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Microsoft Surface Laptop 5G
ZDNET's key takeaways
- The Surface Laptop 5G for business is available to enterprise customers starting at $1,499.
- It's one of the most premium productivity-minded laptops of the year, with an impressive build and always-on connectivity.
- It's expensive and there's no OLED option.
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Microsoft's Surface Laptop 5G for business is one of the most premium Windows laptops of the year, with a sleek physical build, haptic trackpad, crisp display, and impressive performance for business users and the enterprise setting.
Its standout feature, however, lies under the (ahem) surface: It features a six-antenna array for 5G connectivity, supporting both physical nano SIM cards and eSIM technology from major carriers.
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In conjunction with Wi-Fi 7, the aim here is seamless connectivity that works in the background, eliminating manual switching between Wi-Fi and 5G, as the device automatically connects to the strongest signal, whether you're on the office Wi-Fi or out in the field.
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Along these lines, the laptop dynamically switches between the six antennas located around the front and sides of the device, prioritizing the one that is least obstructed by the user's hands, lap, or external objects.
The Surface Laptop 5G for Business is the latest addition to Microsoft's Surface laptop family, offering a more professionally minded configuration of the Surface Laptop. It is equipped with an Intel CPU, as opposed to the Qualcomm Snapdragon ARM-compatible version.
Build and hardware
You've got an Intel Core Ultra 5 or 7 268V, 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM, a removable Gen 4 SSD up to 1TB in capacity, and an Intel Arc GPU. Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 allow for additional compatibility on top of the 5G, as well as two USB-C / USB4 ports, one USB-A, and of course, the nano SIM tray on the right side.
The 120Hz, max 600 nit, PixelSense touchscreen display is crisp and vivid, with no warping or bending in its surface when viewed from the side, and constructed from a single panel with no physical bezels. The glossy surface does reflect some light, but nothing more than is typical, resulting in a very good-looking picture.
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In my review of the consumer Surface Laptop, I lamented its lack of an OLED display, and I feel the same way here. For the price, there's no reason why this laptop doesn't have an OLED, especially considering its positioning as a top-tier business laptop.
With that aside, the build on the Surface Laptop 5G is nothing short of premium. At 3.06 pounds, it's light and slick, yet still feels substantial and well-built, passing the one-handed open test with flying colors and staying stationary on the desk thanks to its rubberized grips.
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The keyboard feels similarly well-designed, with a matte slate-colored panel that offsets the silver body (more on that in a moment). The haptic trackpad is a very nice touch -- it's the right size, responsive, and rounds out the package.
The wrist rest and bottom panel is a unique material. It's not plastic, but it's definitely not metallic; it's smooth -- silky, even, and satisfying to work on. It's not just about feels, though. The anodized aluminum casing is optimized for the antennas located below the surface, as typical plastic or aluminum build materials would obstruct the signal.
The problem with 5G
During my testing of this laptop, the 5G was actually fantastic to use. Not worrying about being tethered to Wi-Fi was a game-changer, and I had almost no connection issues on the Verizon network as I moved around New York.
Let me reiterate that the intended demographic for this laptop is business users in the enterprise setting -- not as a standalone consumer PC. This means that its 5G connectivity would likely be deployed by an IT team before being distributed to the end user.
Although there are consumer-facing PCs from other companies that feature 5G connectivity, getting them set up with a carrier can be expensive and technical. We still have a ways to go before 5G connectivity on laptops is as easy as picking a cellphone plan.
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In that sense, the price of this laptop corresponds with this commitment to the enterprise market. It's $500 more than the Surface Laptop for Business with the Snapdragon X Plus processor, scaling up to and beyond the $2,000 mark with the higher-tier hardware.
Enterprise-only laptops are typically more pricey than mainstream laptops, true, but when the most impressive devices are made this exclusive, it narrows the market. I also think there is a genuine interest in 5G technology for laptops, but again, until manufacturers have an incentive to make it more accessible, it will stay wrapped up in enterprise packages.
Features and daily use
When I reviewed the Surface Laptop with the Snapdragon X Elite chip last year, I praised its marathon battery life, earning a spot on our best battery life laptop list.
On the Surface Laptop 5G, the 54Wh battery is slightly less robust, as the extra modem and antenna structure takes up space and requires power. With that said, you're still looking at great battery longevity, earning around 20 hours of video playback and upwards of 16 hours of typical office use in balanced mode.
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Lastly, if you're using this laptop for work, you're almost certainly using it for video calls. The Full HD (1080p) front-facing Surface Studio Camera produces very good image quality that approaches MacBook territory. Combined with the dual studio mics and 5G connectivity, you've got a laptop that is unlikely to drop during a call or roboticize your voice.
ZDNET's buying advice
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5G for Business offers a top-tier experience for enterprise users who need reliable, always-on connectivity. Although an OLED display would seal the deal on a premium business laptop, it still looks great, and paired with the haptic trackpad, slick build, and commendable hardware, it makes for a nice package.
If you're a business user looking for a thin-and-light laptop with 5G connectivity, this is one of the best choices on the market.
However, its price point, aimed at the enterprise space, is prohibitive for individual consumers, whom Microsoft will direct toward its consumer-oriented product line. It just goes to show that laptop manufacturers can develop premium, well-designed products that hit all (or nearly all) the right marks; they just won't do so without a guarantee on a price point that's just as premium.
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