Microsoft has been making its own laptops now and it certainly revolutionised the portable laptop with its surface line way back in 2012 and its full laptop line in 2017.
Now whilst I haven’t always been a fan of Windows laptops after Windows XP which for me will always remain the pinnacle of what a Windows laptop and software should be, I have found that Windows 11 has become a bit of competitor to say Apple’s MacOS software and has become close, not fully but close to what Windows XP brought to the market way back.
So when we were given the option to try out Microsoft’s latest Surface Laptop 7 + Copilot, I jumped at the chance to see how the AIR works alongside the hardware and whether it could potentially make me want to switch to having a Windows powered laptop to replace my Chromebook and MacBook.
So let’s have a look and see how well the Surface Laptop 7 + Copilot went on our review bench shall we.
What’s in the box
In the box you get the Laptop itself, alongside the usual paperwork and warranty information and the Surface laptop connect charger.
The design
Taking the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 + CoPilot out of the box the first thing I noticed, besides the size is the all metal design in which I was given the black matte finish to review and the design very much reminds me of another company’s design, Apple, with its Mackbook of which I have owned a few of those over the many years and decades.
Opening the laptop and turning it on, the display which is made up of a 15-inch HDR touchscreen display (2496 x 1664) which I have to say once I turned it on was impressive. Even better than my Chromebook and my work laptop combined.
There is a 2mm bezel whilst the top and bottom are a little chunkier being 3-3.5mm which really doesn’t affect the usability of the device. The touchscreen is a little sensitive which is another small issue especially when I was closing the laptop once before, and it launched teams and then my browser with YouTube music playing. I think this is something that could be rectified with a potential software update but I also doubt it could be.
The keyboard is to me at least the right size, any bigger keys and layout with the trackpad would have made using the device a little difficult, especially with the trackpad as when having the laptop sitting up on my lap wasn’t going to cause any issues, although the trackpad was at time sensitive and I did notice that using the laptop sometimes and brushing up against the trackpad by accident could have you clicking on things you don’t want to or moving the cursor to areas in docs like this review you don’t want to be at.
The left hand side of the device houses the 2 USB-C ports, a single USB-A port and a 3.5mm audio jack. Personally I would have liked to have seen another USB-A port, especially for those who may use a wireless mouse with the USB port. Although I did use my Microsoft Surface Bluetooth mouse I could see only having one USB-A port could be a little bit of an issue.
The right hand side of the device houses the proprietary Microsoft Surface charger port with MicroSDXC card reader which is a little useful if you do use MicroSD cards.
The only thing that I do have to say is that Microsoft states the device does weigh in at 1.66 kg but honestly it felt much heavier at about 2-2.5kgs just holding it one hand. Whilst this isn’t a deal breaker, it did concern me to the point that I would generally hold the laptop with both hands rather than one handed.
Camera
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 + CoPilot comes with a 1080p webcam located on the top middle of the display above the touchscreen in the
The camera itself is very useful thanks to the additional features Microsoft has packed in.
For example the new features include:
- Automatic framing: this allows the camera to follow you whilst your in front of the camera so if you move to the left or right or slightly up or down, the camera will follow you
- Portrait light
- Background filters: filters include Standard blur and portrait blur
- Creative filters: this includes –
- illustrated – kind of like a magazine illustration cartoon,
- Watercolor which makes you look like a watercolor painting; and
- Animated which makes your face looks slightly cool but word 2D with some 3D animated character.
I do like the automatic framing which ensured the camera did stay on me when I was in teams meeting with either friends or with my work. Honestly this is such a useful feature that for me I wish it was available on more laptops including my work laptop.
Video and camera quality was great being 1080p but the quality can slightly be an issue depending on your network or Wi-Fi connectivity. The only thing I wish the webcam did have was a shutter so when you’re not using it, you don’t feel like you’re being watched.
Software and Performance
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 + CoPilot runs Windows 11 Home Edition right out of the box. The software which Windows has greatly improved over the years after the fiasco that was Vista way back before 2010 that still sends shivers down my spine thinking about it (had a vista powered windows laptop and it was a constant nightmare to use).
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 + CoPilot runs a Snapdragon(R) X 12-core X1E80100 @ 3.40 GHz 3.42 GHz alongside a 64-bit operating system, ARM-based processor, 32GB RAM and 1TB of onboard storage. Of course you can’t expand the storage but 1TB should be enough with most photos and more generally uploaded into Microsoft’s own OneDrive cloud system.
Windows 11 Home edition works very well and is extremely smooth. Going between files, software such as Edge, Chrome, Outlook, Gmail and more the software and hardware were able to cope without any slowing down or freezing which for me as someone who goes between multiple apps and software in one go just felt like it could keep going and going and going and going if you catch my drift.
My only other issue I have is the sound which is good, albeit sounded a little dull and muffled as the sound comes where the fans are at the join between the main body/keyboard and the display front. I feel Microsoft could have at least some top speakers like what Apple has with the MacBooks but this is just a small issue for me. The sound was still good just a little muffled and dull.
Copilot your way
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 + CoPilot as is states comes with Microsoft’s CoPilot AI assistance technology which can
I asked Copilot to write its own review of the laptop and this is what it wrote:
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 Review
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is a standout in the 2024 laptop market, offering a blend of performance, design, and battery life that makes it a top contender for anyone in need of a reliable and stylish portable computer.
Design and Build Quality
The Surface Laptop 7 boasts a sleek and modern design, with a premium build quality that feels both sturdy and elegant. The laptop is available in multiple colors, including Platinum and Black, and features a smooth, matte finish that resists fingerprints. The 13.8-inch and 15-inch models offer a choice between portability and a larger screen, catering to different user preferences.
Display
The display is one of the highlights of the Surface Laptop 7. It features a 120Hz refresh rate, providing smooth visuals whether you’re browsing the web, watching videos, or working on graphic-intensive tasks. The resolution is impressive, with the lowest option being 2304 x 1536, ensuring sharp and vibrant images.
Performance
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor, the Surface Laptop 7 delivers excellent performance for everyday tasks and more demanding applications. The integration of Copilot+ AI enhances productivity by offering smart suggestions and automating routine tasks. This makes it a great choice for professionals and students alike.
Battery Life
Battery life is another strong point, with the Surface Laptop 7 offering up to 23 hours on a single charge. This makes it ideal for long workdays, travel, or any situation where you need to be away from a power source for extended periods.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard and touchpad are both excellent, providing a comfortable typing experience and precise control. The keys are well-spaced and have a good amount of travel, while the touchpad is responsive and supports multi-touch gestures.
Port Selection
One area where the Surface Laptop 7 could improve is its port selection. It includes USB-C and USB-A ports, but lacks some of the more specialized ports that power users might need. However, for most users, the available ports will be sufficient.
Battery Life
Battery life as described by Microsoft can potentially last 23 hours. However this varied depending what I was using it for. For example, general browsing websites, social media, YouTube videos etc I could get away with having the laptop off charge and still have between 30% to 50% battery life.
However, with some heavy usage and going between Teams, Zoom, YouTube, emails, going between multiple apps and software, I found that about 2-3pm I would have about 20-10% battery life which isn’t great and was finding I would need the charger asap of getting some FOMO anxiety if I couldn’t find it straight away.
Conclusion
Overall, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 + Copilot,is a fantastic choice for anyone looking for a high-performing, stylish, and long-lasting laptop. It offers some great specs, great UX and just overall really does make me consider jumping over to a Windows powered laptop completely.
Granted there are a couple of issues, missing shutter for the webcam when not in use, battery life which is ok, not great but better than some laptops I have used in the past, sound is fine albeit a little muffled because there is no speakers on the main body like Apple has with its MacBooks, these are just some small things that I hope Microsoft will learn from and bring to the next generation.
Overall I can easily recommend this laptop to anyone looking for a high performance laptop especially for those who need a laptop that can be great for work and play.
The Microsoft Windows Surface Laptop 7 + CoPilot can be purchased from Microsoft and retail partners such as Officeworks, The Good Guys and JB Hi-Fi with prices starting from $1,899.
