Microsoft Surface Pro 13" 11th Edition 2025, Core Ultra 7 268V, 32GB, 512GB, Platinum

The Surface Pro 11 finally gets it right: a stunning OLED screen, all-day battery, and enough grunt to replace your laptop. Buy it, but don't overpay.

Battery life surprised us the most. A 47Wh cell paired with an OLED screen and an x86 chip shouldn't last this long, but it's a top-of-the-charts performer in our database. The screen is best-in-class too: 2880x1920 at 120Hz with 600 nits of brightness means you can work outside without squinting. The Core Ultra 7 handles Photoshop and light video editing without a sweat, though the integrated Arc GPU won't replace a discrete card. Copilot+ AI features are neat but still feel like a work in progress.

The Surface Pro 11 exists in its own world, but the field is getting crowded. The new iPad Pro M5 is a monster for creative work and leaves the Surface in the dust on raw GPU grunt, but it's still handcuffed to iPadOS. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra gives you a massive 14.6-inch screen and DeX mode that mimics a desktop, yet it can't run full x86 apps. The Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro is the wildcard: shockingly good hardware for the price, but its software and app support lag behind. If you need to run Blender, full Office, or a dozen browser tabs side-by-side, the Surface is still the only tablet that actually pulls it off. For everyone else, those other slabs are a better value.

Price is a mess. We've seen this exact config listed anywhere from a laughable $130 to a terrifying $3,232. The real cost for the business model with 32GB RAM and 512GB storage sits somewhere around $2,000, and that's before you buy the keyboard. If you can snag it closer to $1,500 from a reputable seller, it's a solid investment. Paying full retail stings, but if your job demands a pen-friendly Windows tablet, you won't find a better option.

The Surface Pro 11 is the Windows tablet for people who actually need a Windows tablet. Not a media slate, not an iPad companion, but a real-deal computer squeezed into a gorgeous 870-gram package. With an Intel Core Ultra 7, 32GB of RAM, and a 13-inch OLED screen, it's a creative workhorse that runs circles around most thin-and-lights. Just don't forget the keyboard costs extra.

If you're just browsing the web, streaming Netflix, and checking email, this is overkill. Save your cash and grab an iPad Pro M5 if you want the best screen and app ecosystem, a Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra for a giant canvas, or a Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro if you want flagship specs on a budget. You'll get a simpler experience, a lower price, and a keyboard in the box.

This is the best Windows tablet you can buy right now, by a wide margin. The OLED screen, battery life, and build quality are exceptional, and the performance finally lets you forget you're using a tablet instead of a laptop. If you're a designer, photographer, or business traveler who needs a no-compromise portable PC, pull the trigger. Just budget for the keyboard.