MS Surface Laptop Alternatives – 5 high-end ultraportable rivals

Samuel Tan12-inch Laptops, 13-inch Laptops, Laptops 0

The new Microsoft Surface Laptop, a non-convertible laptop with touchscreen and a lower entry price has Apple’s MacBook 12 and MacBook Air 13 in its sight.

The biggest question everyone is asking is will Microsoft’s strategy to restrict users to running only Apps via Microsoft’s App Store is going to fly with the customers. While we appreciate that Apps from Microsoft’s App store are vetted and meet Microsoft’s standards, restricting the device to only App from the Store will likely alienate their client base.

In this post, we look at some alternatives including those from Apple, that will do everything that the Surface Laptop does and more. Before we jump in, here is a quick table showing the specifications for the different Surface Laptop models.

Microsoft Surface Laptop:	Option 1	Option 3
Processor	Intel Core i5	Intel Core i7
Storage	128GB SSD	256GB SSD
RAM	4GB	8GB
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 620	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640

Display: 13.5″ PixelSense™ Display features 201 PPI resolution, 10 point multi-touch and 3:2 aspect ratio.
Storage & Memory Options: Solid state drive (SSD) options: 128GB, 256GB or 512GB storage, 4GB, 8GB or 16GB RAM.
Dimensions & Weight: 12.13″ x 8.79″ x .57″ (308.1 mm x 223.27 mm x 14.48 mm) and i5: 2.76 lbs (1,252 g)i7: 2.83 lbs (1,283 g)
Connections: 1 x USB 3.0, headset jack, Mini DisplayPort, 1 x Surface Connect port, compatible with Surface Dial off-screen interaction.

The one thing that the competition is going to find hard to beat is the battery life. Surface Laptop does offer considerably longer usage time per charge with up to 14.5 hours of video playback. On mixed use, it will be less but it is still a respectable number.

It’s worth noting that Microsoft Surface Laptop runs Windows S, the operating system that is limited to Microsoft Store for its apps. But if you prefer to run non-Store apps, early adopters can switch to Windows 10 Pro for free. This option is only available until the end of 2017 so if you are still convinced after looking at our line-up below that Surface Laptop is for you then grab one before the 31st December 2017. You can always install Store apps from a Windows 10 Pro.

Table of Contents

1. Apple MacBook 12

The ultra compact and ultra portable from Apple is priced higher when compared to the Surface Laptop

Ultra-portable and ultra-compact premium design
12-inch LED Backlit display with IPS technology 2304 x 1440 (226PPI) resolution 16:0 – SMALLER DISPLAY
1.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz or 1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 Turbo Boost to 3.6GHz
8GB configurable to 16GB memory, 256GB/512GB PCIe-based onboard SSD
Up to 10/12 hours (Web/Video)
Weight: 2.03 pounds (0.92 kg) – LIGHTER

2. HP Spectre 13 Laptop – TOUCHSCREEN

A classy laptop that means business, the HP Spectre 13 not only look the part for has what it takes to pull it off as a premium portable laptop that is sure to win many hearts.

Premium design with powerful processing
13.3-inch IPS WLED 1920 x 1080 Touch enabled Display with Corning Gorilla Glass – LOWER RESOLUTION
Intel® Core™ i5-7200U (2.5GHz / 3.1GHz) Processor / i7-7500U (2.7GHz / 3.1GHz) Processor
RAM: 8GB / Storage: 256GB SSD or RAM: 8GB / Storage: 512GB SSD
Up to 8 hours battery life
Weight: 1.11kg – LIGHTER

3. Apple MacBook Air 13

The design may be a little dated now but this is the ultraportable that started it all. The original pioneer in premium, super slim ultra portable. With the Surface Laptop priced to match, Microsoft is after those considering a MacBook Air.

13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy 16:10 display 1440 by 900 resolution – LOWER RESOLUTION
1.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz configurable to 2.2GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz
RAM: 8GB / Storage: 128GB / 256GB configurable to 512GB SSD
Up to 12 hours battery life
Weight: 1.35 kg (2.96 pounds) – HEAVIER

4. Dell XPS 13 Laptop – TOUCHSCREEN

InfinityEdge display with near zero bezel
13.3″ Full HD 1920 x 1080 LED or 13.3″ QHD 3200 x 1800 touchscreen LED Display – HIGHER RESOLUTION
Intel Core i5-7200U 2.5GHz / 3.1GHz (TurboBoost) or Intel Core i7-7500U 2.7 GHz / 3.5 GHz(TurboBoost) processor
8GB memory/256GB SSD or 16GB memory/512GB SSD
Up to 18 hours of battery life – LONGEST BATTERY LIFE
Weight: 1.2kg – LIGHTER

5. HP Spectre x360 Convertible 13 2-in-1 Laptop – TOUCHSCREEN, STYLUS

Premium design with powerful processors and big storage options, stylus thrown in
13.3-inch Full HD 1920 x 1080 touchscreen or 13.3-inch 4K 3840 x 2160 touchscreen display – HIGHER RESOLUTION
Intel Core i5-7200U 2.5GHz / 3.1GHz or Intel Core i7-7500U 2.7GHz / 3.5GHz processor
8GB/16GB memory and 256GB/512GB/1TB SSD – BIGGER STORAGE
Up to 16 hours of battery life – BETTER BATTERY LIFE
Includes stylus and sleeve
Weight: 1.32kg – SLIGHTLY HEAVIER

BONUS: Rivals with 4K and QHD+ Resolution Displays

Lenovo Yoga 910 13.9-inch 4K 2-in-1 Laptop – TOUCHSCREEN

Bigger nearly 14-inch display with 7th generation processors and JBL speakers using Dolby Audio Premium sound processor
13.9-inch IPS 4K 3480 x 2160 touchscreen – HIGHER RESOLUTION, BIGGER DISPLAY
Intel® Core™ i5-7200U 2.5GHz / 3.1GHz or i7-7500U 2.7GHz / 3.5GHz Processor
RAM: 8GB or 16GB / Storage: 256GB or 512GB SSD
Up to 9 hours battery life
Weight: 1.38kg – SLIGHTLY HEAVIER

ASUS ZenBook UX330 13 Laptop

Premium design in beautiful aluminium chassis and powerful processor options but no touchscreen
13.3-inch LED backlit QHD+ 3200 x 1800 display – HIGHER RESOLUTION
Intel® Core™ i5-6200U 2.3GHz / 2.8GHz or Core i7-7500U 2.7GHz / 3.5GHz Processor
RAM: 8GB / Storage: 256GB SSD or RAM: 8GB /Storage: 512GB SSD
Up to 12 hours battery life
Weight: 1.2kg – LIGHTER