A pretty wild rumor out of Samsung's home of Korea today claims the company is thinking about using MediaTek Dimensity chips for the Galaxy S25 family which is due to launch next year in January.
Not just MediaTek chips, mind, but MediaTek Dimensity chips (presumably the Dimensity 9400) alongside the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and Samsung's own Exynos 2500. So if this pans out (and that's a huge if), then the next flagship family from the Korean brand could have three different SoCs in various markets.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
This, however, is far from a given, considering how even...
Samsung is unveiling the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6 on July 10 in Paris. Recently we've seen some rumored European pricing for the Galaxy Z Flip6, and today a new rumor brings very similar numbers: €1,330 for the model with 256GB of storage and €1,450 for the one with 512GB. Both of these are said to have 12GB of RAM. The Flip6 will thus be over €100 more expensive than its predecessor was at launch.
Today's leak also brings us purported European pricing for the Galaxy Z Fold6, and it's not pretty. The foldable is said to start at a whopping €2,200 with 256GB of storage, then go up...
Late last year Apple gave users in the US access to a very important tool for self repair, the Self Service Repair Diagnostics software. Now this software is expanding to 32 European countries (and it’s coming to Canada sometime soon).
This software will help you diagnose and troubleshoot faulty or broken components on one product while running on a second Apple device. It will guide you through the process with on-screen prompts. When it’s done, you will know if there is anything actually broken and what parts you need to order to repair the device.
Okay, you yourself might not have...
It's no secret that I'm not fond of the Microsoft Surface Laptop series, so even with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip and all the new Copilot+ AI bells and whistles attached to the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, I wasn't expecting much of an upgrade. But to my surprise, it's quickly turning into one of the best Windows laptops and best laptops of the year thanks to a sleek design, solid battery life, and excellent performance.
One of the most consistent aspects of the Surface Laptop series is its design. The chassis is always sleek and lightweight yet sturdy, there's a nice variety of colors to choose from, and the keyboard feels snappy and responsive while typing. Thankfully, the Laptop 7 doesn't change on that front but instead embraces its positives while focusing its efforts on enacting improvements it actually needs.
(Image credit: Future)
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 boasts a 13.8-inch (2304x1536) HDR-supported display with a high refresh rate of 120Hz - especially high for a non-gaming laptop. It weighs less than three pounds, ensuring its super portability - an absolute gem for any office worker or student who needs to transport it around between home and work offices or to and from school. I wish it also featured an OLED screen option but omitting it keeps the cost down, so it makes sense.
Its keyboard is also just as snappy and responsive as you'd expect, though the touchpad has minimal response issues that need to be rectified by adjusting the sensitivity settings. The webcam is the standard 1080p fare, nothing too shabby, but it lacks a physical shutter which for its price point is an oversight worth mentioning.
Port selection isn't the worst, as it comes with two USB Type-C ports, a USB Type-A port, and a combo port. But it's certainly not well-balanced either, with it missing several important ports like ethernet, SD card reader, and an HDMI. Even worse, Microsoft still insists on that abysmal Surface Laptop connect charging port, which only serves to take up space that could have been given to literally anything else.
It has a solid sound quality as well, with instruments sounding clear and distinct from each other. Bass isn't too shabby as well, which is always surprising when it comes to a non-Ultrabook or gaming laptop.
(Image credit: Future)
Another defining feature of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is its AI Copilot+ integration, including the Copilot key that Windows AI laptop keyboards are now outfitted with. As of now, however, the Copilot key simply doesn't work and there's no way to reprogram the key to make it work either.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7: Benchmarks
Here's how the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
The Copilot feature does work and quite well I might add. I tested out the Copilot chatbot on all three levels - creative, balanced, and precise - and it performed quite well on all three. The answers, ranging from basic math to a mock interview to an outline for a novel, were well thought out and well sourced. You can also enable various plug-ins for more types of conversations or to help with shopping for a variety of products.
I also tried out two other features included in Microsoft Paint called Cocreator and Image Creator, both powered by AI model DALL-E. The former transforms your own drawing into an AI-generated picture, and you can choose between several styles as well as the level of 'creativity' (aka how much of the finished product is from you versus the AI). Unfortunately, Image Creator uses a credit system, in which you're awarded 50 credits when you sign up for the service and each image generation costs one credit, so you'd need to pay for additional images after you run out of credits.
(Image credit: Future)
There was one feature that I couldn't test out, the infamous Windows 11 AI Recall. Set to launch alongside Windows AI PCs, it was kicked back to the Windows Insider Program when its numerous security issues came to light.
Basically, Recall takes screenshots every few seconds, building up a library of images you can search via AI. But the issue is that the Recall database, which contains all the data from those screenshots and the history of your PC usage, is stored in plain text (in an SQLite database).
This makes it light work for hackers to obtain highly sensitive information like finances, passwords, work data, and more. So as of right now, Recall is not available for me to test out, and until Microsoft works out the safety issues it shouldn't be.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7's benchmark results are quite impressive, especially compared to its competition. Even without a GPU, the CPU does an incredible job of maintaining a high level of performance no matter which and how many tasks you're currently balancing. These benchmarks prove that the Laptop 7 can handle productivity work, conference calls, streaming, and more.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Future)
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 I tested featured a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite CPU and boy does it make all the difference. A common denominator between the past Surface Laptops is their poor performance, as they juggle a massive amount of tasks behind the scenes that result in major slow down, freezes, and even the aptly named 'Blue Screen of Death.'
But the Laptop 7's Qualcomm chip rounds out and fills in the numerous issues. It starts up and runs quickly, it's responsive when it comes to loading video websites as well as AI tools, and programs run as smoothly as they can. The latter is especially important as one of the biggest drawbacks was constant crashing when certain large programs booted up, including benchmarks like PCMark 10. But since I've been using it, there have been no performance hiccups in the slightest - in fact, I genuinely enjoyed my time with this laptop and would jump at the chance to make it my official work machine.
(Image credit: Future)
The battery life has also been rejuvenated, with an absolutely incredible 15 hours of off-AC power when it comes to regular use and just over ten hours with the TechRadar movie test. It's rare to find a laptop with that kind of lasting power outside of MacBooks these days, and coming from a Windows laptop it's even more unbelievable.
Another improvement is the ventilation system, as I never experienced any overheating even when the Laptop 7 had been running for several hours without break. Better vents also lead to better performance and less risk of crashes, going hand in hand with its superior battery life.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7: Price & availability
How much does it cost? starting price is $999.99 / £1,049.99 / AU$1,899
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
The starting price for the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch model is $999.99 / £1,049.99 / AU$1,899, netting you a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus processor with 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD storage. The 15-inch model starts at $1,299.99 and comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD.
It's cheaper than the entry-level M3 MacBook Air 13-inch and matches the starting price of the M3 MacBook Air 15-inch, while the highest configuration roughly matches the price of the highest configuration of the MacBook Air.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7: Specs
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch model starts with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus processor with 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD storage. The 15-inch model starts out with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD.
Should you buy the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7?
(Image credit: Future)
Buy the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 if...
You want solid productivity performance This laptop can handle plenty of productivity work including video calls, documents, web surfing, and more while never sacrificing performance on any level.
You’re on a budget
This laptop is quite affordable, beating out other laptops with similar or worse performance and specs. If you're on a budget, this is an excellent choice.
Don't buy it if...
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7: Also consider
If my Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 review has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...
How I tested the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7?
I tested the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 for a week
I tested it using productivity and creative applications
I stress-tested the battery using the TechRadar movie test
First, I tested the general weight and portability of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 by carrying it around in a laptop bag. After I set it up, I ran several benchmarks to thoroughly test out the new Qualcomm processor. Finally, I used a variety of programs and applications to test out both battery life and general performance during work-like conditions.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is meant to be a portable laptop with a thin and light chassis. I had to spend a good amount of testing not only on performance issues but also looking for any ventilation issues. I also tested out battery life to see how long it could last off AC power.
I've tested plenty of gaming PCs and laptops, making me more than qualified to understand benchmark test results and how to properly stress test machines to see how well they perform as a work machine.
Back in January, TCL announced its seven-member 50 series smartphones at CES without detailed specs and pricing. Nearly six months later, we finally get the detailed specs sheets and US pricing for the four of the seven devices.
TCL 50 series
TCL 50 XL NxtPaper5G
TCL 50 XL NxtPaper5G features the company’s signature reflection-free display with a special coating that helps with eye protection. It’s a 6.78-inch IPS LCD panel with FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate and gets a 32MP front-facing camera inside its punch hole cutout
50 XL Nxtpaper is equipped with...
Samsung launched the entry-level Galaxy A05 last September, and released it in October. Now the company is hard at work on its successor, the aptly named Galaxy A06. A prototype A06 has been spotted in the Geekbench database recently, and that listing has revealed some bad news for those who were hoping for it to be a massive upgrade compared to its predecessor.
It turns out that the Galaxy A06 will be powered by the same MediaTek Helio G85 SoC as its predecessor. The prototype that ran Geekbench managed a single-core score of 1,644 and a multi-core score of 5,326. If those number seem...
A new series of CAD renders for the Apple Watch X emerged giving us our first look at the upcoming wearable. The renders are based on information coming from industry insiders as via 91mobiles and show out a similar design to the outgoing Watch Series 9. The big difference is that the bezels will be slimmer this time, allowing for a larger screen diagonal.
Apple Watch Series X renders
2-inch display which would make it the largest display on an Apple smartwatch to date. Watch Series X is rumored to come in 45mm and 49mm sizes with the listed dimensions of 46 x 39.7 x 11.6mm for...
Last year around this time, I scoffed at the idea of Microsoft making its own Arm chip to power its Surface lineup, and I was, frankly, pretty savage in my opinion of Windows-on-Arm based on the limited number of examples that'd actually made it to market (all of which were pretty much garbage).
If I had less integrity, I could say that 'what I was really talking about was Microsoft designing its own chips and having them fabbed by TSMC the way Apple does with its M-series chips, not partnering with Qualcomm for the new Microsoft Surface Pro 11!'
But that wouldn't be honest. The new Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite SoC in the Surface Pro 11 was co-developed by Microsoft specifically to run a new generation of Copilot+ AI PCs, with its Surface Pro and Surface Laptop leading the way. Functionally, yes, it's different than what Apple is doing, but substantively, it's not, and what Microsoft is doing is better than what Apple is doing, and the Surface Pro 11 is as good an example of that as any of this new generation of laptops now hitting the scene.
Before I go into why I think this might be the best laptop released this year, I will front-load my criticisms of the device, since I don't want them to get lost amid the praise, of which there will be a lot in this review.
First, this isn't a tablet. It's a full-featured Windows 11 OS, so making a keyboard an optional, extra purchase starting at $139.99 / £129.99 / AU$239.95 is ludicrous, and making the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard with Slim Pen (included in this review) an additional $449.98 / £439 / AU$499.95 purchase absolutely takes away from the appeal of this device. This is somewhat mitigated by a starting price of $999.99 /£1,049.99 / AU$1,899.99, so even with the additional keyboard expense, it's going to be cheaper than many of the best 2-in-1 laptops out there, but having to pay extra for a keyboard for a laptop PC will never sit right with me.
Second, Microsoft PRISM does an admirable job as an emulation layer, letting you run a lot of Windows x86 apps on the Snapdragon X Elite without any real (or at least noticeable) performance degradation, but there are still some apps that won't run at all, at least not yet. It also goes without saying that any app running through emulation is going to run slower than an app programmed specifically for Arm architecture like that in the Snapdragon X Elite.
Finally, the much-touted AI features of Copilot+ laptops are still very limited. Recall has been held back for a few months (which is fine, honestly), and Studio Effects and Cocreator work well but can feel gimmicky at times. If you buy this laptop hoping to see the future of AI PCs right now, you're going to be disappointed. Real AI-powered apps are coming soon, but they aren't here yet.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
With that out of the way, and with all that still top of mind, the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is my favorite laptop of the year, and I don't see any on the horizon that will dislodge it. I've reviewed dozens of laptops over my last four-plus years writing for TechRadar, and the Surface Pro 11 is the device I'll want to take with me when I have to travel for work, or when I want to work somewhere outside the home or office.
From its incredible design, gorgeous display, and all-day-plus battery life, the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is more than a match for the iPad Pro, and thanks to its full Windows 11 OS, it can do more than an iPad Pro could ever dream of doing in terms of features and functionality.
Its performance might lag behind the latest iPad Pro with Apple M4 overall, but it is still very competitive nonetheless. That said, the Surface Pro 11 was able to actually run all of my standard benchmark tests, something a MacBook can't do (an iPad even less so), and there weren't any standout weaknesses when it comes to most users.
And even though the Surface Pro 11's gaming performance is pretty laughable overall, it's not like the MacBook Air is a gaming laptop either (no matter how much Apple wants you to believe it is), and the Surface Pro 11's gaming chops are about the same as the best ultrabooks out there.
Where the Surface Pro 11 really shines, however, is its design and battery life. Easily the best-looking detachable laptop on the market, it also sports up to a 2.8K OLED display with far better color accuracy than an iPad Pro according to our tests, a 1440p webcam along the edge of the display for better framing when in landscape mode, and a lightweight but solid build that feels like the investment it is.
In terms of battery life, I'll get into more detail in a bit, but this device lives up to Microsoft's 14-four battery life claim, even edging closer to 15 hours in my local video playback tests. This is a hell of an accomplishment for an OLED laptop and underscores just how good Arm architecture is for power efficiency.
All in all, then, the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 does exactly what it has to do, does it well, and even pushes past what most users are going to expect from even the best Windows laptop of the past few years. It's not perfect, but as more developers release Arm versions of their apps and more AI apps and features roll out, this is a phenomenal laptop that will only get better over the next year and beyond.
Microsoft Surface Pro 11: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
How much does it cost? Starting at $999.99 /£1,049.99 / AU$1,899.99
When is it available? The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is available now
Where can you get it? You can get it in the US, UK, and Australia
The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is available now in the US, UK, and Australia, starting at $999.99 /£1,049.99 / AU$1,899.99.
For this price, you get a 10-core Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chip, a 2.8K LCD display, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD. You can upgrade to an OLED display with a 12-core Snapdragon X Elite chip, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD starting at $1,499.99 / £1,549 / AU$2,699. With the LCD model, you only have the option to increase storage capacity, as all configurations come with 16GB RAM.
The top-level configuration, with a Snapdragon X Elite, OLED display, 32GB RAM, and 1TB SSD, will cost you $2,099.99 / £2,149.99 / AU$3,599. As mentioned before, all of this is before spending additional money for one of several compatible keyboards. Only Wi-Fi models are available at this time, but 5G-enabled models are due out later this year.
Compared to the iPad Pro 13-inch, the Surface Pro 11 generally comes in, though the iPad Pro is going to have a better display to start. On the flip side, it starts with much less memory and you do get a fully functional Windows 11 operating system, not a beefed-up mobile OS like you get with the iPad.
Value: 4 / 5
Microsoft Surface Pro 11: Specs
Microsoft Surface Pro 11: Design
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Gorgeous display
Surface Pro Flex keyboard is fantastic
Get it in Sapphire Blue, trust me
The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is not all that different from the Surface Pro devices that came before it, but this one hits different thanks to the gorgeous Sapphire Blue colorway and lovely OLED panel in my review unit.
Featuring a 2880x1920p resolution, a dynamic refresh rate of 120Hz, and a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, the display is as good or better than just about any other you'll find on the market at this price. The Surface Pro 11's display also features far better color gamut coverage in our testing than the iPad Pro released earlier this year, with the Surface Pro 11's OLED panel capturing 162.7% of the sRGB and 115.2% of the DCI-P3 color gamuts, making this a fantastic 2-in-1 for creatives.
The HDR brightness on the Surface Pro 11's OLED panel is also much brighter than the iPad Pro's, with the Surface Pro 11 peaking at 878 nits while the iPad Pro was only able to get to 498 nits brightness. Meanwhile, the SDR brightness of the Surface Pro 11's OLED panel averaged about 564 nits to the iPad Pro's 476 nits.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Flipping the Surface Pro 11 over, you'll find the characteristic kickstand that Surface Pro devices are known for, and it opens easily enough but stays firm however you set it. It also has a fairly wide range, with its widest open position letting you pretty comfortably take written notes or do design work on a slightly angled surface.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The review unit I received came with a Surface Pro Flex keyboard and Slim Pen, both of which performed very well during my time with the Surface Pro 11. The keyboard is among the most comfortable I've ever typed on, and the Slim Pen, while nothing special as far as a 4,096-point stylus goes (and certainly not up to the level of a professional artist's digital tablet and pen), works pretty well with the Surface for note taking, photo editing, and illustrating work.
The keyboard easily attaches to the pins along the edge of the Surface Pro 11 and they don't detach easily, letting you carry it around without worrying that you're going to drop the keyboard.
The Flex keyboard also lets you detach it and roll the connector flap underneath the top edge of the keyboard, giving you a better typing angle. Also along the top of the keyboard is the magnetized slot for the Slim Pen. If there's a knock I have on the design, it might be that this magnet is too strong, forcing you to sometimes have to really dig in to get the pen. Considering how well Microsoft incorporates accessibility into its products, this was a surprising slip on its part, but it's not deal-breaking by any means.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
You only get two Thunderbolt 4 ports, but for a tablet-like device, that's not bad at all. Being Thunderbolt 4, the ports feature charging, data transfer, and DisplayPort 1.4a video output.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The webcam is positioned along the landscape edge of the Surface Pro 11, rather than at the 'top' of the tablet like with the iPad Pro. This makes video calls much less awkward, and the 1440p webcam sends out a crisp, clear image at 30 fps. The webcam also integrates into Windows Hello for better security on the device.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The speakers are fine for a tablet-like device, but they won't wow you. If you want proper sound, you'll need to look into getting a headset to pair with the Surface Pro 11, as there is no headphone/microphone jack.
I won't speak about the other colorways, because I honestly don't want to. The only color you should consider for the Surface Pro 11 is Sapphire, which is an eye-catching powder/sky blue. It's simply much nicer aesthetically than Dune, Platinum, or Black. If you do, you'll have easily one of the prettiest laptops going, and you might even get some jealous looks from Apple diehards.
Design: 5 / 5
Microsoft Surface Pro 11: Performance
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Great overall performance
Prism Emulation is pretty decent
Lags Intel, AMD, and Apple laptops
Windows-on-Arm has come a long way in the four or so years since Microsoft began rebuilding its x86-defining OS for a whole new architecture.
I won't bore you with the finer details of chip-level instruction sets and all that, but it's important to know a few things before you buy a Microsoft Surface Pro 11.
Once you've built an operating system on the foundation of a certain defined table of machine-language operations that make it all work, switching out that table of operations for a different, albeit similar, set of operations is a lot like immersive language learning.
Think about it like this: if all you've ever known your whole life is English or Spanish, landing in Beijing and trying to learn Chinese from scratch isn't an impossible task, but it is going to be much, much harder than if you'd grown up speaking it.
Microsoft has struggled for years with even some of the basics of speaking Arm, having spent four-plus decades speaking x86, and Windows-on-Arm historically struggled in that intermediate range where the OS would work, but nothing else installed on the OS would (assuming it would even install). Microsoft still isn't fully fluent in Arm, so to speak, so Windows 11 on the Surface Pro 11 still suffers the occasional app incompatibility here or there, but it is lightyears ahead of where it was in 2020, and that's largely thanks to Prism emulation.
Built into Windows 11 on the Surface Pro 11 is a software layer that acts as a translator for apps that can't work on Arm hardware, taking an app's code and converting its x86 instructions into Arm instructions. Apple's Rosetta works the same way, but just like relying on a translator in a foreign country is going to slow down the pace of conversations, translating an x86 app into Arm takes time that does impact the app's performance.
And this is where the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 really surprised me. I was genuinely surprised at how well apps ran, even in emulation. They were nowhere near as fast as native apps, but they were more than fast enough that 95% of users wouldn't even notice a difference.
Still, there are differences, and they show up pretty clearly in benchmarks.
On the plus side, the Snapdragon X Elite's multicore performance in Geekbench 6.3 was toe-to-toe with the Apple M4 in the iPad Pro, so there is a lot of room for Windows-on-Arm to grow, rather than be held back by slower Arm-based chips as it had been in the past.
But in benchmarks like CrossMark Productivity, the Surface Pro 11 lagged behind the iPad Pro considerably, scoring only 1,327 to the iPad Pro's 1,771.
In terms of creative performance, in my PugetBench for Creators Photoshop benchmark tests, the Surface Pro 11 scored 5,600 compared to the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch with M3's 8,583 in the same test. Pretty much across the board, it was the same wherever the Surface Pro 11 has to rely on Prism Emulation to run a benchmark, which puts the Surface Pro 11 at a disadvantage right out the gate.
These differences are very real, and if you need high performance for your work, then there are going to be few cases right now where the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is going to outperform an Intel, AMD, or Apple silicon-powered laptop. You'll almost certainly be better off with one of those laptops than the new Surface Pro 11.
But performance isn't strictly a numbers game. More often than not, it's more vibes than anything, and most people need good to great performance and responsiveness and the ability to use the apps they want without any or as little fuss as possible. I spend my days testing the best computer hardware for the consumer market on the planet, and for non-gaming, non-intensive creative work, I found the Surface Pro 11's real-world performance to be a match for any of the dozens of ultrabooks I've tested in the past two years.
Performance: 3.5 / 5
Microsoft Surface Pro 11: AI features
While not an official scoring category here at TechRadar (at least not yet), it's worth breaking out the Surface Pro 11's AI features into its own discussion apart from general performance.
AI PCs are very much in their infancy, with the first consumer laptops with NPUs only shipping in early 2024. Most developers don't even have developer kits with NPUs in them yet, so the number of AI features you're going to find in an AI laptop right now is pretty small.
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The Surface Pro 11 does have some nifty features though, which show the potential of NPUs for consumers. If you've used Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet, you've probably done a video call where you could blur your background or even swap it out for something kitschy or fun.
Studio Effects does something similar on-device, even allowing you to bring these changes into online calls so your video data isn't being processed in the cloud (at least not the blurring stuff. The video encode/decode is still being processed online). The list of available features in Studio Effects will likely expand as it moves from its current 'preview' state to a more mature production feature, so this is probably just a glimpse at what will be possible with Studio Effects over the next year or two.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Another interesting feature is Cocreator, which lets you sketch an idea out in Microsoft Paint and Cocreator will generate a more detailed/refined image based on a text prompt and some other parameters. You can even click on the generated image and move it to the canvas, where you can refine your idea further.
Of the three AI 'launch' features for the Surface Pro 11 (the other being Recall, which isn't available as of yet), Cocreator is the most interesting. The images aren't necessarily great, and don't get me started on generative AI, copyright, and its theft from countless artists both alive and dead, but Cocreator is something I can actually see people using, if only for themselves.
The quality of the images being produced isn't nearly good enough to pass as actual art (the 45 TOPS NPU doesn't have nearly the processing power to do proper generative AI as we see from Midjourney and other gen AI tools that work in the cloud), and they're even too rudimentary for clip art or slideshow backgrounds.
Still, as an inspirational tool for the actual creative process (not just visual, but for writers and others as well), this could be something people might find helpful. It's not the kind of feature that's worth upgrading your laptop over just to get it, but it does point to where the future of the AI PC is likely to go in the next 2-3 years.
For now, that's really the only AI the Surface Pro 11 is offering as discrete features, but it's early yet. With the release of Microsoft Copilot+ Runtime, developers have a whole host of new tools to leverage the NPU to carry out AI workloads, so it's only a matter of time before AI apps hit the scene in force, and when they do, the Surface Pro 11 will be ready to run them.
Microsoft Surface Pro 11: Battery life
Nearly 15 hours of local video playback
Takes about an hour to charge to full
The keystone feature of the new Microsoft Surface Pro 11 isn't its performance, AI tools, or even its appealing design. What really sets the Surface Pro 11 apart from many Windows laptops is its battery life, which is robust enough to challenge even the best MacBooks for longevity.
In our web surfing test, the Surface Pro 11 managed a very impressive 12 hours and 10 minutes of battery life. Even more impressive was our local video playback test. With the display set to full brightness, energy saving turned off, and volume at 50%, the Surface Pro 11 squeezed out 14 hours and 33 minutes of battery life.
Considering that this is an OLED laptop, getting more than half a day's worth of use is something we really haven't seen. The iPad Pro with M4, for instance, got 14 hours and 50 minutes of battery life in our testing, and the MacBook Air 13-inch with M3 managed 15 hours and 13 minutes in our web surfing test. With some settings tweaks, there's no question that the Surface Pro 11 can go well beyond the 12-15 hours it got in our tests and stretch well into the 18-20 hour range, if not even longer.
The 47WHr battery charges fairly quickly with the included charger, but fast charging is available with a 65W or higher power cable, either through the Surface charging port or through USB.
Battery Life: 5 / 5
Should you buy the Microsoft Surface Pro 11?
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Buy the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 if...
Don't buy it if...
Also consider
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) The thin and light laptop that started a revolution in computing is still going strong, and the Apple M3 chip is about as powerful as any you'll find in this form factor.
I used it for everyday productivity and content creation work
I ran our standard suite of Windows laptop benchmarks
I spent about a week with the Microsoft Surface Pro 11, using it mostly for everyday work, futzing about online, streaming movies, and the like.
I also ran TechRadar's standard suite of Windows laptop benchmarks on the device after installing the tools as normal and with no special flags or settings used besides the tool defaults.
I've been reviewing laptops and computer hardware for TechRadar for more than four years, and have personally reviewed many dozens of laptops in just two years alone. I know what to expect from a laptop in this class and how a laptop's performance ought to match up to its price based on its competition.
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.
vivo launched the X100 back in November of last year, and currently the company is hard at work on its successor, the X200. A few details about the X200 have been leaked on Weibo today by the prolific Digital Chat Station.
According to him, the X200 will come with the Dimensity 9400 chipset, a "1.5K" screen that will be "relatively small" and flat, and a narrow frame design.
vivo X100
The phone will get three 50 MP cameras on the back, including a 3x periscope zoom one, and of course there will be vivo's self-developed imaging chip on board too. There will be an optical in-display...
In an increasingly competitive market where good support is essential, many businesses are seeking the best help desk software to assist customers when something goes wrong or they simply have an enquiry they want answered. Social Intents aims to do all this and more.
Enabling businesses to talk to their customers from Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Chat, and ChatGPT, Social Intents promises to lower costs and boost sales, as well as supercharge your customer support.
Certainly, if you’re already a heavy user of Slack, Teams, or any of the other tools where Social Intents provides tight integration, this is a powerful help desk platform. However, although the platform bills itself as being for “small businesses, entrepreneurs, marketers, and anyone who wants to improve their sales,” it does admit that users of tools where Social Intents’ live chat offering can integrate seamlessly are the company’s main target.
If you don’t already use Slack, Teams, or any of the other tools that seamlessly integrates with Social Intents, it might be worth exploring if another help desk solution is a better fit. The fact that some advanced functionality isn’t included is another negative and the analytics on offer could be improved.
However, Social Intents is still a very respectable piece of help desk software, which would be ideal for many companies.
Social Intents Review: Plans and pricing
Social Intents is available through four different pricing plans: Starter, Basic, Pro, and Business. These are priced at $39 a month, $69, $99, and $199 (all build annually). As with other help desk solutions, the features available to you ramp up as you move up the pay grade.
One thing that sets Social Intents apart from its competitors, however, is the fact that there’s no per agent pricing (except for with the Starter plan). This means the platform is a good fit for businesses expanding rapidly. You can set Social Intents up for as many team members as you need and your live chat offering will scale as your team grows - without it costing you an arm and a leg.
It’s worth noting that there are no contracts to be signed with Social Intents and, regardless of the plan you sign up to, you’ll enjoy a 14-day free trial. It’s also worth noting that if you have a small customer support team, you may not find that Social Intents has the cheapest pricing around.
(Image credit: Social Intents)
Features
Let’s start by taking a look at how Social Intents’ features differ by pricing plan. Starter users gain access to one chat widget, one website domain, 200 chat conversations per month, ChatGPT integration, and 10 ChatGPT-trained URLs. At this level, however, the platform is restricted to use with just three agents.
At the Basic level, you can use Social Intents with an unlimited number of agents, and see the number of chat widgets and website domains increase to two. You’re now also allowed 1000 chat conversations a month, as well as messaging shortcuts and up to 25 ChatGPT-trained URLs. The Pro plan, meanwhile, comes with all this but removes co-branding from the platform, which is important for some businesses when it comes to promotion and marketing. The number of chat widgets and website domains increases to five, while you are now able to use 200 ChatGPT-trained URLs. For the Business plan, your chat widget and website domain numbers increase to ten and you gain access to real-time auto-translation.
In terms of the core features on offer, Social Intents also delivers real-time engagement through its live chat platform. This is because the solution makes it easy for you to initiate a chat with anyone who may be browsing your website from the collaboration tools you already use. This should enhance your agent productivity by ensuring they don’t have to open yet another solution to meet customer needs.
There’s also a good number of customization options with Social Intents. The look of the chat widget can be changed to align with your brand so it blends in seamlessly with your website, app, or ecommerce store. As with many other help desk solutions, Social Intents doesn’t believe that its features should merely be used by your agents to solve troubleshooting for your customers. It can be leveraged for lead generation and sales too.
(Image credit: Social Intents)
Integrations
It’s here that Social Intents really shines. Like many of its rivals, this platforms offers integration with a number of third-party apps, such as Shopify, WordPress, Wix, Zapier and others. This means you can provide real-time customer support directly through the tools you already use or Social Intents’ web-based dashboard.
The platform’s integrations go even deeper, however. As well as using Social Intents to chat with customers through other applications, like Slack, you can also use ChatGPT-powered chatbots within these tools whenever your agents aren't available. In fact, the native chatbot integrations with ChatGPT and Google’s Dialogflow means you can use advanced AI tools within your existing channels, such as Teams and Slack, only escalating support to a human agent is necessary.
Interface and ease of use
The fact that you can plug Social Intents directly into several other popular tools means businesses will be able to continue using the design and interface that they are already familiar with. This means your employees can hit the ground runnin - assuming they’ve already received the necessary training on Teams, Slack, etc.
And Social Intents provides further clarity by spelling out exactly how users can implements its integrations. For instance, to chat with visitors directly in Microsoft Teams, simply select “Add to Teams” in your Social Intents app, then click on “Install App” in Teams. Alternatively, you can search for 'Live Chat' in the Teams App Marketplace. You can also embed the Social Intents code into your website or use of the platform’s plugins.
So with the click of a few buttons, your agents can embed Social Intents within the channels that they are already using. This means the platform is easy to use. It’s also easy to install and step-by-step guidance only helps here.
Support
There are two main ways that Social Intents offers support: its Knowledge Base and direct contact. The former includes a large number of articles offering assistance, broken down into the most frequent topics, including integrations, setup, FAQs and more. You can either click on one of these sections or use the search box to hopefully find the answer you’re looking for.
If these general articles don’t meet your needs, you can reach out for additional support via email or live chat. It’s somewhat disappointing that these are the only two options available to customers, as there’s no phone number listed.
Security
Regarding security, Social Intents is clear that it complies with GDPR rules and explains what data is collected, the purpose of its data processing and how it monitors for breaches. Social Intents also makes clear that it deploys firewalls and network isolation within its digital infrastructure to protects against cyberattacks.
The platform also priotizes security by deploying encryption for personal data - both in transit and at rest. Access controls are also employed to ensure that personal data can only be viewed by authorized personnel and regular security assessments are conducted to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
The competition
Social Intents has no shortage of competition in terms of the other help desk solutions on the market. However, it’s probably fairest to look at it up against rivals that make a big play about integrations and automations.
Here, Social Intents performs well. While some companies offer more superficial integrations that don’t work with a full spectrum of features, like Smartsupp, Social Intents’ integrations are seamless. Agents can carry on using the same tools that they already made use of but gain access to Social Intents’ live chat functionality.
There also aren’t many other help desk solutions jumping on the ChatGPT bandwagon so strongly. AI is discussed heavily in the help desk arena (and tech more generally) but not many other apps make it so easy to train ChatGPT on your own website content. It seems that rather than just being the latest tech buzzword, Social Intents demonstrates how AI can be leveraged to improve customer support.
Social Intents may not exactly wipe the floor with all its competitors, however. There are other tools that provide more advanced functionality, for example. For instance, you may find that LiveChat or RingCentral Contact Center provide more features. Your team size will also affect whether you compare Social Intents’ pricing against its rivals favorably or not.
Social Intents review: Final verdict
Whether Social Intents is the help desk software your team needs will depend largely on the business tools you already employ. If your agents frequently use Slack, Microsoft Teams, or any of the other solutions that integrate natively with Social Intents, then you’re unlikely to find a solution that will cause you so little disruption, while still enhancing your support offering.
If you don’t use any of the tools that integrate with Social Intents, you might still enjoy the platform’s ease of use, but the lack of advanced functionality could hurt a little. Take a good look at the pricing too. It’s hugely scalable but small teams may find a cheaper solution elsewhere.
