calls and business meetings. It includes the firm's superb dual-mic sound-suppression system that eliminates background noise in video calls almost entirely. You get decent speakers too. And it has Studio Effects that automatically keeps you in the centre of the frame.
There's no Windows Hello facial recognition with the camera, however, but there is a fast and reliable fingerprint sensor on the power button. Surface Laptop 13in's smooth aluminium lid looks and feels premium and the anodised finish minimises fingerprint smudges (Image: Microsoft)
There are two USB Type-C ports on the right side and one USB Type-A port and 3.5mm audio port on the left. The machine supports both Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.
Battery life from the 50Wh power pack is unreal. I got close to 22 hours of continuous video playback while in everyday use as a work computer it lasted more than two full eight hour days. Recharging is by USB-C and any 40W or higher charging brick - but there is none in the box. It takes about two hours to fully recharge the machine.
One caveat to mention is the laptop uses ARM architecture so not all apps and software may run automatically on it. Apps not written for ARM systems must go through an emulation system, which works in the background but makes them a little slower. But the list of incompatible software is decreasing and I had no issues in that regard. Do your research before you buy, just in case. Surface Laptop 13in v erdict
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13in is the best everyday ultra-portable notebook I've tested in 2025 and so easy to recommend. Pricing and availability
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13in costs from €1,119 (256GB storage, platinum colour) from and Harvey Norman, and if you opt for 512GB of storage (€1,239) you get the choice of three colours, Platinum, Violet and Ocean. You can also buy it from Amazon.
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