The NEW Surface Pro + Laptop - First Impressions

Dave2D
20 May 202407:40

Summary

TLDRIn the laptop industry, the introduction of the powerful Snapdragon X chip promises enhanced energy efficiency and potentially lower costs. Devices like the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 feature OLED screens for improved image quality. Lenovo's Yoga Slim 7x and Asus's VivoBook S15, starting at $1200 and $1100 respectively, offer impressive specs and battery life, aiming to deliver multi-day use. While initial impressions are positive, the success of these ARM-based Windows devices hinges on the performance of app emulation and real-world testing.

Takeaways

  • πŸ’» New laptops with the Snapdragon X chip have been launched, promising powerful performance and excellent energy efficiency.
  • πŸ”‹ The Snapdragon X chip is expected to deliver incredible battery life due to its energy-efficient design.
  • πŸ’° These chips are also anticipated to be cheaper, which could lead to a reduction in the overall cost of laptops.
  • πŸ–₯️ Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 have been updated with OLED panels, offering better contrast ratios and viewing angles.
  • πŸ“ The Surface Laptop 7 now features rounded corners on the display, a design change not previously seen on Surface laptops.
  • πŸ”§ The keyboard on the Surface Laptop 7 includes a co-pilot key for AI functionalities, indicating a focus on AI integration.
  • πŸ†• The trackpads on the Surface Laptop 7 have been updated to haptic touchpads, providing a new user experience.
  • πŸ”₯ The new Surface Laptop appears to have a thicker middle segment, possibly for better thermal management with the Snapdragon X Elite chip.
  • πŸ”Œ The Surface Laptop 7 has an extra USB-C port on the left side, while the right side retains the Surface Connect port.
  • πŸ€” Concerns remain about the support for nonnative apps on ARM chips, with the success of these laptops potentially hinging on effective emulation.
  • πŸ“ˆ Other manufacturers like Lenovo and Asus have also introduced devices with the Snapdragon X chip, offering competitive pricing and features.

Q & A

  • What is the significance of the new Snapdragon X chip in the laptop world?

    -The new Snapdragon X chip is significant because it is a powerful chip with excellent energy efficiency, which is expected to result in incredible battery life for laptops. It's also a cost-effective chip, potentially reducing the overall price of laptops that incorporate it.

  • What are the major changes in the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7?

    -The major changes in the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 include the update to OLED panels for both devices, which offer better contrast ratios and viewing angles. The Surface Laptop 7 also features rounded corners on the display for the first time, and an updated haptic touchpad.

  • Why are the rounded corners on the Surface Laptop 7 notable?

    -The rounded corners on the Surface Laptop 7 are notable because they represent a new design language for Surface devices, which previously did not have rounded corners. This change is reminiscent of Apple's MacBook design but is applied to all four corners, including the bottom ones.

  • What is the 'co-pilot key' and what does it do?

    -The 'co-pilot key' is a new feature on the Surface Laptop 7 that serves as an AI button. When pressed, it triggers various AI functionalities and is related to the conversation around the new co-pilot and co-pilot plus features that will be discussed in future updates.

  • How have the trackpads on the Surface Laptops been updated?

    -The trackpads on the Surface Laptops have been updated to haptic touchpads. This means they no longer use a physical lever mechanism to move up and down but instead have a motor inside that simulates the sensation of tapping on the touchpad.

  • What design change has been made to the new Surface Laptop to accommodate the Snapdragon X chips?

    -The new Surface Laptop has a chunkier middle segment in its base design, which is believed to be to support better thermals and accommodate the higher wattage of the Snapdragon X Elite chips.

  • What is the potential problem with the Snapdragon X chips in terms of software support?

    -The potential problem with the Snapdragon X chips is the support for nonnative apps. Many Windows apps do not have native support for ARM chips, which could be a weakness unless the emulation provided by Microsoft and Qualcomm is effective.

  • What are the starting prices for Lenovo's Yoga Slim 7x and Asus's VivoBook S15?

    -The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x starts at $1,200, and the Asus VivoBook S15 starts at $1,100.

  • What are some standout features of the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x?

    -The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x features a full metal design, a 1.5 mm travel keyboard, a 14.5-inch OLED panel that gets super bright, and a 70Wh hour battery, all packed into a thin and light 1.29 cmet thin and 1.29 kilos body.

  • What makes the Asus VivoBook S15 unique among the Snapdragon X laptops mentioned?

    -The Asus VivoBook S15 is unique because it has a larger 15-inch 120Hz 3K screen and offers a higher wattage of 45 Watts for the Snapdragon X chip. It also includes a lot of I/O options such as two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a Micro SD reader.

  • What advice does the script give to consumers about the new Snapdragon X laptops?

    -The script advises consumers not to rush out and buy the new Snapdragon X laptops immediately, but to wait for retail reviews to ensure that the emulation for nonnative apps is good enough and that the devices deliver on their promises.

Outlines

00:00

πŸ’» New Laptops with Snapdragon X Chip

The laptop industry has seen a significant launch with the introduction of devices featuring the new Snapdragon X chip, which is reputed for its high performance and impressive energy efficiency. This chip is expected to extend battery life and reduce the cost of laptops. The script discusses initial impressions of the new Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7, both from Microsoft, which now boast OLED panels for enhanced image quality and contrast ratios. The Surface Laptop 7 introduces rounded corners on its display, a design choice that aligns with the overall aesthetic of Surface devices. Additionally, the inclusion of a 'co-pilot' key hints at AI functionalities to be explored further in the future. The trackpads have been updated to haptic touchpads, and the device appears to have a thicker middle segment, possibly for better thermal management. The script also mentions the retooling of Microsoft's hardware to accommodate the Snapdragon X Elite chip, indicating a commitment to delivering a quality ARM-based Windows device. Concerns are raised about the support for nonnative apps on ARM chips, with the hope that emulation will be effective. Pricing details are not provided, but the expectation is that these devices will be more affordable than anticipated.

05:02

🌟 Impressions on Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x and Asus VivoBook S15

The script also reviews Lenovo's Yoga Slim 7x and Asus's VivoBook S15, two laptops that integrate the Snapdragon X chip and offer impressive specifications at competitive starting prices of $1,200 and $1,100, respectively. The Yoga Slim 7x features a full metal design, a responsive keyboard, and a 14.5-inch OLED panel capable of reaching peak brightness levels of 1,000 nits. It is remarkably thin and light, with a 70Wh battery that promises multi-day battery life, potentially up to 21 hours, although this claim is yet to be verified. On the other hand, the VivoBook S15 offers a larger 15-inch screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 3K resolution. It is not as premium as the Yoga Slim 7x but includes a higher wattage Snapdragon X chip and a range of I/O options, such as two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a Micro SD reader. The script expresses optimism about the launch of Snapdragon X devices, noting the quality of the devices and the commitment shown by companies like Microsoft in retooling their hardware for ARM chips. The author advises potential buyers to wait for retail reviews before making a purchase, with a particular focus on the performance of app emulation on these new devices.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘Snapdragon X chip

The Snapdragon X chip is a powerful processor designed by Qualcomm for laptops and other devices. It is highlighted in the video for its impressive energy efficiency, which translates to potentially longer battery life for devices using it. The script discusses the introduction of this chip in new laptop models, suggesting a shift towards more affordable and efficient computing options.

πŸ’‘Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency refers to the amount of energy required to perform a certain operation or task. In the context of the video, it is a key feature of the Snapdragon X chip, which is said to offer 'awesome energy efficiency'. This is significant as it implies that laptops with this chip could have superior battery performance, an important consideration for mobile devices.

πŸ’‘OLED panels

OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diodes, a technology used in display screens that offers superior contrast ratios and viewing angles compared to traditional LCD screens. The script mentions that both the Surface Pro 11 and the Surface Laptop 7 now feature OLED panels, enhancing the visual experience for users and indicating a trend towards higher quality displays in laptops.

πŸ’‘Surface Pro 11

The Surface Pro 11 is a tablet-laptop hybrid device from Microsoft. It is mentioned in the script as having an updated OLED screen, which is a significant upgrade from previous models. The device's design and features are discussed, emphasizing the importance of bezels for tablet functionality and the ease of SSD access, showcasing the evolution of Microsoft's Surface line.

πŸ’‘Surface Laptop 7

The Surface Laptop 7 is a laptop from Microsoft that has undergone noticeable changes, particularly in its display. The script highlights the new OLED panels and the introduction of rounded corners on the display, a design feature that aligns with the overall aesthetic of the Surface devices. The discussion of the device's design and features reflects the ongoing innovation in laptop design.

πŸ’‘Co-pilot key

The Co-pilot key is a feature on the new Microsoft Surface devices that serves as an AI button. Pressing it is said to activate various AI functionalities, as mentioned in the script. This key represents the integration of artificial intelligence into user interfaces, aiming to enhance user experience through smart assistance.

πŸ’‘Haptic touchpad

A haptic touchpad is a type of touchpad that uses a motor to simulate the sensation of a physical click, eliminating the traditional mechanical lever mechanism. The script notes that the Surface Laptops have been updated to include haptic touchpads, indicating a move towards more advanced and user-friendly input devices.

πŸ’‘Snapdragon X Elite

The Snapdragon X Elite is a higher-tier version of the Snapdragon X chip, mentioned in the script as having a slightly higher wattage. This suggests it is designed for more powerful devices or for those requiring more processing power. The script discusses the potential of this chip to be used in new Surface devices, indicating a commitment to performance.

πŸ’‘Nonnative apps

Nonnative apps refer to applications that are not specifically designed or optimized for a particular hardware platform or operating system. The script raises a concern about the support for nonnative apps on ARM-based Windows devices, which is crucial for ensuring a smooth user experience and compatibility with existing software ecosystems.

πŸ’‘Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x is a laptop model highlighted in the script for its full metal design, thin and light form factor, and impressive OLED display. It starts at $1,200 and is noted for offering a high level of 'awesomeness' for its price, indicating that it provides excellent value and performance in the laptop market.

πŸ’‘VivoBook S15

The VivoBook S15 is an ASUS laptop mentioned in the script as a more affordable option starting at $1,100. It features a larger 15-inch screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 3K resolution. The script points out that despite being a more budget-friendly option, it still offers a high wattage Snapdragon X chip and a comprehensive set of I/O ports, making it an attractive choice for consumers.

Highlights

New laptops launched with the powerful Snapdragon X chip, known for its energy efficiency and potential for long battery life.

The new chips are expected to be cheaper, which could lower the overall price of laptops.

Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 feature OLED panels for improved contrast ratios and viewing angles.

Surface Laptop 7 introduces rounded corners on the display, a first for the product line.

Keyboard includes a new co-pilot key for AI functionalities.

Surface Laptops now have haptic touchpads replacing the traditional mechanical lever mechanism.

Surface Laptop 7 appears to have a thicker middle section, possibly for better thermal management.

Microsoft has retooled their Surface Laptop hardware to better support ARM chips.

An extra USB-C port has been added to the Surface Laptops.

Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus chips are yet to be fully evaluated for performance in retail units.

Lenovo's Yoga Slim 7x starts at $1,200 and offers a full metal design with a 14.5-inch OLED panel.

Yoga Slim 7x is incredibly thin and light with a 70Wh battery for potentially multi-day use.

Asus's VivoBook S15 starts at $1,100 and features a 15-inch 120Hz 3K OLED screen.

VivoBook S15 has the highest wattage Snapdragon X laptop seen so far at 45 watts.

The new Snapdragon X devices are expected to have good emulation support for nonnative apps.

A detailed review of the performance and features of these new devices is forthcoming.

Transcripts

00:01

today is a big day in the laptop world

00:03

because a bunch of devices were launched

00:04

with the new Snapdragon X chip this is

00:07

supposedly a very powerful chip with

00:09

awesome Energy Efficiency so like

00:11

incredible battery life and these are

00:14

supposed to be cheaper chips so it' be

00:15

able to put this type of chip into a

00:17

laptop makes that whole product come

00:19

down in price okay I was able to spend a

00:21

little bit of time with a few of them

00:23

and these are some First Impressions I'm

00:24

going to start off with some surface

00:26

devices so with the Surface Pro 11 and

00:28

the surface laptop 7 with the laptops

00:31

having the biggest changes the screens

00:33

on both devices are now OLED panels so

00:35

the 13.5 in IPS panel for the previous

00:38

generation has now been updated to a

00:39

13.8 in OLED panel and the 15-in panel

00:43

as well but they both have much better

00:44

contrast ratios and viewing angles just

00:47

better image quality they would get with

00:48

OLED Tech and you get thinner bezels but

00:51

you also get for the first time that I

00:52

can think of on a Surface laptop rounded

00:55

corners on the display now Apple's been

00:57

doing this on their MacBooks for like

00:59

over a decade at this point but they

01:01

only do the top corners like the top

01:02

left top right this on the surface

01:04

laptop here we're seeing it on all four

01:06

corners including the bottom ones and

01:08

it's just I don't know I like the look I

01:09

don't think it's for everyone but I

01:11

think it's just like a nice design

01:12

language that I think goes really well

01:14

with the overall design of the surface

01:16

devices uh the keyboard hasn't really

01:18

changed other than the inclusion of

01:19

their co-pilot key which is like their

01:21

AI button you press that and it'll do

01:23

wonderful AI things that whole

01:25

conversation of co-pilot and the new

01:27

co-pilot plus that's a whole separate

01:29

convers ation that'll come in the future

01:31

the trackpads on the surface laptops

01:33

have also been updated they're now a

01:35

haptic touchpad in the sense that

01:36

they're no longer like a physical can

01:38

lever mechanism that goes up and down it

01:40

is now a motor on the inside that

01:42

simulates the sensation of tapping on

01:44

that touch pad and both the 13.8 and

01:47

15-in devices have this change another

01:49

thing the new Surface laptop seemed a

01:51

little chunkier than before so like the

01:53

base of the device has a beefier middle

01:55

segment which I actually like to see

01:57

because usually that means better

01:58

thermals and I imagine they went with

02:00

this kind of chunkier design because

02:03

they wanted to be to support the highest

02:05

tier of Snapdragon X chips like the

02:07

Snapdragon X Elite that has a slightly

02:09

higher wattage and they want to be able

02:11

to run that chip on these new Surface

02:13

devices but the interesting thing to me

02:15

is that for years now the surface

02:17

laptops when it came to the Intel

02:19

chipped versions those were just barely

02:21

able to keep up with the heat output of

02:23

those Intel chips but they retooled

02:25

everything for the arm chips which to me

02:27

is like okay Microsoft at least on the

02:29

hardware level is very committed or

02:31

seemingly very committed to actually

02:33

delivering a good product here because

02:35

they actually spent all the money and

02:37

resources to retool this entire products

02:39

lineup that's good to hear now in terms

02:42

of ports you get an extra USBC on the

02:43

left side and on the right side is just

02:45

the surface connect okay the performance

02:48

of this chip so these chips the

02:50

Snapdragon X Elite and the Snapdragon X

02:53

Plus they're both supposedly awesome but

02:56

we've only seen it with synthetic

02:57

benchmarks and stuff that the companies

02:59

have demo mode with intent the real

03:01

question and really think the only kind

03:03

of potential problem that we might see

03:05

with this product is the support for

03:08

nonnative apps so if you're new to this

03:11

whole conversation of like arm chips

03:13

with Windows devices all the stuff seems

03:15

good so far right but the one weakness

03:18

is a lot of Windows apps do not have

03:21

native support for this type of Chip

03:24

These Arm chips and we've been promised

03:26

from the developers from Microsoft from

03:28

Qualcomm that this time around they

03:31

they've got it they've got it all

03:32

covered the emulation will be good

03:34

everything will be solid but I need to

03:35

see the performance with my own eyes on

03:37

retail units none of this like Early

03:39

Access stuff uh the other product from

03:41

Microsoft is their Surface Pro 11 so

03:43

this now has an OLED screen which looks

03:45

quite a bit better than what they had

03:46

previously because it's OLED the size

03:49

seem the same and same with the bezels

03:50

they didn't change it it's a good thing

03:52

I think with a tablet you need to have a

03:53

good amount of bezel so you're not like

03:54

accidentally misclicking when you're

03:56

holding it as a tablet most of this

03:57

device seemed completely unchanged from

03:59

the exterior it still has the same clean

04:01

design on the back and you still have

04:02

easy access to the SSD by pushing the

04:04

metal plate that has magnets holding it

04:06

now at the time of shooting this I don't

04:08

have specific pricing on any of those

04:09

Microsoft service devices I was told

04:11

that they'd be cheaper than I would

04:12

expect but because of the live event

04:14

I'll be updating any kind of pricing and

04:16

extra details down the description but I

04:18

do think that they'll be cheaper than

04:20

before but I do have two other devices

04:22

that I think are arguably more

04:23

interesting and I do have details and

04:26

pricing the first one is this one this

04:28

is lenovo's yoga slim 7x and this thing

04:31

starts at $1,200 and for the money you

04:34

get a crazy amount of Awesomeness in a

04:36

laptop so this is a full metal design

04:38

like classic yoga build right but the

04:42

keyboard is just it's awesome this is a

04:46

1.5 mm travel it's strangely responsive

04:50

but because this is so thin like look at

04:52

this thing man this is 1.29 millimet

04:55

thin sorry 1.29 cmet thin so 12.9

04:59

millimet it's super thin super light at

05:01

1.29 kilos and it's

05:04

like it it's crazy how compact this

05:07

thing is with a 14-in screen so this is

05:10

a 14.5 in OLED panel that gets super

05:15

bright I think it Peaks at 1,00 nits

05:18

this is all like pre-release or pre-

05:20

retail soft or Hardware so I can't

05:22

really I don't want to measure it and

05:24

give you numbers but the the goal of it

05:26

is be able to hit 1,000 nits at Peak but

05:28

this thing is so good for the money

05:31

because typically if you're going to get

05:32

a device like this with an Intel or AMD

05:34

chip this thing would have been like

05:35

1,500 bucks easy but to get this kind of

05:37

performance and a 70w hour battery so

05:42

the 70w hour battery combined with the

05:43

Snapdragon X chip my guess they wouldn't

05:47

give me numbers yet but my guess is it's

05:48

going to be like a 20h hour claimed

05:51

battery this is supposed to be a

05:53

multi-day battery product uh I legit

05:57

think they're going to be like this

05:58

thing's 21 hours like out of the box

06:00

that would be crazy but again all the

06:02

testing has to come later but for the

06:04

money I think this is really solid the

06:06

other product I want to dry your

06:07

attention to is the Viva book S15 from

06:10

Asus this is an even cheaper device

06:11

starts at $1,100 but this has a bigger

06:14

screen at 15 in it's also a really nice

06:16

looking panel 120 HZ 3K but this isn't

06:19

as premium of a product overall as the

06:21

Lenovo Yoga slim 7x I do think that

06:24

because of the bigger screen you'll also

06:25

have a slightly shorter battery life

06:27

they both have 70w hour batteries but

06:29

the interesting thing about this Asus

06:31

product the Viva book S15 is it does

06:32

have the highest wattage of the

06:34

Snapdragon X laptops I've seen so far so

06:36

45 Watts at the top end you also get a

06:39

lot of IO including two usba and an HDMI

06:42

port and a Micro SD reader to boot so my

06:44

initial impression on this whole like

06:46

launch of Snapdragon X devices it's just

06:50

so much better than I than I thought it

06:51

would be like when they first announced

06:53

it we saw all the launch partners and it

06:55

seemed like okay there's a lot of

06:56

companies on board but I'm impressed by

06:59

the caliber or devices that are coming

07:00

out the fact that Microsoft like

07:02

retooled their surface laptop Hardware

07:05

finally but for arm devices like that's

07:07

telling uh and then you just saw like

07:09

two other really good devices like I

07:11

think the the options are really good

07:14

for consumers at this point don't go out

07:16

and buy it until you see the retail like

07:18

reviews I think my hope is that the

07:22

emulation is going to be good enough it

07:25

it better be or else all of this is just

07:27

going to go to waste but wait for the

07:29

reviews uh I'll be doing pretty

07:30

extensive reviews on the performance and

07:32

the stuff so be tuned for that if you're

07:33

interested uh but there you have it the

07:36

Snapdragon X laptops are finally here

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