Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 13.8-inch with Snapdragon X2 Elite is $1,349.99 on Amazon, down from a $1,699.99 list price. That’s $350 off Microsoft’s most powerful 13.8-inch Surface Laptop, with 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 120Hz touchscreen. Microsoft’s own store sells the same model for $1,529.99, so Amazon is $180 cheaper.
We checked the price, seller and stock on Amazon on November 14, 2026. Amazon.com sells and ships it in Platinum. If you’re cross-shopping a MacBook Air, the M5 model with the same 16GB and 512GB lists at $1,299 at Apple and is $1,099 on Amazon, so we’ve put the two side by side below.
Surface Laptop with X2 Elite vs M5 MacBook Air, with the same 16GB and 512GB
| Surface Laptop 13.8-inch (Amazon deal) | MacBook Air 13-inch M5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,349.99 (list $1,699.99) | $1,299 at Apple, $1,099 on Amazon |
| Chip | Snapdragon X2 Elite, 12 cores | Apple M5, 10-core CPU |
| Memory and storage | 16GB, 512GB SSD | 16GB, 512GB SSD |
| Display | 13.8-inch touchscreen LCD, 2304 x 1536, 120Hz | 13.6-inch LCD, 2560 x 1664, 500 nits |
| Battery | Up to 20 hours video playback | Up to 18 hours video streaming |
| Ports | 2 USB-C (USB4), USB-A, Surface Connect, audio | 2 Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, audio |
| Weight | 2.96 pounds | 2.7 pounds |
The Surface wins on a few things the MacBook Air doesn’t offer at all. It has a touchscreen, a 120Hz refresh rate and a full-size USB-A port, according to Microsoft. Apple’s MacBook Air spec page lists a sharper display at 224 pixels per inch, MagSafe charging and a lighter 2.7-pound body.
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Compared with Apple’s own $1,299 price, the Surface Laptop deal costs $50.99 more. Against Amazon’s $1,099 MacBook Air, the gap grows to $250.99. Microsoft’s store price of $1,529.99 would put the Surface $230.99 above the Air at Apple’s price, so this Amazon deal is what makes the two worth comparing at all. Both laptops come with 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD, so you aren’t trading storage for the lower price on either side.
Snapdragon X2 Elite runs Windows on Arm, the same idea as Apple silicon on a Mac
Qualcomm’s X2 Elite is an Arm chip, just like Apple’s M-series chips. That’s why Microsoft can promise up to 20 hours of video playback on the 13.8-inch model. The tradeoff is app support. Most Windows apps run, but older software, some drivers and some games with anti-cheat tools can have trouble. If you need a specific Windows app for work, check that it supports Windows on Arm first.
Microsoft also sells a bigger Surface Laptop Ultra at $2,599 for people who want a MacBook Pro rival. This 13.8-inch model is the MacBook Air rival, and the X2 Elite is the top chip Microsoft offers in it.
Pick the Surface Laptop only if you need Windows, because the MacBook Air costs less
At these prices, the M5 MacBook Air is $250.99 cheaper on Amazon with the same memory and storage. If you already use an iPhone and a Mac, the Air is the easier pick, and our M5 MacBook Air deal roundup tracks the other configurations.
The Surface Laptop makes sense in a few cases:
- Your job or school requires Windows apps
- You want a touchscreen and a 120Hz display in a 13-inch class laptop
- You need a USB-A port without carrying a dongle
For a Windows laptop with this chip, $1,349.99 on Amazon is $350 below list and $180 below Microsoft’s own price.
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