Microsoft's 12th Gen Surface Pro is here with a 13-inch screen and Snapdragon X2 processing power
Raw power and battery life are without a doubt the key selling points of the latest (overpriced) Surface Pro tablet.
No, the keyboard is still not included in the Surface Pro's base price. | Image by Microsoft
What comes after 2024's Surface Pro (11th Gen) with a 13-inch display and last year's 12-inch Surface Pro, which was confusingly not named the Surface Pro 12 or Surface Pro (12th Gen)? You guessed it, an actual Surface Pro (12th Edition) with a... 13-inch screen. And yes, the 12-inch Surface Pro (2025) is still around at a starting price of $1,049.99.
This spec sheet should clarify everything... or confuse you even more
- 13-inch OLED or LCD PixelSense touchscreen with 2880 x 1920 pixel resolution and 120Hz refresh rate technology;
- 10-core Snapdragon X2 Plus or 12-core Snapdragon X2 Elite processor;
- Qualcomm Adreno GPU;
- Qualcomm Hexagon NPU with 80 TOPS;
- Windows 11 Home;
- Up to 64GB LPDDR5x RAM;
- Up to 1TB removable solid-state drive (Gen 4 SSD);
- Up to 15.5 hours of battery life;
- 10MP rear-facing camera;
- 1440p ultrawide front-facing camera;
- 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos;
- Wi-Fi 7;
- Two USB-C/USB4 ports;
- 287 x 209 x 9.3mm dimensions;
- 895 grams weight;
- Platinum, black, and dune color options.
Wait, so what exactly is different here?
If you compare this latest 13-inch Surface Pro with the previous 13-inch edition (as is only fair), you'll probably notice that the cosmetic distinctions are essentially nonexistent and the internal differences pretty subtle on paper but likely to prove very meaningful out in the real world.
The biggest upgrade is without a doubt the Snapdragon X2 processor line, which promises "up to" 53 percent faster graphic performance than the first-gen Snapdragon X chips found inside the 2024-released Surface Pro (11th Edition).
Are you impressed with Microsoft's Surface Pro (12th Gen) upgrades?
Depending on your budget, you will be able to choose between a state-of-the-art new 12-core Snapdragon X2 Elite SoC and a slightly humbler 10-core Snapdragon X2 Plus, while the 2025-released 12-inch Surface Pro packs an even lower-end (but still reasonably fast) 8-core Snapdragon X Plus processor for Microsoft fans and Windows users looking to keep their spending as low as possible this summer.
The 12-inch Surface Pro, remember, promises to keep the lights on for up to 16 hours on a single charge thanks to that frugal chip, although the Surface Pro 13 (2026) actually comes super-close to that number, improving its 13-inch predecessor's battery life by a couple of hours.
The Surface Pro (12th Edition) can already be yours
If you don't mind the countless similarities between this "new" Windows tablet and the "old" Surface Pro (11th Gen), you can place your order today on Microsoft's official US e-store starting at $1,499.99.
You can get the new Surface Pro in Platinum (pictured here), Black, and Dune colorways. | Image by Microsoft
That will obviously only buy you a 256GB solid-state drive and a 16GB RAM count that's... pretty great by any standards, as well as an LCD screen and 10-core Snapdragon X2 Plus processor. The prices and key specs of the other configurations are as follows:
- $1,599.99 - 16GB RAM, 512GB storage, Snapdragon X2 Plus, LCD screen;
- $1,799.99 - 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Snapdragon X2 Elite, OLED panel;
- $2,099.99 - 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Snapdragon X2 Elite, OLED;
- $2,249.99 - 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Snapdragon X2 Elite, OLED;
- $2,749.99 - 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Snapdragon X2 Elite, OLED;
- $3,549.99 - 64GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Snapdragon X2 Elite, OLED.
How does the new Surface Pro compare to the competition?
There's no point beating it around the bush or trying to sugarcoat what's happening here. The Surface Pro (12th Gen) is undeniably overpriced compared to the likes of Apple's 13-inch iPad Pro (2025) and Samsung's 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, and it's difficult to recommend purchasing even the most affordable variants listed above.
Both the Apple M5-powered iPad Pro 13 and the gigantic Tab S11 Ultra, mind you, are normally available at base prices of $1,299, and that's before you consider the hefty discounts offered by retailers like Amazon and Samsung itself more and more frequently of late.
Microsoft's iconic kickstand is obviously not going anywhere. | Image by Microsoft
Just like its forerunners, the 13-inch Surface Pro (2026) doesn't include a keyboard or stylus in its retail prices, but when it comes to raw power and mobile productivity, it's hard to find a better tablet in the US right now. But are the Snapdragon X2 and Windows 11 experience enough to justify an expense of $1,499.99 (or more)?
You'll have to decide that for yourselves depending on your personal needs, preferences, and historical experiences. As far as I'm concerned, I think you should definitely consider all your (Windows, Android, and iPadOS) options before concluding what the best tablet is for you.
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