A Week with Surface Pro 11 OLED – Replacing my MacBook Air

The new Surface Pro 11 laptops have generated significant excitement for two major reasons. First, it features the Snapdragon X Elite chip, a new ARM-based processor claimed to be much faster than the MacBook Air's M3. Second, it is marketed as the world's first CoPilot+ PC, a term Microsoft uses to highlight the new AI features. To explore these claims, I decided to replace my MacBook M3 Air with the Surface 11 Pro, equipped with the flex keyboard, for a week. My plan is to test its portability, Microsoft's CoPilot AI features, battery life, and the performance of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip, which Microsoft asserts is 58% faster than my MacBook M3 Air.

Today's video isn't sponsored by Microsoft or any brand, but if you'd like to support this channel, please like the video. I'll also share a link to the wallpaper bundle used in this video. Let's start by unboxing the Surface Pro 11. The sapphire blue color is striking, lighter than the midnight MacBook Air, with more sheen. The box is simple, containing the charger with Microsoft's proprietary design for Surface devices. Fortunately, the device also supports charging via USB-C ports. The OLED display is glossy, as expected, and the device feels sturdy and well-built.

Next, let's look at the new Flex keyboard. The keyboard, essential for the Surface 11 Pro, includes the new Surface Slim Pen. While it looks good, it feels flimsy compared to the Apple Pencil. I'll need to test it further. The keyboard itself is light, with decent key travel and a trackpad with haptic feedback. Attaching it to the kickstand feels solid. In terms of build quality and portability, the Surface Pro 11 seems even better than the MacBook Air. It's smaller and slightly lighter, making it an interesting alternative for the week.

The last time I used a Microsoft Surface was in 2017 with the Surface Pro 5th Gen.. Using the new Surface 11 Pro almost a decade later is exciting. Setting it up was interesting, despite the battery running out midway. The OLED screen's blacks are impressive. However, I encountered a frustrating CAPTCHA puzzle during setup. Everything else was smooth, and I’m ready to give you my honest thoughts after a week of use.

After a week, the Surface Pro is a winning package. Microsoft has done a lot right, and I enjoyed using this device more than I expected. However, the CoPilot+ AI features are not as impressive as I hoped. On the first day, I explored these features, powered by the onboard neural processing unit (NPU). The CoPilot button launches Microsoft's AI chatbot, similar to Perplexity Gemini, or GPT. The CoCreator feature, akin to Microsoft Paint with AI, attempts to generate images based on my drawings, but it’s finicky. Other features include Windows Studio Effects for improving phone call quality, live captions translating 44 languages into English, and the controversial recall AI feature, which Microsoft has ironically recalled.

In practice, I didn't use the CoPilot+ features much after the first day. They felt overhyped and half-baked. However, the Surface Pro's performance is outstanding. The device is snappy and powerful, surprisingly more so than my MacBook Air M3, which also has 16GB of memory. Benchmark tests showed the Surface Pro's X Elite processor scoring 13,097 on the Geekbench 6 multicore test, compared to the MacBook Air M3's 11,450. While the MacBook Air M3 outperformed in single-core tests, the Surface Pro excelled in multitasking and video conversion, although not all apps run natively on ARM.

Battery life is another strong point. I experienced 12 to 14 hours of battery life, a big improvement over previous Surface Pros, though slightly less than the MacBook Air M3's 15 to 16 hours. The design and 2-in-1 form factor are excellent for portability. The Surface Pro, with its 13-inch OLED touchscreen, is ultra-thin and light, making it a dream to carry around. However, it’s not ideal for lap use. At a desk, the flex keyboard works well, offering a comfortable typing experience with a decent trackpad and 40-hour battery life.

The Surface Pro 11 has a 10-megapixel rear camera, which is decent but not particularly special. The limited ports (only two USB-C) are a drawback, necessitating a dock for a full desktop setup, similar to the MacBook Air. The OLED display is incredible, offering deep blacks, detail, and brightness that rival the MacBook Air's liquid Retina Display.

In conclusion, the Surface Pro 11 is more than its overhyped AI features. It's a fantastic portable computer with excellent battery life and performance. If I were frequently traveling, I would choose the Surface Pro 11 over the MacBook Air without hesitation. However, due to the disappointing CoPilot+ features and lack of support for some key work apps, I’ll be switching back to my MacBook Air M3 for now. The Surface Pro 11 represents a fresh start for Microsoft laptops, and I'm excited to see how it evolves.