89
Apple
MacBook Air M4 15"
- 18-hour battery life
- Fanless, completely silent
- Stunning Liquid Retina display
Microsoft
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7
0 /100
Our Verdict
The best Surface laptop yet. Snapdragon X Elite finally makes Windows on ARM viable. Excellent battery life and a gorgeous display, though some legacy apps may need emulation.
Detailed Scores
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Outstanding 20-hour battery life
- Beautiful PixelSense touchscreen
- Fanless and silent
- Excellent for Microsoft 365 workflows
Cons
- Some apps need x86 emulation
- No discrete GPU option
- Only 2 USB-C ports
Specifications
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (12-core)
Graphics Qualcomm Adreno (integrated)
RAM 16 GB LPDDR5x
Storage 512 GB SSD
Display 13.8" PixelSense, 2304x1536, 120Hz, touch, 600 nits
Battery 54 Wh, up to 20h
Weight 1.34 kg
Ports 2x USB-C (USB4), Surface Connect, 3.5mm
Operating System Windows 11 on ARM
Where to Buy
Amazon.co.uk
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Compare With
82
Acer
Acer Swift Go 14
- OLED display under EUR 900
- Good all-day battery
- Lightweight at 1.3 kg
86
Lenovo
ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12
- Best-in-class keyboard
- MIL-STD-810H durability
- Excellent port selection
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Windows on ARM run all my apps?
Most popular apps now have native ARM versions. Older x86 apps run through emulation with a small performance penalty. Critical professional apps like Photoshop and Office run natively.
How does it compare to the MacBook Air?
Very competitive. Battery life is similar, and the Surface has a touchscreen. The MacBook Air has a better app ecosystem and resale value.
Is it good for coding?
Yes, VS Code, most IDEs, and Docker now run natively on ARM. Some niche development tools may still need emulation.