Microsoft’s Surface Pro 11 is not the first Surface Pro to be based on the ARM architecture, with 2019’s Surface Pro X being the most notable until now. With the Pro 11 range, Microsoft has gone all-in with a pure ARM-based portfolio at launch. I’ve spent time with the Surface Pro 11 to look at the impact of ARM in the Windows hardware space.
Microsoft Surface Pro 11
It’s not just Microoft’s Surface team making this move; Partners including Samsung, Asus and Dell have focused on ARM-based Windows 11 PCs over the summer launch cycle. But the Surace Pro, Microsoft’s own machine, carries the most weight.
Microsoft has been here before. 2019’s Surface Pro X was released, sporting the ARM-based SQ1 chipset from Qualcomm. It offered the extended battery life and improved connectivity of an ARM-based device, yet it had some serious limitations; the chip was underpowered compared to even a mid-range laptop of the day, there was a limited pool of ARM-based applications that could run natively, and the emulation of x86 to allow existing Windows apps to run was poor at best.
Five years later, has the value proposition of Windows on ARM been achieved?
Microsoft Surface Pro 11
Five years of development in the silicon space means that the Windows on ARM platform is in much better shape. The Snapdragon X is the key to unlocking the current fascination with ARM.
Everything looks like a Surface Pro. You have the tablet-like design. Running the entire length is the adjustable kickstand that is still to be bettered as part of an integrated design. You have a touchscreen display with minimal bezels. And you still have the annoyance that the detachable keyboard and stylus that transforms the Pro from a Windows tablet to a full-blown PC are additional purchases.
The entry-level model comes in at $999 for the 8GB RAM 128GB storage model, up to $2,099 for the 32 GB RAM with 1 TB of storage. You’ll need to add anything from $140 for the standard Surface Pro keyboard to $450 for the new flex keyboard and stylus combination. That’s a premium price for a premium design. Thankfully, it has the performance, even if the potential is less than you might hope for.
Microsoft Surface Pro 11
Since its launch, the Surface Pro 11 has been put through countless benchmarks; the consensus is that the multicore performance edges out some of the landmark Intel Core i-7 Ultra chipsets. Compared to the 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 laptop, Apple has the single-core win while Microsoft wins on multicore—although the Snapdragon ships with 10 or 12 cores, compared to the eight cores of the M3.
ARM chips by design, are more power efficient than the x86 equivalent, and the Surface Pro 11’s heart is no different. That means you’ll get battery life above a similarly specced Intel machine. Given that the typical apps running on the Pro 11 will not be heavy-hitting, Microsoft’s battery life estimates of 10 hours of active-web usage and 14 hours of watching videos are born out by my real-world experience.
To judge on hardware alone, the Surface Pro 11 is a stunning update to Microsoft’s flagship form factor, delivering some of the best numbers for a 2-in-1 ever seen.
Microsoft Surface Pro 11
But it’s not all about the hardware. It’s about the software. This is an ARM-based machine, not an x86-based machine. Apps must be specially coded or complied to run under the ARM architecture or rely on the built-in x86 emulation to run applications not specifically targetting the platform.
It should come as no surprise that the responsiveness and ability of Microsoft’s first-party apps are on par with an equivalent x86 machine. And that’s the equivalent of a high i7-Ultra, not the base i5 model. These apps do more than work; they work well.
When you consider how much work is done inside a browser, the fact that Microsoft’s Edge browser is one of the smoothest apps on the ARM platform means that almost every one of “the basics” is covered. One of the weaknesses the Pro X faced was browser support… when it launched, Edge had to run under emulation, and it took Google until this year to release an ARM version of Chrome to the public. Until that point, Chrome relied on the emulation layer, and while it would run admirably, it felt sluggish. Now, its comparable to the x86 versions of Chrome on older Surface laptops and offers similar performance to the ARM versions available for Chromebooks and MacBooks.
This illustrates the key discussion point around the Surface Pro 11… will the apps you need run on the device? Popular apps with a broad user base are being ported to ARM, and you will notice little difference in running these on the Pro 11 compared to earlier x86-based Pro models. The emulation software has been improving since the Pro X launch five years ago and is at the point where most light- and medium-weight apps will run with little compromise.
Lean into larger apps with significant demands on the CPU and GPU, especially high-end creativity tools such as video editing, and you will struggle. Then there are those that refuse to run… a significant number of gaming titles will either not run correctly or even allow themselves to be installed on the Pro 11 or any ARM-based laptops.. Microsoft and Qualcomm have been careful to emphasise that the Snapdragon Elite chipsets powering the Pro 11 (and the other new ARM-based laptops) are not for gaming.
Yet these concerns, while valid, don’t impact most use cases. Microsoft’s emulation layer is mature, and while apps do run slower than a native ARM version of the app, they do run at an acceptable level. Mostly. Windows apps are complicated beasts, and there may be quirks and oddities when using the emulation layer. If there is a key application you need for your workflow, it’s best to find a way to test it out before purchase.
One difference between the Surface Pro 11 and the first Pro X is that this is not an issue exclusive to Microsoft’s hardware. The raft of laptops running Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite series means that many of this year’s new laptops will be Windows laptops running ARM. That’s a huge target for developers to ensure their apps run smoothly through the emulation layer and to consider working on their ARM builds.
Microsoft Surface Pro 11
The Surface line has always played to two camps; the first is as a demonstration platform on Microsoft’s vision of computing, and the second is to offer consumers a ‘clean’ version of Windows. Other manufacturers may add their software, design touches, and hardware decisions, but the Surface is the ‘Route One’ of Windows.
With the Surface Pro 11, Microsoft has given the clearest signal possible that the Windows on ARM project is now ready for the mainstream. Its partners agree. It’s given the same signal to consumers. This isn’t a sideline project for the enthusiast; it’s the main line of Surface Pro machines. It has the latest design with modern hardware and is at the cutting edge of technology.
While the Surface Pro 11 has rough edges, there are promising signs these will be buffed out over the next year. It is not yet fully formed, but it’s already a competitive choice for many. For others, the progress of Windows on ARM, emulation and an increasing number of native apps will need to all show progress before it can be considered an all-around machine. For now, this vision of the future has a tightly specific audience,
Disclaimer: Microsoft UK provided a Surface Pro 11, Surface Pro Flex Keyboard and Slim Pen for review purposes.