Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra Launches at $2,599, Targets MacBook Pro

Microsoft announced final pricing and launch timing for the Surface Laptop Ultra, first shown earlier this year. The 15-inch model starts at $2,599, undercutting Apple's $2,999 16-inch MacBook Pro. Microsoft targets the same creative and developer audience, claiming the machine handles "demanding creative, software development, AI, engineering, and 3D workloads."

Inside the Surface Laptop Ultra

The laptop runs on an Nvidia RTX Spark chip, a combined Arm-based processor with an Nvidia Blackwell RTX GPU (up to 6,144 cores) and an Nvidia Grace CPU (up to 20 cores). Unified memory tops out at 128GB. Because the chip is Arm, the laptop uses Windows on Arm and Microsoft's Prism emulation for x86 apps.

Microsoft calls the Surface Laptop Ultra its "most powerful notebook to date." The mini-LED touchscreen has a peak HDR brightness 25% higher than the M5 MacBook Pro's, according to MacRumors. The display supports touch and gesture navigation but not pen input. Microsoft says the panel is its "brightest, sharpest, and most vivid display" ever in a Surface device.

"We're confident that once today's creators and developers experience everything Surface Laptop Ultra has to offer, they won't look back," reads Microsoft's website.

The laptop is lighter than the 16-inch MacBook Pro. It includes a large haptic trackpad, upgradeable storage, and a new magnetic USB-C charging system Microsoft calls Magnetic Connect. Ports: three USB-C, one USB-A, HDMI, an SD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Dev Box and trade-in deal

Alongside the laptop, Microsoft announced the $5,999 Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, aimed at competitors like the Mac Studio and Mac mini. It uses the same RTX Spark chip and offers up to 1 petaflop of AI performance, supporting AI models with up to 120 billion parameters.

To lure switchers, Microsoft offers up to $1,000 cash back when trading in an eligible MacBook toward a Surface Laptop Ultra purchase.

Our take: Wait for reviews

On paper, the Surface Laptop Ultra is a serious MacBook Pro rival at a lower starting price, with a brighter display, more memory, and a unique magnetic USB-C charger. But real-world performance, Windows-on-Arm app compatibility, and battery life are unknowns. MacRumors notes Apple has its own rumored OLED MacBook Ultra in the pipeline. Verdict: Wait. Let independent tests confirm those claims before spending $2,599.

• laptops
• MacBook Pro
• Microsoft
• Nvidia
• RTX Spark
• Surface Laptop Ultra