Apple M4 MacBook Pro: A Worthwhile Upgrade for Better Battery Life and Screen Visibility

The new M4 MacBook Pro may be a worthwhile upgrade for Apple Silicon Mac users. With improved battery life, up to 16 hours of web browsing, and enhanced screen brightness up to 1000 nits, the M4 offers significant upgrades over older models. The entry-level price of $1599 with 512GB of storage and 16GB of memory is also a notable improvement.

Microsoft has announced the launch of two new Surface PCs, designed to be more portable and affordable. The new devices, a 12-inch Surface Pro and a 13-inch Surface Laptop, are set to expand the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop lines, respectively, and feature tweaked designs and lower starting prices.

The 12-inch Surface Pro, starting at $799, is a complete redesign of the Surface Pro, featuring a new 90Hz display, uniform bezels, and a redesigned chassis with built-in magnetic pen charging on the back. The device omits the magnetic Surface Connect charging port, opting for USB-C charging instead. It includes 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, 256/512GB of UFS storage, and a 1080p front-facing camera. The device weighs 686g and is 7.8mm thin, making it lighter and thinner than the 13-inch Surface Pro 11. The 12-inch Surface Pro also includes Windows Hello face unlock for biometric authentication.

The 13-inch Surface Laptop, starting at $899, is an upgraded Surface Laptop Go in everything but name. It features a larger and higher resolution 1080p screen, a backlit keyboard, and an all-aluminum chassis. It includes Windows Hello fingerprint unlock built into the power button, a non-haptic trackpad, and a 60Hz touchscreen panel. The device has a rounded chassis similar to the MacBook Air and includes two USB-C ports and one USB-A port. The 13-inch Surface Laptop also omits the magnetic Surface Connect charge port, opting for USB-C charging instead. It is Microsoft's longest-lasting Surface, with 23 hours of video playback.

Both devices are available for pre-order now and are expected to begin shipping on May 20. Microsoft also offers these devices to students at a discount, making them even cheaper than the starting prices.

Pre-orders for both the 12-inch Surface Pro and 13-inch Surface Laptop are now live, with shipments expected to begin on May 20. [1]

References:
[1] https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/surface/surface-pro-12-inch-laptop-13-inch-announcement-2025