Microsoft's Lunar Lake Surface Laptop Delayed: Expected Arrival Pushed Back Significantly
A hype surrounds the Microsoft Surface Laptop, known for its sleek design, speed, and functionality. The latest version flaunts a new generation of Qualcomm's ARM-based Snapdragon Elite chips on Windows PCs. However, it seems Microsoft might have a shocking revelation for those eager for an Intel x86 Lunar Lake chip, capable of matching performance and battery life without compromising software compatibility.
Recently, a mysterious Microsoft Surface laptop surfaced on Chinese website Goofish, boasting an Intel Lunar Lake chip tailored for compact notebooks. The discovery was first spotted by Redditors and subsequently acknowledged by Windows Central, although the entry has since been removed.
Curiosity peaked about the Surface Laptop potentially repeating version 7 or launching a new version 8, but the real intrigue lies in the inclusion of an Intel Core Ultra 7 268V - a significant upgrade from most first-gen sub-16-inch laptops equipped with Lunar Lake chips, such as the Asus Zenbook S 14.
If Microsoft is indeed planning to release a next-gen Surface Laptop, it would place at the top of its class. The 268V sports four cores and four threads, a 5.0 clock speed, and the second-highest Arc 140V GPU in the Ultra 2 lineup. It packs the same memory as the high-end Core Ultra 9 288V, though it doesn't have its base TDP.
The supposed Surface Laptop's price on Goofish was 19,000 CNY, or approximately $2,600 U.S., albeit this figure should be taken with a pinch of salt. The device came equipped with 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage, making it one of the top-tier configurations.
Noteworthy is that the previous Surface Laptop sporting the first-gen Meteor Lake chips was exclusively available in Microsoft's business line. Enterprise laptops tend to be pricier than consumer-grade devices, which could explain the high price shown on Goofish.
Although we at Gizmodo weren't particularly impressed with the Surface Pro 11's form factor and battery life, the Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite chip is no pushover. It outperforms Meteor Lake and Apple M3 Chips in several benchmarks, particularly in multi-core settings. Intel's Arrow Lake chips aimed to demonstrate that ARM isn't the future, but we're yet to see top-end chips in a laptop that prove this point conclusively.
- Intel might soon challenge Qualcomm's dominance in the future tech scene, with the rumored Intel Lunar Lake chip promising performance and battery life that matches the ARM-based Snapdragon Elite chips on Windows PCs.
- Akaza_Dorian, a Reddit user, claimed to have discovered a mysterious Surface Laptop on the Chinese website Goofish, featuring an Intel Lunar Lake chip, hinting at a possible departure from Qualcomm's ARM-based processors.
- The discovery of an Intel-powered Surface Laptop has led to speculation about a refreshed version, possibly the Surface Laptop 8, boasting a significant upgrade with an Intel Core Ultra 7 268V, outperforming even high-end Core Ultra 9 chips in some areas.
- Hoping for a more budget-friendly option, tech enthusiasts are eagerly waiting for Intel to prove that x86 chips can match the performance and efficiency of ARM-based chips in laptops like the Surface Laptop, especially with the development of the Lunar Lake chip.