Microsoft Launches Surface Laptop 3 & Surface Pro 7 in Malaysia; Costs up to RM8,299

Microsoft Malaysia just launched a number of products on our shores. There’s the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 – both the 13.5-inch and 15-inch models – as well as the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 tablet. On top of that, the company also teased the Malaysian availability of the Microsoft Surface Pro X.

Surface Laptop 3

Let’s start with the Surface Laptop 3. For the 13.5-inch model, as many as three different variants are offered. The base model features a Core i5-1035G7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD storage. That’s right, only 128GB of storage space, and this model retails at a whopping RM4,499; it’s only available in Platinum colourway too.

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If you want 256GB of storage instead for the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 3, that will cost you RM5,699 for the same processor and RAM configuration. Those who want more power can opt for the Core i7-1065G7 model, which also comes with a 256GB SSD and 16GB of RAM. Both variants are only offered in Matte Black, and the latter commands a RM7,099 price tag.

Other specifications of the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 3 include a 13.5-inch 2256 x 1504 PixelSense touch display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, Intel Iris Plus Graphics integrated GPU, one USB-C port, and a full-size USB-A connection.

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As for the 15-inch Surface Laptop 3, it is only available in a single variant for the Malaysian market. This singular model features a 15-inch 2496 x 1664 PixelSense touch display – also with a 3:2 aspect ratio – an AMD Ryzen 53580U processor paired with 8GB of RAM, a Radeon Vega 9 GPU, and 256GB of SSD storage. The 15-inch Surface Laptop 3 is available in Matte Black for our market, and it costs RM6,799.

Surface Pro 7

Don’t fancy a laptop? Then the Surface Pro 7 could be right up your alley. It popularised the tablet form factor for Windows-based machines, and the latest iteration is available in three variants for our market. The most affordable model retails at RM5,499, and it comes with a Core i5-1035G4 processor paired with 8GB of RAM, 256GB of SSD storage, and two colour options: Platinum and Matte Black.

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A tier up is the Core i7-1065G7 variant, which retains the 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD for RM6,799. The highest-end Surface Pro 7, on the other hand, has the same configuration, but offers twice the amount of SSD storage at 512GB; this model goes for RM8,299 in Malaysia. If you’re keen to get either one of these two models, they’re only offered in Matte Black.

Without a doubt the Surface Pro 7 is a costly product, but it is a premium Windows tablet. It has a sharp 12.3-inch 2736 x 1824 PixelSense touch-enabled display (3:2 aspect ratio), it weighs only 775g – the Core i7 model is slightly heavier at 790g – and the Signature Type Cover with Alcantara fabric feels very premium.

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Compared to the regular Type Cover, the Signature model with Alcantara fabric feels a lot smoother and more pleasant to the touch; I definitely wouldn’t mind typing for long periods of time on this keyboard. Of course, it also helps that the keys have a good amount of travel and tactile feedback, along with an accurate trackpad.

Oh, it’s worth noting that there will be an even more affordable variant of the Surface Pro 7 that’s set to be introduced in Malaysia sometime in January next month. It comes with a Core i5 processor paired with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. While its retail price has not been revealed yet, expect it to be more affordable than the current RM5,499 base model.

Surface Pro X

Last but certainly not least is the Surface Pro X, an ARM-based Windows tablet. It runs on the Microsoft SQ1 processor, which is really a custom variant of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx chip. The SQ1 is co-developed by Microsoft and Qualcomm for the Pro X, and it offers a number of benefits.

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For one, it doesn’t require active cooling, so the Surface Pro X has absolutely no fans, allowing it to be both thinner and lighter than your average Windows machine. Besides that, it’s also a lot more power-efficient, so expect to get good battery life out of this tablet.

Other specifications of the Surface Pro X include a 13-inch 2880 x 1920 PixelSense touch display (again, with a 3:2 aspect ratio), 8GB or 16GB of RAM, three SSD storage options (128GB, 256GB, or 512GB), two USB-C ports, and LTE connectivity.

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Unfortunately, there’s still no concrete release date for the Microsoft Surface Pro X locally. However, we were assured that the Windows tablet is in fact coming to Malaysia, though that will only happen sometime in 2020 next year.

As for the Surface Laptop 3 and Surface Pro 7, they are now available for purchase in Malaysia from various retailers, including Microsoft’s official stores on Shopee and Lazada.