Treating yourself to a new Surface laptop has just become a lot more expensive.
Microsoft has quietly bumped up prices across its entire laptop range in the UK, and you're now looking at paying between £170 – £220 more than you would have done just a few weeks ago.
If you're not familiar, the Surface Laptop is a lineup of premium, lightweight devices created in-house by Microsoft. These are designed to spotlight the best Windows 11 features in high-quality hardware designed for everyday tasks like writing, browsing, video calls, and light creative work.
The idea of building hardware to showcase its software came from then-Chief Product Officer Panos Panay, who created the Surface brand. After 19 years of working at Microsoft, Mr Panay left to spearhead the development of Alexa, eero, Fire TV, and Kindle devices at Amazon.
In his wake, major hardware changes to the Microsoft Surface lineup have been few and far between... and now, Microsoft is increasing price tags across existing models on its online store. The 13-inch Surface Laptop now starts at £1,099 – that's up from £899 back in February. Meanwhile, the 12-inch Surface Pro has jumped to £999.
You'll find the 15-inch Surface Laptop has climbed from £1,349 to £1,519, while the 13-inch Surface Pro now costs £1,199 – up from £1,029. These increases have also hit every entry-level Surface model, which means there's no escaping the higher costs, regardless of which model you choose.
The reason? There's been a massive demand from Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centres, which are gobbling up huge quantities of available memory chips. This leaves less supply for various devices like laptops, tablets, mobiles, and more.
Microsoft didn't make a formal announcement regarding the price hikes. The costs were quietly updated on the tech firm's website
| MICROSOFT PRESS OFFICEThe price hikes are even worse across the pond. Windows 11 fans living across the pond have seen some Surface configurations shoot up by as much as $500, which is a pretty eye-watering jump.
The flagship 13-inch Surface Pro and 13.8-inch Surface Laptop now both start at $1,499 – that's up from their original $999 launch price. The 15-inch Surface Laptop will set you back $1,599, compared to $1,299 when it first hit shelves.
The new costs also now mean Microsoft's devices are more expensive than comparable Apple products in the US. A fully loaded 15-inch Surface Laptop with 64GB of RAM and 1TB storage costs $3,649, while a similarly specced 16-inch MacBook Pro comes in at $3,299.
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What's particularly notable is that Microsoft updated the prices on its website without making a formal statement. However, the tech firm told Windows Central, "Due to recent increases in memory and component costs, Surface is updating pricing on Microsoft.com for its current‑generation hardware portfolio.
"We remain committed to delivering value to customers and partners while upholding our standards for quality and innovation."
The 13-inch Surface Laptop now starts at £1,099 – that's up from £899 back in February. Meanwhile, the 12-inch Surface Pro has jumped to £999. You'll find the 15-inch Surface Laptop has climbed from £1,349 to £1,519
| MICROSOFT PRESS OFFICEMicrosoft isn't the only tech firm suffering from the boom in demand, either. Sony recently responded to the shortage by raising the prices of its PlayStation 5 consoles by £90. The founder of British start-up Nothing has confirmed that smartphone prices will rise this year too. British Freely TV box was forced to increase prices ahead of its next restock.
However, Microsoft rival Apple has managed to avoid the worst of the RAM shortages. In fact, the Californian company just launched its most affordable MacBook ever.