- A Reddit post reveals that Microsoft is planning to launch the Surface Laptop 7 with Intel's latest Lunar Lake chipset.
- The upcoming Surface Laptop 7 would pack Intel Core Ultra 7 268V with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage.
- Intel's x86-based Lunar Lake aka Core Ultra 2 chipsets have delivered great battery life and performance, almost matching ARM-based Snapdragon X Elite's efficiency.
When Microsoft announced that the newly designed Surface Laptop 7 would exclusively feature Qualcomm’s ARM-based Snapdragon X Elite chipset, many thought Intel had hit the end of the road. However, Intel’s latest Lunar Lake aka Core Ultra 2 chipsets have delivered impressive battery life and performance, without the niggling issue of compatibility. As a result, Microsoft is embracing Intel again.
A Reddit post by Akaza_Dorian shows that Surface Laptop 7 with Intel Core Ultra 7 268V has surfaced on a Chinese website Goofish. The post is no longer available, but WindowsCentral has managed to extract some images, and they look legit.
The images show the upcoming Surface Laptop 7 features the Intel Core Ultra 7 268V processor (second-most powerful SKU) with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. It packs 8 CPU cores and an Intel Arc 140V GPU. The NPU can deliver up to 48 TOPS. The listing shows that it would cost around 19,000 CNY, which translates to around $2600.
It may be possible that Microsoft is preparing various Lunar Lake configurations for the upcoming Surface Laptop 7. The Reddit post says that Microsoft may launch the Surface Laptop 7 with Intel Core Ultra 2 chipset in 2025.
A recent report by Digitimes revealed that Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite underperformed in the market, and the stocks didn’t move as was expected with the Copilot+ PC branding. Meanwhile, Intel and AMD have partnered and formed an x86 advisory group in a major resurgence to expand and promote the x86 architecture. Many tech titans in the industry have joined the group.
With the latest development, Qualcomm’s future in the PC space doesn’t look very promising. App/game compatibility and poor GPU performance have been a major problem on Qualcomm’s latest ARM-based chipsets, discouraging users from jumping ship. That said, Qualcomm is reportedly working on the next generation of Snapdragon X2 Elite chips.
Now, all eyes are on laptop manufacturers whether they will continue supporting Qualcomm or move back to the x86 architecture.
