WORLDTECHMicrosoft's Surface Laptop Ultra draws comparisons with Apple's MacBook Pro
Microsoft's new high-end Surface Laptop Ultra is one of several laptops built on Nvidia's RTX Spark processors, according to a review published by Notebookcheck. The device borrows visibly from Apple's MacBook Pro in its display and charging port.
Display and charging port resemble Apple's design
Notebookcheck's reviewer says the Surface Laptop Ultra, presented alongside Nvidia's RTX Spark laptops last week, gives the impression of copying Apple's MacBook Pro in some areas. The product presentation itself highlighted a bright Mini-LED display and a magnetic USB-C charging port, both of which the review describes as clearly similar to Apple's laptop.
The review says the panel reaches up to 2,000 nits of brightness. Despite that figure, the reviewer judges overall image quality to be worse than that of the MacBook Pro's Mini-LED panel and of OLED competitors, and reports slow response times.
Build quality strong, hinges and weight criticised
Beyond the screen, the reviewer finds excellent build quality, a premium chassis and high-quality input devices. The magnetic charging port works as intended, although the right-angle connector is also not ideal, according to the review.
Drawbacks noted include hinges that feel somewhat wobbly, and a 15-inch body that is relatively heavy and thick. Battery life of just over 10 hours is described as average, and the review notes that Asus's ProArt P16 with RTX Spark performed slightly worse in that respect.
Mini-LED choice stands out among rivals
The reviewer notes that virtually all manufacturers other than Apple now use high-quality OLED displays in their multimedia laptops, which makes Microsoft's choice of Mini-LED notable. The review also says Apple is expected to use an OLED display in an upcoming MacBook Ultra.
Open questions
- Will Microsoft's Mini-LED panel face the same criticism from other reviewers?