Report: Microsoft’s 2026 Surface Refresh to Start This Spring With New Intel Models

Microsoft just raised the prices of all of its Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models due to recent increases in memory and component costs, and there are no more Surface devices available under $1,000. That includes the latest 12-inch Surface Pro and 13-inch Surface Laptop that launched in May 2025 with a $799 starting price.

It’s hard to recommend Surface devices after Apple just launched a $699 MacBook Neo and a $1,099 M5 MacBook Air with 512GB of storage. However, Windows Central’s Zac Bowden reports that Microsoft plans to refresh its Surface lineup this year in two waves.

The first wave, coming in Spring 2026, will be powered by Intel Core Ultra 3, 5, and 7 CPUs, with the second wave this summer featuring Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus and Elite chips. “Unfortunately, I’m told Microsoft is not planning to offer any Surface PCs with Qualcomm’s new high-end Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme SoC, with only X2 Plus and X2 Elite options planned for this wave. Intel models are expected to be available in Ultra 5 and Ultra 7 variants, with no Ultra 9 options,” Bowden reported.

According to the report, the new Surface devices will start with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, with options to upgrade to 64GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. There should be no major design changes, though Microsoft may offer optional OLED displays for the first time on high-end Surface Laptop models. Higher resolution display options may also become available on some models.

Bowden also expects Microsoft’s upcoming Surface devices to feature upgraded haptics that may enable new haptic responses on Windows 11. Recent Windows 11 preview builds had a hidden setting for enabling “subtle vibrations when you snap windows, align objects, and more,” as shared by Phantomofearth on X back in November.

It remains to be seen if these new Surface lineups will be priced similarly to the current models, which received a $300 price bump for some of them. “In case you were holding out hope for a $599 Surface Laptop to compete with Apple’s new MacBook Neo, I’m told the company has no plans to ship such a device anytime soon,” Bowden wrote. To make the Surface price increases easier to swallow, Microsoft announced yesterday a limited-time Microsoft College Offer that will bundle 12 months of Microsoft 365 Premium, 12 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and a custom Xbox controller with the purchase of a new Surface device or another eligible Windows 11 PC from third-party manufacturers.