Microsoft introduces cheaper Surface devices with half the memory

# Microsoft introduces cheaper Surface devices with half the memory Source: [https://www.theverge.com/tech/956504/microsoft-surface-pro-laptop-ram](https://www.theverge.com/tech/956504/microsoft-surface-pro-laptop-ram) [Skip to main content](https://www.theverge.com/tech/956504/microsoft-surface-pro-laptop-ram#content) The 12\-inch Surface Pro now starts at $849, while the 13\-inch Surface Laptop costs $949 and up\. Both start with 8GB of RAM instead of 16GB\. The 12\-inch Surface Pro now starts at $849, while the 13\-inch Surface Laptop costs $949 and up\. Both start with 8GB of RAM instead of 16GB\. by Jun 24, 2026, 9:39 PM UTC   Photo by Antonio G\. Di Benedetto / The Verge [](https://www.theverge.com/authors/emma-roth) Emma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more\. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO\. Microsoft just added a cheaper 12\-inch Surface Pro and 13\-inch Surface Laptop to its lineup\. Both models come equipped with 8GB of RAM instead of 16GB, costing[$849 for the specced\-down Surface Pro](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/configure/surface-pro-12-inch/8mzbmmcjzqv2)and[$949 for the Surface Laptop](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/configure/surface-laptop-13-inch/8mzbmmcjzqv3),[as spotted earlier by*Windows Central*](https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/surface/microsoft-knows-its-new-surface-pcs-are-too-expensive-combats-skyrocketing-prices-with-new-8gb-ram-models-that-start-at-usd849)\. When the[12\-inch Surface Pro](https://www.theverge.com/reviews/679175/microsoft-surface-pro-12-inch-review)and[13\-inch Surface Laptop launched in 2025](https://www.theverge.com/reviews/671554/microsoft-surface-laptop-13-inch-review), the base configurations offered 16GB of RAM and 256GB of USF storage, for $799 and $899, respectively\. But in April 2026,[Microsoft hiked the prices](https://www.theverge.com/tech/911322/microsoft-surface-price-increase-ram)to $1,049 and $1,199\. The memory crunch has also resulted in a higher base[price for Microsoft’s newest Surface models](https://www.theverge.com/tech/950146/microsoft-surface-laptop-8-surface-pro-12-snapdragon-x2-specs-price)\. Other than slashing device memory in half, Microsoft hasn’t changed any other specs on the more affordable Surface Pro and Surface Laptop\. They still come with the same 8\-core Snapdragon X Plus chip and 256GB of storage, but won’t offer support for Copilot Plus,[Microsoft’s built\-in AI tech](https://www.theverge.com/news/799768/microsoft-windows-ai-copilot-voice-vision-launch)that requires at least 16GB of RAM\. Even with the price decrease, the 8GB Surface devices are still more expensive than[the $599 MacBook Neo](https://www.theverge.com/tech/891741/apple-macbook-neo-a18-pro-review), which has[disrupted the laptop space](https://www.theverge.com/tech/909140/microsoft-windows-11-fixes-macbook-neo-response-notepad)with its speedy performance and affordable price tag\. **Follow topics and authors**from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates\. - Emma Roth ## The Verge Daily A free daily digest of the news that matters most\.