For a long time, Microsoft has introduced some top-quality surface laptops. Due to their premium standard, it can be said that Microsoft is aiming to compete with the Dell XPS series with these laptops. But there is not much of a change from the Surface Laptop 4 to the Surface Laptop 5, and it could be a good thing or a bad thing.
However, unfortunately, this year Microsoft has only changed a few things on the Surface Laptop 5, they are the new Sage color on the 13.5” model, made the USB Type-C port Thunderbolt 4, and upgraded the processor up to 12 generation Intel chips. That’s it.
Surface Laptop 5: Features
Super-Fast
- Snappy performance thanks to the 12th Gen Intel Core i5/i7 processors.
- Lightning-fast thunderbolt 4 can connect a 4k monitor, charge the laptop, and offers super-fast data transfer rate.
- Reliable all-day battery.
Sleek, Thin, Light
- The 13.5” PixelSense touchscreen delivers excellent portable productivity, while the bigger 15” model is for split-screen multitasking.
- Extremely compact and lightweight, starting at 2.80 lbs. (1,272 g) with a comfortable keyboard.
- Designed with Alcantara, or metal for that premium touch and feel. The bold colors enhance the beauty.
Eminent Experiences
- Sounds amazing with Studio Mics and improved camera capabilities.
- Experience ultra-vivid colors with Dolby Vision IQ and sound that moves all around you with Dolby Atmos.
Built-in Security for Work
- With Windows Hello & built-in Windows 11 security features.
- Get productive with Microsoft 365 and Clipchamp software.
- Play together with your friends and families on Windows PCs with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Surface Laptop 5: Display & Keyboard
The display on the Surface Laptop 5 is bright and legible, it can reach up to 420 nits in HDR content and hold at around 392 nits for non-HDR. To enjoy movies at night, the display can also produce a fairly dim black level at around 0.32 nits. One of the downsides of the display is that it is only 60Hz. Some may find it annoying but if you are not comparing it with a 120Hz display then it should be fine.
Microsoft has implemented a very simple keyboard layout with the Surface Laptop 5. Which is annoying as there is some extra space available around the keyboard. Therefore, typing can be uncomfortable sometimes, and the keyboard is also placed far up the chassis.
The keys are not very good either, they feel dull to press. That doesn’t mean you can’t type on it, you can and it’s totally fine for most users, but not a joy to use like Zenbook 14 for example.
Surface Laptop 5: Design
The Surface Laptop 5 colors are elusive, yet fashionable. The outside of the Surface 5 is still the same as the original, regardless of the new USB Type-C port and numerous new color introductions over the years.
Talking about ports, the Surface Laptop 5 has a USB Type-A, USB Type-C, Surface Connect, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The USB-Type-C has been upgraded to Thunderbolt 4, which can provide up to 40Gbps data transfer speed. Thunderbolt 4 also makes it possible to connect an external GPU, dual 4k Monitors, and so on.
Microsoft always makes great-designed laptops and this one is no slouch. The weight distribution is perfectly balanced, and the ‘lappability’ has also seen a slight improvement than the previous models.
Surface Laptop 5: Performance
Bad news for heavy users as Microsoft hasn’t made the Surface Laptop 5 to provide the best performance. It can be a great laptop for non-demanding tasks and should be alright for most casual consumers. Another point that distinguishes Surface Laptop 5 from other similarly priced laptops is the lack of using dedicated graphics.
The battery in the Surface Laptop 15 (15”) is also not large enough as it is only using a 47Wh, even though some might think the battery is big due to its bigger body dimension. But the good news is that Intel’s U-Series is not very power-hungry, and thanks to that the Surface Laptop 5 was able to receive an impressive 13 hours and 15 minutes in PCMark 10’s battery test.
Surface Laptop 5: Software
As we know Windows is from Microsoft, so there is no doubt that Surface Laptop 5 is running pure, unchanged Windows 11. The software is free of any third-party software, it’s a clean Windows 11 experience. Other manufacturers tend to install their own and other third-party software on their laptops, some software might be useful but most are not.
Surface Laptop 5: Special Features
- Goodbye to AMD, as the new Surface 5 comes with Intel-only options.
- Thunderbolt 4 has been added over USB Type-C only from Surface Laptop 4.
- Ice Blue option from the Surface Laptop 4 has been replaced with the new Sage option.
Surface Laptop 5 Specification
| Surface Laptop 5 | |
| Processor | Surface Laptop 5 13.5”: 12th Gen Intel® Core i5-1235U processor. 12th Gen Intel® Core i7-1255U processor. Surface Laptop 5 15”: 12th Gen Intel® Core i7-1255U processor |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
| Memory & Storage | Surface Laptop 5 13.5”: 8GB, 16GB LPDDR5x RAM. Removable solid-state drive (SSD) options: 256GB, 512GB. Surface Laptop 5 15”: 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB LPDDR5x RAM Removable solid-state drive (SSD) options: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB |
| Display | Surface Laptop 5 13.5”: Screen: 13.5” PixelSense Display Resolution: 2256 x 1504 (201 PPI) Aspect ratio: 3:2 Gorilla Glass 3 display on the laptop with Alcantara palm rest Gorilla Glass 5 display on the laptop with metal palm rest Surface Laptop 5 15”: Screen: 15” PixelSense Display Resolution: 2496 x 1664 (201 PPI) Aspect ratio: 3:2 Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Battery | Surface Laptop 5 13.5”: Up to 18 hours of typical device usage Surface Laptop 5 15”: Up to 17 hours of typical device usage |
| Size and Weight | Surface Laptop 5 13.5”: Length: 12.1” (308 mm) Width: 8.8” (223 mm) Height: .57” (14.5 mm) Weight: Fabric: 2.80 lbs (1,272 g) Metal: 2.86 lbs (1,297 g) Surface Laptop 5 15”: Length: 13.4” (340 mm) Width: 9.6” (244 mm) Height: .58” (14.7 mm) Weight: 3.44 lbs (1,545 g) |
| Video/Cameras | Windows Hello Face Authentication camera 720p HD front-facing camera |
| Audio | Omnisonic Speakers with Dolby Atmos. |
| Mics | Dual far-field Studio microphones |
| Connections | 1 x USB-C with USB 4.0/Thunderbolt 4 1 x USB-A 3.1 3.5mm headphone jack 1 x Surface Connect port |
| Network and connectivity | Wi-Fi 6: 802.11ax compatible Bluetooth Wireless 5.1 technology |
| Pen and accessories compatibility | Designed for Surface Pen Compatible with Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP) |
| Software | Windows 11 Home Preloaded Microsoft 365 Apps Microsoft 365 Family 30-day trial Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 30-day trial |
| What’s in the box | Power Supply Quick Start Guide Safety and warranty documents |
| Keyboard Compatibility | Activation: Moving keys Backlight Layout: English, full row of function keys (F1 – F12) Windows key and dedicated buttons for media controls, screen brightness |
Who Should Buy the Surface Laptop 5?
- If you want a large 15-inch laptop.
- If you are looking for a premium built laptop that does not cost premium prices.
- If your main work is productivity-related and not heavy gaming.
FAQ
What is the latest Surface Laptop 2022?
Microsoft released the new Surface Pro 9, Surface Laptop 5, and Surface Studio 2+ in October 2022. Currently, these three are the latest Surface laptops from Microsoft.
Verdict
If you are looking for a premium built, lightweight, and sleek laptop for productivity purposes then you can go for the Surface Laptop 5. However, if you are more into creative work like video editing then you should go for something else, like a Surface Laptop Studio. Surface Laptop 5 is a pretty good laptop with a low-powered processor, great battery, high-quality design, and good display for media consumption.
