Surface Laptop 4 price and availability :

The Surface Laptop 4 launched on April 15, 2021, starting at $999 (£999, AU$1,599). That price will get you the starting 13.5-inch configuration with an AMD Ryzen 5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. If you’re in the UK, however, you’ll have to wait a little while longer. The Surface Laptop 4 launches there on April 27.

If you want to go up to a 15-inch model, you’re looking at a Surface Laptop 4 price of $1,299 (£1,299, AU$2,199). That starting configuration gets you an AMD Ryzen 7 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. 

That means the biggest difference between the 15- and 13-inch Surface Laptop 4, at the entry level is the CPU. The AMD Ryzen 5 4680U is a 6-core, 12-thread part, where the Ryzen 7 4980U is 8-core, 16-thread. So, the 15-inch is going to be a bit better at heavily multi-threaded workloads like video editing. Everything else is basically the same. 

The 15-inch laptop does technically have a higher resolution, but it’s the same pixel density. It’s 201 PPI on either laptop, so there’s not going to be a noticeable difference either way you go. Still, a bigger laptop screen is a bigger laptop screen. 

You can also upgrade the rest of the laptop’s hardware if you need a bit more power. And, oddly, the higher configurations feature Intel hardware instead of AMD. The most powerful Surface Laptop you can get is the 15-inch model with an 11th-gen Intel Core i7 processor, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for $2,399 (£2,399, AU$3,999). 

It’s definitely an odd configuration, given that the workloads that would need the most RAM are the same workloads that would need the extra processor power that the Ryzen 7 4980U would bring to the table. Hopefully, Microsoft adds that configuration at a later date, we’re sure there’s some traveling video editor somewhere that would appreciate it. 

Here is the Surface Laptop 4 configuration : 

CPU: Intel Core i7-1185G7 (12MB cache, up to 4.8GHz boost)
Graphics: Intel Iris Xe
RAM: 16GB LPDDR4x
Screen: 13.5-inch PixelSense (2,256 x 1,504) touch
Storage: 512GB SSD (PCIe, NVMe, M.2)
Ports: 1 x USB-C, 1 x USB-A, combi audio jack, Surface Connect
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0
Camera: 720p IR Webcam
Weight: 2.79 pounds (1.27 kg)
Size: 12.1 x 8.8 x 0.57 inches (308 x 223 x 14.5 mm; W x D x H)

Source: 9Mobiles

Design

The Surface Laptop has always been a gorgeous piece of hardware, and the Surface Laptop 4 is definitely no exception. The model we got in for review is the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 4, and it is one of the most lightweight and thin laptops we’ve ever used that doesn’t totally suck to type on. 

It comes in four color options, and we got the Platinum option. It’s beautiful. The lid of the Platinum Surface Laptop 4 is, well, platinum-colored, with the only marking being a chrome Microsoft logo square in the middle of the laptop. The bottom of the laptop looks similar, but the keyboard tray has a slightly darker color. 

Performance

The Surface Laptop 4 we reviewed here is equipped with an Intel Core i7-1185G7 and 16GB of RAM, which means it has no problem with anything we threw at it. Even when we loaded this laptop up with literally dozens of Chrome tabs, while listening to music through YouTube and chatting on both Slack and Discord, the Surface Laptop 4 doesn’t show any sign of slowing down. 

That’s something that most laptops these days should be able to do, but what makes the Surface Laptop 4 so impressive is that it is able to do all of that without slowdown, while we are on battery power. 

Also while the Surface Laptop 4 definitely isn’t built for gaming, it was able to get a pretty respectable 5,151 points in 3DMark Fire Strike, which means it should be able to handle some of the best indie games. Just don’t go thinking you can run Cyberpunk 2077 at max settings or anything. 

Here’s how the Surface Laptop 4 performed :

Cinebench R23 CPU: 4,998 points
3DMark Time Spy: 1,807; Fire Strike: 5,151; Sky Diver: 17,559
GeekBench 5: 1,356 (single-core); 4,918 (multi-core)
PCMark 10 (Home Test): 4,290 points 
PCMark 10 Battery Life: 13 hours 20 minutes 
Battery Life : 11 hours 2 minute

Software and features

The best thing about any Surface device, including the Surface Laptop 4, is that you’re getting a pristine installation of Windows 10. 

There is not a trace of bloatware present, which means that the laptop boots up nice and quick every single time, and you don’t have to spend your first hour with the laptop disabling startup programs or uninstalling things. Honestly, that’s almost enough for us to recommend this laptop right off the bat. 

And unlike the first Surface Laptop, it’s a full Windows 10 installation, too – no S-Mode here – so this clean slate means that you can easily make the Surface Laptop 4 yours. 

Source: 91Mobiles

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 specifications :

Apart from their screen sizes and range of CPU options, both Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 variants have nearly identical specifications. For starters, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13.5 inches can be configured with either an AMD Ryzen 5 4680U, Intel Core i5-1135G7, and a Core i7-1185G7. The processor can be paired with up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of solid-state storage via an NVMe SSD. Its 13.5-inch screen has a resolution of 2,256 x 1,504 (3:2 aspect ratio) and is touch-enabled with supports 10-point multitouch. 

Moving on to the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15-inches, we get a larger screen with a resolution of 2,496 x 1,664. It is also touch-enabled and supports 10-point multitouch. CPU options are limited to the AMD Ryzen 7 4980U and Intel Core i7-1185G7. The maximum storage and RAM are the same as that of the 13.5-inch variant. Both notebooks are powered by a 47Wh battery and come with one Surface Connect port, one USB Type-A, and one USB Type-C port. Wi-Fi 6 support is included, too. 

Accessories to optimize your virtual meeting experience

With deep roots in PC accessories, we’re proud to offer a breadth of keyboards, mice and other accessories that feel tailored to individual needs – especially as we work, learn and play from home. In recent years, we’ve added audio accessories like Surface Headphones 2 and Surface Earbuds that begin with incredible acoustic quality, comfort and functionality wrapped in Surface’s iconic design ethos. Today, as people adapt to a spectrum of unique work environments, we’re responding with a new assortment of audio and video accessories certified for Microsoft Teams and great across all your favorite video conferencing apps. Each of these products offers plug-and-play functionality for seamless setup, great audio or video to make you look and sound your best, LED indicators to know your Teams status, and on-device call controls to keep you in the flow.

Conclusion: Is the Surface Laptop 4 worth buying?

Here’s the deal with the Surface Laptop 4. It’s an awesome laptop with fantastic build quality and great performance. The big deal-breaker is that it doesn’t have Thunderbolt 4. It’s tough to ignore the fact that this doesn’t come with an Intel Evo sticker, meaning that it doesn’t pass Intel’s tests for being a great ultra book. This is where you ask yourself if Thunderbolt matters to you. If it doesn’t, then it doesn’t matter. When you take Thunderbolt out of the equation, you’re left with a pretty great laptop. Also, I just wouldn’t be me if I didn’t complain just a little about the lack of a cellular option.

Like I said earlier, I’m quite smitten with the Alcantara fabric, but a lot of people hate it. That’s why there are aluminum options too. One thing that all options have in common is that they’re pretty, whether you’re buying the stealthy black color, the warm yet subtle Sandstone, or the classic Platinum.

Honestly, the rest of the boxes are checked. The Surface Laptop 4 has a great keyboard, a solid 3:2 display, a pretty design, and even removable storage. Starting at $999, the Surface Laptop 4 is worth buying as long as you don’t need Thunderbolt.