In 2020, Apple left the laptop market reeling with the release of its M1 MacBook Air, which finally saw the firm begin its transition to ARM-powered CPUs replacing Intel and its x86 architecture.
ARM CPUs had long been used for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets due to their superior battery life, but had not been considered powerful enough to run laptops. With the release of the M1 chip in 2020, Apple showed that ARM could be utilised very effectively to run a fully-fledged desktop while maintaining its battery life and portability benefits.
Qualcomm, the manufacturer behind the majority of chips that power Android phones, has spent the last few years trying to develop its own desktop-appropriate chips – the Snapdragon X series – which are finally ready to challenge Apple’s M-series chips.
Microsoft hopes their inclusion in the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 will deliver the same kind of generational leap in efficiency that impressed so much when Apple unveiled its new MacBook Air.
Early reviews seem positive, with palpable speed improvements noted by reviewers, although they detected compatibility issues with some older software.
iFixit has torn the two new machines apart to gauge how repairable they are, after criticising previous Surface iterations for being excessively difficult to patch up.
Starting with the Surface Laptop 7, iFixit described it as an “astonishingly repair-friendly device”. After taking off the exterior case, Microsoft has included what it describes as ‘Wayfinders’ – little symbols next to each component that demonstrate what is being secured and the type and quantity of screws required. It has also printed QR codes that link users to specific repair manuals.
Many of the components, including the battery and fan, can be easily removed by loosening a few screws and a bracket.
Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 11, which is more akin to a tablet PC, has also received a number of the repairability improvements seen on the Surface Laptop 7. iFixit notes that this product category is typically more difficult to repair than laptops due to the greater focus on portability.
Nevertheless, the M.2 drive can be accessed easily via a small magnetic cover underneath the kickstand, while other components require various levels of disassembly. Again, Microsoft has opted to use its Wayfinder markers and QR codes designed to make repairs as simple as possible for the user.
Unlike the Laptop 7, however, battery replacement requires the removal of Microsoft’s proprietary Surflink cable and the thermal management system. The cable is primarily used for several key functions including data transfer, peripheral connectivity, video output and charging. Just two screws hold the cable in place, and replacements can be bought relatively cheaply on Microsoft’s website.
Overall, iFixit said the latest Surface products drastically eclipse their predecessors for repairability, awarding them 8/10 compared to 0/10 for the first-generation devices.
