Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 for Business vs Surface Laptop 5: What’s the difference?

Microsoft has decided to spread out its launch activities in 2024 and we’ve first been graced with a business-focused event. The consumer devices may be coming later but, for now, we did see a new Surface Laptop 6 for Business. Here’s how it compares with the Surface Laptop 5.

Rumours have been swirling relating to big redesigned for new Surface Laptop 6 and Surface Pro 10 devices. We’re set to see these reimaginings of the Surface line in May but, today, Microsoft has revealed some business-flavoured updates to its current range. The Surface Laptop 6 for Business will be shipping from April 9th and comes with a starting price of $1,199 and, in case you were wondering, those apply to the new Surface Pro 10 for Business too. Check out the key differences between the new business model and the previous consumer edition below.

The new Surface Laptop 6 for Business gets Intel Core Ultra

The big difference between this new commercial variant of the Surface laptop flagship is that it sports the new Intel Core Ultra range of chips. That means it gets boosted AI features from the included NPU and should come with a stronger overall performance, enhanced battery life and some improved graphical capabilities. Microsoft itself is touting that it is twice as fast than the previous generation.

The rest of the specifications on offer add up to a choice between the Core Ultra 5 135H and Core Ultra 165H then you can spec this laptop all the way up to 64GB RAM along with up to 1TB SSD storage. The 15-inch version will add a USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port compared with the Laptop 5, as well as the option for a card reader. That’s along with a USB-C, headphone jack and Surface Connect. The smaller model only has one Thunderbolt 4, the headphone jack and the Surface Connect.

Not a big design upgrade on Surface Laptop 5

So, this isn’t the new Surface Laptop 6 that looks set to be revealed in a couple of months. Instead, it is essentially a Surface Laptop 5 with some enhancements. It looks the same but you get the new chips and a brand new anti-reflective coating across the LCD display. Microsoft also says there’s new adaptive colour technology too.

Some of smaller design changes include the addition of the fabled Copilot key, for quick access to Microsoft’s AI companion and there’s also QR codes inside the device to enhance repairability capabilities. Along with helping with repairability, the Surface has “sustainability in mind,” with recycled materials used, secure trade-in options, enhanced power effiency and a Surface Emissions Estimator. There’s a 1080p Surface Studio Camera too which, of course, takes advantage of Windows Studio Effects like background blur.

New model gets new business-focused features

And, that’s your lot in terms of what this Surface Laptop 6 for Business offers in the performance and new features department. But, there is some extra commerical-related goodness for the business-minded. There’s a new Surface Management Portal for IT professionals who need to manage multiple Surface devices, as well as the Surface IT Toolkit, that lets users configure things like Device Recovery, UEFI and Data Eraser.