Wired says buy the older Surface Laptop, not the new one

Wired's updated Surface buying guide picks a laptop from 2024 over Microsoft's new one. The reviewer says the older Surface Laptop with 512 GB of storage is the better buy for most people. It is $999 on Amazon in the Dune color. The 2026 model costs far more for a similar setup.

The price gap

The newer model is called the Surface Laptop 8th Edition. Wired says an otherwise identical configuration costs over $400 more, and the price sometimes jumps to the full retail price of $1,600. The Black and Silver versions of the 2024 laptop cost $50 more than Dune. Wired notes they are not quite as cheap as in 2025, but still a great deal.

Wired blames the ongoing memory shortage, which it says has pushed many laptop makers to raise prices this year.

What the new one adds

The 2026 laptop uses new Snapdragon X2 chips. Wired has tested those chips in another laptop, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x, and says they speed things up in meaningful ways, especially for graphics. Still, the reviewer does not think the gain is worth the extra money.

There is a catch. Microsoft did not send the new Surface Laptop to reviewers, so Wired has never tested it. The guide also covers a new Surface Pro 12th Edition, which it says should not be confused with the Surface Pro 12.

Why the older one still works

• The 3:2 screen is taller, which suits documents, spreadsheets and websites.
• Battery life is great, and it performs well in nearly everything except games.
• The display is sharp and high resolution.
• The 13.8-inch size is enough for most people. A 15-inch version also exists.

The high-end option

Wired also tested the Surface Laptop Ultra, a different kind of machine. It uses an Nvidia RTX Spark N1X chip and can be set up with up to 128 GB of memory. It is aimed at creators and people who want to run AI models on the device itself. Wired tested a 32 GB version. Some popular games, including PUBG and League of Legends, do not work on it yet. The material does not give its price.

What to do

Wired says the case for the 2026 model would be different if the 2024 one were unavailable. For now, it has a hard time suggesting the newer laptop. Prices are shifting, so check the current listing before buying.