The Surface Laptop 4 is touted as Microsoft's “most powerful” laptop, according to the company While it does come with hardware to back up that claim, pitting it against Apple's MacBook Air is another story altogether. However, Microsoft is now changing the status quo of its laptop lineup through the introducing of more configuration options than ever before.
The Surface Laptop 3 broke the mold by being the first in the line to offer AMD CPU choices when it was first released back in 2019. However, only its 15-inch variants could be outfitted with an AMD Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 CPU, with the smaller 13.5-inch models only offered with Intel's 10th-generation Core i5 or i7 processors. Many were expecting the successor to come with meager incremental upgrades instead of being a total overhaul, but it seems like there's more to the Surface Laptop 4 than what initially meets the eye.
According to Microsoft, both 13.5-inch and 15-inch variants can now be equipped with either an Intel or AMD processor, with the larger model having an exclusive Ryzen 7 octa-core CPU configuration. Other than benefiting from Intel's latest 11th-generation processors, the new laptop also utilizes Dolby Atmos omnisonic speakers. Like before, there aren't many changes in terms of the aesthetics, but Microsoft claims that the Surface Laptop 4 does come with a revamped invisible hinge that allows users to open it with one finger. Compared to its predecessor, which had an estimated 11.5-hours battery life, the latest Surface Laptop is rated to offer up to nineteen hours.
Does Surface Laptop 4 Come Close To MacBook Air?
The MacBook Air's M1 processor is powerful enough to beat a 10th-generation Intel Core i9 CPU. That said, it's safe to say that it has ample processing power to outwork previous Surface Laptop iterations, which can only be equipped with a less-capable Intel Core i7, at best. However, the Surface Laptop 4's biggest upgrade lies in its latest 11th-gen Intel Core i7 CPUs, which are arguably just as good as the MacBook Air's chip, if not better. The choice of letting users opt for the more power-efficient eight-core AMD Ryzen 7 CPU also allows more flexibility and customization, compared to the single choice M1 MacBook Air buyers are presented with.
The Surface Laptop 4's lightest 13.5-inch variant comes in lighter than the more compact 13.3-inch MacBook Air as well. Not to mention, Microsoft's latest laptop also requires less dongles thanks to the inclusion of full-sized USB-A and USB-C ports, while the MacBook Air is still limited to dual Thunderbolt ports. Adding to the value, the Surface Laptop 4 is loaded with PixelSense touchscreen displays, and the 19-hour battery lasts a tad longer than the MacBook Air's advertised eighteen hours. Of course, there are still things only macOS can do that the Surface Laptop 4's Windows operating system cannot, and vice versa. Due to this, and although a recent Microsoft ad attempted to argue the Surface lineup's superiority over MacBook models, it is still a lot like comparing apples and oranges.