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Microsoft’s new 7th Edition Surface Laptop is one of its first Copilot+ devices touting its new AI-focused spec. It looks great, packs an impressive Qualcomm X Elite chip with AI functionality, and has incredible battery life lasting more than 20 hours.
But despite those impressive headline features, they’re not the (only!) reason I’m going to buy a new Microsoft Surface Laptop.
Microsoft’s New Surface Laptops Are Incredibly Easy to Repair
Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop looks great and packs some great hardware. However, the most surprising reveal since its launch in early June 2024 isn’t performance or battery-related; it’s how easy Microsoft has made it to repair.
iFixit’s teardown video shows a Microsoft laptop built with consumers not just in mind but at the forefront of its design. Given that it was only as recently as 2019 that iFixit delivered the Surface Pro 7, a bottom-of-the-barrel 1 out of 10, it’s clear Microsoft has listened and learned.
What Makes the Surface Laptop Easy to Fix?
iFixit has given the new Surface Laptop (and the new Surface Pro) an 8 out of 10—a vast improvement. That’s down to a few key reasons, such as Microsoft releasing first-party manuals straight after launch, clearly labeled internal components, and, of course, how easy Microsoft has made it to open the device.
For example, you can see from the iFixit teardown that opening the Microsoft Surface Laptop only requires you to remove four screws; Microsoft has opted for magnets to keep the case in place instead of the incredibly flimsy retention clips that are so easy to break.
Once you open the case, each of the components is labeled with the specific type of driver you need and the number of screws that need removing. So, when you see “3 IP,” it means you need a 3 IP Torx Plus driver. Nice and clear, right? Elsewhere, the battery symbol has an eight alongside the Torx symbol, so it stands to reason you’ll need to remove eight screws.
Microsoft has even printed a QR code inside the case, which takes you to the repair manuals, which is another fix-friendly feature.
As you’d expect, there are still some soldered parts, but that didn’t stop iFixit from stating that the Surface Laptop has “a level of repair friendliness we’ve only ever seen in repair-minded companies like Framework and Fairphone, so it’s really pleasant to see Microsoft adopt these same practices.”
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Has Other Great Features
Okay, so it’s not all about the repairability—though that does play a big part. I was on the fence about whether to order the new Surface Laptop, and iFixit’s teardown and high rating have given me the push over the top.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop is packing some very tidy specs, too, for both the 13.8-inch and 15-inch models:
Surface Laptop 7 (13.8-inch)
Surface Laptop 7 (15-inch)
Starting Price
Snapdragon X Plus or Elite
Snapdragon X Elite
16GB, 32GB, 64GB
256GB, 512GB, 1TB
13.8-inch (2304x1536) 120Hz touchscreen
15-inch (2496x1664) 120Hz touchscreen
Qualcomm Adreno
2x USB-C/USB 4, 1x USB-A, 1x 3.5mm
11.85 x 8.67 x 0.69 inches
12.96 x 9.41 x 0.72 inches
Not to mention that Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chips come with an integrated NPU with up to 48 TOPS performance, enabling on-device AI features.
The only downside? I now have to wait until mid-July for delivery.
