Microsoft Unveils Surface Laptop Ultra and Expanded AI Features for Windows
The new laptop runs on NVIDIA's RTX Spark SOC, while Windows integrates deeper agentic AI capabilities.
By Letizia Giugliano
2 min readHuman-Edited, AI-Assisted
Microsoft has revealed its Surface Laptop Ultra, a new high-performance device, alongside significant updates to its Windows operating system that emphasize agentic AI features. Announced at a recent Windows and Surface event, these developments aim to enhance personal computing with powerful hardware and intelligent software, with pre-orders for the laptop starting immediately and availability set for mid-October [Engadget](https://www.engadget.com/2280298/everything-announced-at-microsofts-windows-and-surface-event/).
The Surface Laptop Ultra: Hardware Innovations
Designed for developers and creators, the Surface Laptop Ultra features a 15-inch mini-LED display capable of up to 2,000 nits of brightness and a 3:2 aspect ratio. It includes a trackpad 30 percent larger than its predecessor and weighs less than 4.5 pounds, with a thickness under 18mm (0.7 inches). Microsoft claims the device offers 2.5 times the thermal capacity of the seventh-generation 15-inch Surface Laptop and all-day battery life Engadget.
The laptop is powered by NVIDIA's new Arm-based RTX Spark system-on-a-chip (SOC), which provides GPU capabilities comparable to the GeForce RTX 5070. This SOC includes 20 CPU cores and supports up to 128GB of unified memory. The RTX Spark is designed to be power-efficient, drawing no more than 80W, and features a neural processing unit (NPU) that meets Microsoft's Copilot+ requirements Engadget. It also offers multiple ports, including USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a full-size SD card reader, alongside a magnetic charging option via USB-C.
Expanding AI Capabilities in Windows
Microsoft is making a significant push into agentic AI within Windows, which refers to AI tools capable of performing actions autonomously. The company showcased how its Copilot AI assistant will gain new abilities, such as carrying out actions based on local files (with user permission) and running AI models both locally and in the cloud for additional processing power. Users will also be able to generate apps and widgets through Copilot Engadget.
New features starting this fall include thousands of quick actions directly in Windows search from the taskbar, allowing users to control settings like dark mode, screenshots, and volume, or get answers to questions. Microsoft is also introducing a "Get Started" tool to simplify setting up AI agents in Windows, including Portable Computer (which runs locally without cloud credits) and Meta's Muse as a native Windows app. The company emphasized its commitment to making Windows a secure platform for these AI agents Engadget. Engadget noted potential user concerns regarding AI agents accessing personal files, referencing past backlashes against tools like Recall.
Pricing and Availability
The Surface Laptop Ultra is positioned as a competitor to Apple's MacBook Pro, offering enhanced repairability with a replaceable SSD. The device starts at $2,599, with pre-orders available now. It will be officially available for purchase on October 16 Engadget.
In addition to the laptop, Microsoft also unveiled the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, a mini PC designed for more intensive AI workloads. This developer-focused system starts at $5,999, with pre-orders also open Engadget. The event featured appearances by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang.
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