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Normally when Microsoft launches a new Surface machine, there’s quite a bit of fanfare.
But that’s not the case today.
New Surface devices with Snapdragon chips are available in a wider range of colors than the latest Intel-powered Surface Laptop and Surface Pro.
That’s because the new Surface devices are meant for business customers.
The new models of the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 look nearly identical to the Snapdragon-powered counterparts.
There are some differences, such as the Intel versions having anti-reflective screens.
New Surface devices with Snapdragon chips are available in a wider range of colors than the latest Intel-powered Surface Laptop and Surface Pro.
The Surface Pro with an Intel chip also has NFC built-in, which is handy for business users.
The Intel versions of the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 are only available in platinum or black.
The Snapdragon-powered Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 get another win in this category.
Intel vs Snapdragon: Price
Price is the biggest difference between the new Surface devices.
The Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 with Intelstartat $1,499.99.
Maxing out the specs would cost you an eye-watering $2,499.99 for the Surface Pro 11.
New Surface devices with Snapdragon chips are available in a wider range of colors than the latest Intel-powered Surface Laptop and Surface Pro.
The most expensive Surface Laptop 7 for Business costs $2,599.99.
Right now, both Snapdragon-powered Surface devices are $200 off at several retailers.
Intel vs Snapdragon: Performance
Performance is a similar story to battery life.
Surface devices powered by Snapdragon processors are more affordable than Intel-powered equivalents.
That better performance for Snapdragon chips refers to when running native apps.
Emulated apps see a dip in performance, which I discuss more below.
I do think the Snapdragon-powered devices will receive higher marks in the category.
Battery life on Surface devices with Snapdragon chips is expected to be better than that of Intel-powered Surface hardware.
There are also some apps that do not work at all.
The list of thebest native Windows on Arm appsgrows regularly and includes several big names.
Emulated apps do not perform as well as native apps, though they are generally usable.
The Snapdragon X Elite processor is more performant than a comparable chip from Intel.
But there are some apps that just do not play nicely with Snapdragon powered PCs.
I’m glad Microsoft has Intel and Snapdragon versions of its Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7.
Some apps are not compatible with PCs powered by Snapdragon processors.
