Intel Lunar Lake Processor Leaks for New Surface Laptop

It appears that Apple isn’t the only company struggling to keep its upcoming laptops under wraps. After a significant leak concerning the next-generation M4-powered MacBook Pro, Microsoft has now found itself in a similar situation with an unannounced Surface Laptop surfacing for sale on a Chinese marketplace. While the physical design of this device doesn’t differ much from its predecessor, its internal specifications reveal a crucial upgrade: the processor.

The current Surface Laptop 7 is exclusively available with either Snapdragon X Plus or Elite processors. For those preferring Intel, the only option is the Surface Laptop 6 for Business, which features the first generation of Intel Core Ultra chips. The recently leaked model, however, is equipped with the Intel Core Ultra 7 268V, also referred to as Intel Lunar Lake.

In addition to Intel’s cutting-edge chip, the prototype boasts 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, positioning it as a high-end device with a substantial price of 19,000 CNY (approximately $2,600). The seller has indicated that this laptop will not be available until next year. For comparison, the Surface Laptop 7 with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage is priced at $1,999 for the 13.8-inch version and $2,099 for the 15-inch variant. The seller seems to be marking up the price artificially for exclusivity, particularly since the laptop is reportedly in flawless condition and includes the original packaging and a charger (still labeled as “prototype”).

According to Windows Central, which cites unnamed sources within Microsoft, the tech giant is in fact developing a Surface Laptop featuring Intel’s Lunar Lake processors. However, it remains unclear whether this new model will be designated as the Surface Laptop 8 upon its potential 2025 release or whether it will be considered an iteration of the Surface Laptop 7.

Microsoft has confirmed that the new Copilot+ PC features, including Recall, will be rolled out to devices powered by the latest Intel and AMD processors. It makes logical sense for the company to diversify its offerings, ensuring there are ample choices for users not ready to transition to Windows on ARM, regardless of its performance and battery efficiency. Furthermore, this model may represent Microsoft’s next-generation Surface Laptop geared towards business users, as hinted by the vPro tag, as mentioned by the individual who discovered the listing.

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