"It's almost impossible to recommend the Surface Laptop 13": I compare it to the MacBook Neo after Microsoft's price hike

The Surface Laptop 13-inch made its debut in June 2025 and was aimed at users who want a lighter, smaller laptop as a daily companion. Although it arrived with an $899 starting price tag, a recent Surface price hike now has it starting at $1,149.99.

Apple then shook up the budget laptop market in March 2026 with its $599 MacBook Neo. That price hasn't changed since its more recent launch, and it's one of the best laptops you can find in that price range.

Is the Surface Laptop 13-inch worth it over the MacBook Neo despite the growing price difference? Let's find out.

Surface Laptop 13-inch vs. MacBook Neo: Specifications

Surface Laptop 13-inch vs. MacBook Neo: Design and features

The MacBook Neo and the Surface Laptop 13-inch are of a similar size, with the Neo coming in at 0.5 inches thin compared to 0.61 inches. Despite the difference, both laptops weigh in at 2.7 pounds, making them both great options for an everyday carry.

They're both built to a rather high standard, as expected from Surface and MacBook, using aluminum for rigidity and an overall premium feel. The Surface Laptop 13-inch comes in three different colors, and the MacBook Neo four. If you want a more lively finish, the Neo is the way to go.

Both laptops feature a 1080p webcam with no facial recognition abilities. The Surface Laptop 13-inch does come with a fingerprint reader, and you can get Touch ID on the upgraded $999 MacBook Neo model. The most affordable $599 version does not offer the feature.

Audio is similar across both laptops. Each has two speakers with Dolby Atmos tuning, as well as a 3.5mm audio jack for connecting headsets and mics.

Joining the audio jack on the Surface Laptop 13-inch are two USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2) and one USB-A 3.1. The MacBook Neo otherwise offers just one USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2) port and a rather wimpy USB-C 2.0 port.

It'd be nice if both laptops had USB4 to handle high-performance peripherals and docks. Nevertheless, the Surface Laptop edges out the Neo.

As for wireless connectivity, you get more modern Wi-Fi 7 with the Surface Laptop. It's joined by Bluetooth 5.4. Conversely, the MacBook Neo offers older Wi-Fi 6E but newer Bluetooth 6.

Neither laptop offers a haptic touchpad; instead, they use traditional mechanical fare. Where the Surface Laptop 13" pulls ahead is with a backlit keyboard. Although the Neo's keyboard is comfortable, a lack of backlight could be a dealbreaker for some.

TL;DR: The MacBook Neo is thinner than the Surface Laptop 13-inch, but its set of features, including a lack of a backlit keyboard and weak port selection, leaves something to be desired.

Surface Laptop 13-inch vs. MacBook Neo: Display

Surface and MacBook generally always offer superb displays, but you can see where some cost is cut in these PCs.

The Surface has a 13-inch touch display with 1920x1280 resolution for a 3:2 aspect ratio. That's 178 pixels per inch (PPI). It tops out at a 60Hz refresh rate, it hits about 400 nits brightness, and it comes with Dolby Vision certification.

The Neo also has a 13-inch display, except it doesn't have touch functionality. It does have a higher refresh rate at 2408x1506 (219 PPI) for a 16:10 aspect ratio. It, too, tops out at a 60Hz refresh rate. It gets slightly brighter, up to 500 nits, and it has Dolby Vision.

TL;DR: With a higher resolution and brightness, the MacBook Neo's display wins out against the Surface Laptop 13-inch. At least for those who don't absolutely need touch functionality.

Surface Laptop 13-inch vs. MacBook Neo: Performance and battery

Apple's MacBook Neo runs on its own A18 Pro System-on-Chip (SoC), complete with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, a 5-core integrated GPU, and a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) capable of about 35 TOPS of power for AI.

The Surface Laptop 13-inch uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus (8-core) chip paired with 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM, Adreno integrated GPU, and Hexagon NPU at 45 TOPS.

With two extra cores to play with, the Surface Laptop 13-inch comes out well ahead in multi-core benchmarks. However, the A18 Pro chip does an outstanding job with single-core performance.

You can see the differences in the performance table below.

Apple's A18 Pro also has a strong 5-core GPU that comes out ahead of the Adreno chip in the Snapdragon X Plus. Neither laptop is going to be great for gaming, but creators using specialized software should take note.

Unfortunately, one of the Neo's main weaknesses is its 8GB RAM ceiling. If you're a heavy multitasker, the default 16GB of RAM in the Surface Laptop 13-inch might be too tempting to pass up.

This is far from a complete performance picture, but you get the idea; both laptops have their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to raw power.

As for battery life, the Surface Laptop 13-inch has a larger 50Wh capacity compared to the 36.5Wh capacity in the MacBook Neo.

How does that translate to real-world battery life? When our friends at Tom's Hardware reviewed the MacBook Neo, they ran a battery test alongside the Surface Laptop 13-inch.

The test, involving web browsing, video streaming, and OpenGL graphics tests with screen brightness locked at 150 nits, reveals a large gap.

The Surface Laptop 13-inch lasted for 17 hours and 14 minutes, whereas the MacBook Neo ran for 13 hours and 28 minutes. That's nearly four hours of extra life from the Surface PC.

TL;DR: The Surface Laptop 13-inch offers nearly four hours more battery life, and it excels in multi-core workloads. However, the MacBook Neo comes out ahead with single-core CPU performance and overall GPU performance.

Surface Laptop 13-inch vs. MacBook Neo: Windows and MacOS

I doubt I'm going to change your mind about operating systems (OS) if you're already entrenched in one or the other, but since these laptops are aimed at students and more casual users, I'll offer a condensed comparison between Windows 11 and macOS.

Windows 11 is a far more flexible OS in terms of software and customization. Think of it like a toy box with a massive variety of tools inside, no matter the task at hand. It's also the better choice for gaming, though that doesn't really apply to a PC like the Surface Laptop 13-inch.

MacOS, on the other hand, is designed to be super simple and sleek. Think of it like a really pretty toy box that only holds specific toys that are guaranteed to operate consistently. It's the go-to choice for many creators, and it excels if you're already using an iPad or iPhone.

TL;DR: Windows 11 and macOS each have their own strengths and weaknesses. I recommend trying both before making a final decision, as it largely comes down to personal preference.

Surface Laptop 13-inch vs. MacBook Neo: Which should you buy?

From a hardware and features standpoint, the Surface PC is hard to ignore. But that's far from the whole story. Windows Central Senior Editor Zac Bowden remarked in his Surface Laptop 13-inch review:

"In a vacuum, it's a good device. Its build quality is superb, the keyboard and trackpad are great, and its lightweight chassis and compact size make it an excellent travel companion."

Bowden also notes that the biggest problem is the price, which at the time of his review was $899 to start. Now that it's risen to $1,149, those issues are only magnified.

The MacBook Neo's $599 starting price is nearly half that of the Surface Laptop 13-inch. With this framing around price, many of the Neo's drawbacks quickly fade into the background.

If you're a dedicated Windows user, I doubt the Neo will ever be for you. But for those without OS allegiance who just want a quality budget laptop, it's almost impossible to recommend the Surface Laptop 13-inch.

Microsoft is planning a Surface refresh this year, and I'll be sure to update this piece when the new PCs arrive.

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