The Surface Pro 2026 is still a good convertible, but Microsoft only uses the slowest Snapdragon X2 Elite

Microsoft launched the updates Surface Pro and uses the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 processors. At least for private users, because business users can choose between Qualcomm and Intel's Panther Lake processors (with optional 5G). We still think it is a mistake that Microsoft holds on to its strategy with ARM-only devices for private customers and it is still an artificial attempt to push ARM devices into the market instead of letting the customer decide.

Bute back to the Surface Pro, which we have just reviewed with the OLED screen. It is combined with the new Snapdragon X2 Elite, while the IPS model features the Snapdragon X2 Plus. This is the first issue, because the performance difference between the two versions is small. This is mainly a result of Microsoft's decision to implement the slowest Snapdragon X2 Elite SoC from Qualcomm. The X2E-78-100 offers 12 CPU cores (6 cores up to 4.0 GHz, 6 cores up to 3.4 GHz) and the overall CPU performance is just slightly better compared to the old Surface Pro equipped with the X1E-80-100. 

The graphics performance is a mixed bag, because the X2E-78-100 uses the Adreno X2-85 GPU with a slower core clock of 1.35 GHz (other models use a faster version with 1.7 GHz). The GPU performance is still significantly better compared to the old Adreno X1-85, but not much better compared to the X2P-64-100 with the Adreno X2-45 GPU running at 1.7 GHz. This means the performance could have been noticeably better. The overall performance level is at least very comparable to the Intel version, because the Panther Lake chips for the Surface Pro only feature the slow iGPU with 4 Xe cores.

All in all, the Surface Pro 2026 is a comparatively small update, but the price is obviously higher than before. Microsoft does not really face any direct rivals though, and considering the general price increase of computers, you should try to get the previous models as long as they are still available. Please see our comprehensive review of the new Surface Pro OLED for more information.