Surface Laptop 2 vs MacBook Pro: What should you buy?

The second edition of Microsoft's high-quality flip-top notebook is here. the Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 s' relies on its predecessor announced with a revamped keyboard and significant performance. These intriguing enhancements come second to an elegant black color variant that adds sophistication to an already phenomenal design.

But as promising as the Surface Laptop 2 is, Microsoft is facing a market brimming with excellent options. Among these is the newly refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro, which we hailed for its lightning speeds and improved keyboard. The Surface Laptop 2 will not be available until October 16th, but for the moment we're looking at how it compares to the MacBook Pro, before our official test.

Here is how the two systems overlap.

Design

The Surface Laptop 2 design is unchanged from the previous version. Normally, we criticized Microsoft for taking a conservative approach, but the design of the first Surface laptop was so captivating that there was little room for complaint.

The deck of this double-hull laptop is covered with Alcantara fabric, the same material that Microsoft uses for the Signature Type Cover. It's plush, stain-resistant and unlike any material you'll find on a laptop. On the metal lid of the Surface Laptop 2 is a glossy Windows logo that contrasts well with the many color options of the laptop. The Surface Laptop will be available in Burgundy, Cobalt Blue, Platinum and Black, while the MacBook Pro comes with boring finishes in silver and gray space.

Where the Surface Laptop 2 design is warm and inviting, the MacBook Pro is cold and industrial. This is not necessarily a bad thing. The unibody aluminum design popularized by Apple is appreciated by consumers and critics alike. So much so, in fact, that the look spawned an era of shameless clones, like the Huawei MateBook X Pro and Xiaomi Mi Laptop Air. The design is pleasantly utilitarian, but with thick glasses and a heavy weight, the MacBook Pro is becoming obsolete.

These two ultraportable laptops have a remarkably similar footprint. At 12.1 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches, the Surface Laptop 2 is a little larger than the 13-inch MacBook Pro (12 x 18.4 x 0.6 inches). However, it weighs less, at 2.8 pounds compared to the 3-pound MacBook Pro.

Surface Laptop 2 vs. MacBook Pro (13 inches): Compared Features

Price and value

The two premium laptops generate exorbitant costs when they are configured with high-end internal equipment, but Surface Laptop 2 pricing is more tolerable. For $ 999, the Surface Laptop 2 is equipped with a Core i5 CPU, 8 GB of RAM and one 128 GB SSD. We recommend increasing the storage capacity to 256 GB, although it will cost you $ 300 more. A MacBook Pro with similar touch bar – with a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD – costs $ 1,800 ($ 500 more than the Laptop 2!).

Opting for the more powerful Core i7 processor on the Surface Laptop 2 will cost you $ 300 more, for a total of $ 1,600. Confronting the specifications of a high-end model with a Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD drives up the price to $ 2,700.

The price of the MacBook Pro increases in a similar way when you upgrade the components of the laptop. Like the Surface Laptop 2, moving to a CPU on a Core i7 adds $ 300 to the already inflated price of the MacBook Pro. Doing everything with a Core i7, 16 GB of RAM and a 2 TB SSD will cost you $ 3,700 in bank account. Note, however, that switching from a 1TB SSD to a 2TB SSD is $ 800; For example, at $ 2,900, a MacBook Pro with a Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD costs "only" $ 200 more than a similar Laptop Surface 2. .

Keyboard

The besieged keypad of the MacBook Pro has been the subject of an essential redesign this year. The previous version was plagued by problems, which led homeowners to file a class action against Apple. The keyboard of the new MacBook Pro is still extremely shallow, with a travel of 0.55 millimeters, but at least it looks quieter and is less prone to debris. Back on the MacBook Pro, touch bar love-it-or-hate-it, a touch OLED display which offers shortcuts and application controls.

We have had no complaints with the keyboard of the old Surface laptop. Not only do the keys have a relatively deep travel, at 1.4mm (slightly less than our minimal preference of 1.5mm), but the Alcantara fabric tray provides a comfortable surface to rest our wrists. Not content with what we already consider to be one of the best ultrabook keyboards in the world, Microsoft has redesigned the Surface Laptop 2 keyboard to allow the key to move 1.5mm. During our brief stint with the new presentation, the keys were significantly more comfortable than those of the MacBook Pro.

Display

The Surface Laptop 2 and MacBook Pro have some of the nicest screens you'll find on a laptop. The 13.5-inch screen, 2256 x 1504 located on the Surface is a little larger than the MacBook Pro's 13.3-inch and 2560 x 1600-pixel panel, but the Apple display has a density more pixels. Both screens are extremely sharp, so you should have no problem seeing the smallest details when viewing 1080p or 4K videos.

The screen of the MacBook Pro, now with True Tone, is revealed vibrant and bright in our tests. The panel is capable of reproducing 119 percent of SRGB color range, and he has reached a maximum brightness of 439 nits. In comparison, the original surface computer screen was more colorful (135% sRGB color spectrum) but less bright (361 nits).

The ports

AT USB-C, or not to USB-C. If you are in the last camp, the Surface Pro port selection will do the trick. However, if you are among the majority of people who think that each device with more than $ 1,000 should have at least one USB-C port, the new Surface laptop will be disappointing. The Surface Laptop 2 has the same ports as the previous Laptop Surface: a USB 3.0 port, a mini DisplayPort, Surface Connect and a headphone jack.

The MacBook Pro may not have a wide variety of connections, but it certainly does not skimp on the latest USB standard. The thin laptop has a simple selection of ports: 4 Love at first sight 3 ports and a headphone jack.

Battery life

The main gap in the MacBook Pro is battery life. The endurance of the laptop is not terrible, but competing laptops, including the original Laptop Surface, work best in this area. The Apple laptop only lasted 8 hours and 43 minutes with our custom battery test, which involves continuous web surfing via Wi-Fi at a brightness of 150 nits.

PLUS: laptops with the longest life of the battery

Microsoft is testing the battery life of the Surface Laptop 2 at 14.5 hours, but do not rush to declare it a winner. Microsoft was aiming for 14.5 hours on the previous Surface laptop, but it lasted 9 hours and 2 minutes in our test. This is a solid result, but far from Microsoft's claims. The Laptop Surface 2 should The battery life is longer than the MacBook Pro, but we will not know until we get our hands on an evaluation unit.

Perspective

The 13.5-inch Laptop Surface 2 has a lot to offer. Not only is it more stylish than the MacBook Pro, but the Microsoft laptop should also have a longer battery and a more comfortable keyboard. Unfortunately, the Laptop Surface 2 still does not have a USB-C port and it will have to make big progress in terms of performance to catch up with the super-fast MacBook Pro. Nevertheless, the second-generation Laptop Surface is becoming an excellent competitor to the MacBook Pro, especially considering the price gap between the two laptops.

Credit: Laptop Mag