In late January 2025, Microsoft announced the launch of two new Surface laptops for business users, Surface Laptop and Surface Pro, both equipped with Intel's latest Core Ultra 200 series processors. At the time, Microsoft promised to release optional Surface Laptop configurations with 5G connectivity, and today, the company finally unveiled one of the most requested features from business customers.
The Surface Laptop 5G (that's what it's called) is now official. The 13.8-inch laptop is identical to its non-cellular sibling, with the only difference being 5G support and Nano SIM and eSIM compatibility. However, as Microsoft said in its announcement, equipping a laptop with 5G isn't just about putting a modem in it. The so-called "dynamic antenna system" had to be carefully designed to adapt to the environment and ensure optimal reception with six strategically placed antennas.
The laptop can seamlessly switch between cellular and Wi-Fi, ensuring an uninterrupted connection. Additionally, it can serve as a mobile hotspot for other devices in areas without Wi-Fi.
Unlike other laptops whose antennas are located near the bottom of the device, the Surface Laptop 5G's antennas are positioned higher to reduce interference. Microsoft also developed a new case material, multi-layer laminate, that allows radio signals to pass through without degrading performance while still delivering the durability, lightness and premium feel of Surface products.
The nano SIM slot on Surface Laptop 5G is located next to the Surface Connect charging port.
Like other modern Surface devices, Surface Laptop 5G is a Copilot+ PC with Intel NPU, enabling a variety of AI-driven experiences and features such as recall, click-to-execute, and more.
Surface Laptop 5G will be available on August 26, 2025, starting at $1,799 (Core Ultra 5 processor, 256GB SSD, 16GB RAM). In addition to Surface Laptop 5G, Microsoft is promoting the recently released 13-inch Surface Laptop and 12-inch Surface Pro for business users.