Surface Pro 11 review: A stunning achievement by Microsoft and Qualcomm, making it one of the best Windows PCs of 2024

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is a significant update to the company's popular 2-in-1 laptop series, featuring an OLED display option and a powerful Snapdragon X chip. It offers excellent performance and battery life, making it a recommended choice for those seeking a versatile and powerful device. The Surface Pro 11 is priced starting at $999 and is available now in the US, UK, and Australia.

Notable features of the Surface Pro 11 include:

• A stunning 13-inch 2.8K OLED display with HDR600 support and a 120Hz refresh rate.
• A new Flex Keyboard that is more comfortable to type on and can be used detached from the laptop.
• Exceptional battery life, with tests showing over 12 hours of use.
• Strong performance from the Snapdragon X Elite processor, which outperforms many Intel and AMD chips in benchmark tests.
• A wide range of configuration options, including up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

However, there are a few downsides to consider:

• The keyboard and pen peripherals are expensive, adding significantly to the overall cost of the device.
• Some AI features are missing or underbaked, and the AI coprocessor is not as powerful as some competitors.
• The device is not compatible with some apps due to its ARM architecture.

Overall, the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is a highly capable and versatile 2-in-1 laptop, offering excellent performance and battery life in a sleek and lightweight design.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11: Key Features and Improvements

1. Powerful Performance: The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor, delivering exceptional performance and outperforming many Intel, AMD, and Apple silicon-powered laptops in various benchmark tests.

2. Stunning OLED Display: The Surface Pro 11 offers an optional 13-inch 2880x1920 OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, providing excellent color accuracy, deep blacks, and high contrast ratios, making it an ideal choice for creatives and movie enthusiasts.

3. Long Battery Life: The Surface Pro 11 boasts impressive battery life, with over 12 hours of web browsing and up to 14 hours of video playback, challenging the Apple MacBooks in terms of longevity.

4. Flexible Flex Keyboard: The new Surface Pro Flex Keyboard provides an outstanding experience with its wireless Bluetooth connectivity, allowing users to detach the keyboard and use it remotely. The Flex Keyboard is also backward compatible with Surface Pro 8 and 9 devices.

5. Improved Compatibility: Windows 11 on the Surface Pro 11 has made significant strides in app compatibility, thanks to Prism emulation, which translates x86 instructions into Arm instructions, allowing most apps to run smoothly without any major issues.

6. AI-accelerated Copilot+ Experiences: The Surface Pro 11 is a Copilot+ PC, featuring AI-powered tools and features that leverage the device's NPU to enhance productivity and creativity.

7. Affordable Pricing: The Surface Pro 11 starts at $999, making it a more affordable option compared to its predecessors and some of its competitors, offering excellent value for its performance and features.

Overall, the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is a significant upgrade from its previous versions, offering exceptional performance, stunning display options, long battery life, and a range of AI-powered features, making it a strong contender in the 2-in-1 laptop market.