Microsoft Surface Laptop 5: Fancy notebook with Dolby Vision IQ

With the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5, the company has finally unveiled the successor to the model from 2021, for which first details were already leaked in February. It will be offered in two sizes and relies on 12th-generation Intel Core processors.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 in detail

At a launch event, Microsoft made the new Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 official. The chic design is largely similar to its predecessor, and the laptop is offered in five different color variants: Platinum with Alcantara, Platinum (metal), Sage (metal), Black (metal) and Sandsten (metal).

There are also differences in the display size, because the Surface Laptop 5 is available with either a 13.5-inch or a 15-inch PixelSense display. Both offer a 3:2 aspect ratio, a contrast ratio of 1300:1 and a maximum brightness of 400 nits. The displays also offer 10-point multi-touch and feature Dolby Vision IQ, which automatically adjusts the brightness to the environment for HDR content.

However, there are differences in the resolution. The 13.5-inch model has a resolution of 2256 x 1504 pixels, the 15-inch model has 2496 x 1664 pixels. That corresponds to a value of 201 ppi for both models.

Intel Alder Lake and up to 32 GB RAM

Offered is the new Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 with Intel Alder Lake processors. For the 13.5-inch model, there is a choice between the Intel Core i5-1235U and the Intel Core i7-1255U – both combine two performance with eight efficiency cores and 12 threads. In return, only the i7-1255U is available for the 15 incher.

Unlike last year, Microsoft does not offer AMD processors this time. At least at this point in time. In addition, there is a choice of 8 GB, 16 GB or 32 GB of fast LPDDR5x RAM, as well as exchangeable SSDs with 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB capacity. The graphics calculation is always done internally via the Intel Iris Xe graphics unit.

In return, Microsoft also promises a convincing battery life of up to 18 hours (13.5-inch model) and up to 17 hours (15-inch variant). Nevertheless, the notebooks remain relatively light with a weight of 1,297 grams and 1,560 grams, respectively, and come with an overall height of 14.5 and 14.7 cm, respectively.

The rest of the features

The other features are shared by both variants of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5, including a camera with 720p resolution and face recognition for Windows Hello login, Omnisonic speakers with Dolby Atmos support and two microphones.

In terms of ports, there is one USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 4, one USB-A 3.1, a 3.5 mm jack, and a Surface Connect port. Wirelessly, the notebooks communicate with Wi-Fi 6, as well as Bluetooth 5.1.

Prices and availability

The new Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 models are available for pre-order and configuration now directly from Microsoft and will begin shipping on October 25. The smaller model starts at an MSRP of 1,179 Euros, while the 15-inch model starts at 1,529 Euros.