Holiday discounts on highly-wishlisted laptops are starting to ramp up as we draw closer to Christmas Day, like the Microsoft Surface Pro 12-inch, for instance.
This wonderful piece of hardware, which we consider one of 2025’s best laptops for its performance, keyboard responsiveness, and portability, among other rich features, is now on a holiday discount for $549.99 at Best Buy.
Why buy the Surface Pro 12-inch?
Its performance is rock-solid thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus processor, which is able run Microsoft Office apps, edit digital art in Photoshop, and search through internet browsers with ease. Not to mention it does so without generating too much heat in the system or draining its batteries.
It also features a responsive keyboard that instantly reads your key inputs, high-quality audio speakers and camera, and a gorgeous 12-inch touchscreen display able to render images with crisp details at 2196×1464 resolution and 90Hz refresh rates.
The touchscreen is also compatible with stylus pens, so you can draw digital art with greater ease compared to using a mouse.
The Surface Pro 12-inch is also portable-friendly as it measures at 274 x 190 x 7.8 mm (10.79″ x 7.48″ x 0.31″) and weighs around 0.68 kg (1.5 lbs), so you can store it easily in luggage/carrying cases without requiring much strength to lug it around.
On top of that, it has full Copilot+ AI integration with a mighty Qualcomm NPU of 45 TOPS, so it can efficiently run AI-empowered features like Click To Do, Recall, and Studio Effects.
The only drawbacks of this laptop are that it has a short battery life of 7 hours when its Power Settings are in ‘Best Efficiency’ Mode or 5 hours when it’s on ‘Balanced’ Mode.
Not to mention its display’s colors could use some work as they’re often muted even when running on the ‘enhanced’ color profile.
Lastly, this laptop can run a hefty MSRP of $799 at most retailers. Thankfully, that last bugbear is no longer an issue for a limited time as it’s now on sale for $549.99 at Best Buy.
So, if you’re looking for a new workhorse laptop to tackle the challenges of 2026, then this Christmas bargain for the Surface Pro 12-inch is for you.
Alternative discounts
If stock runs out for the Surface Pro 12-inch with (256GB UFS) runs dry at Best Buy, or if you have budget for more storage, here are some alternative discounts as backup options:
Competition
Some would argue that there are better devices than the Surface Pro 12-inch out there that offer better value and performance.
One such tablet that it gets compared to is the Apple iPad Air M3, which offers more display size options (11″ and 13″), more color options, a superior “tablet” experience, and a cheaper MSRP (especially the 11″ version is on sale for $499.00 at Best Buy).
However, the Surface Pro 12-inch offers superior performance as an AI Laptop with its Snapdragon X Plus CPU, 45 TOPS NPU with full Copilot+ integration, 16GB of RAM, and Dual external display support.
So if you had to choose between the two, I’d recommend the Surface Pro 12-inch for those seeking the best portable laptop experience. At the same time, the Apple iPad Air M3 is better suited for those looking for a budget-friendly tablet experience.
FAQ
What is an NPU and how is it important for this laptop?
An NPU (Neural Processing Unit) is a microprocessor designed to improve an AI’s capability of performing work efficiently. So, a laptop NPU with higher TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second), the easier an AI will handle workloads.
Can the Surface Pro 12-inch overheat?
It can warm while put under extreme workloads or charging. However, the Surface Pro 12-inch will automatically shut down if it exceeds its maximum operational temperature limit to prevent damage.
Is the Surface Pro 12-inch an ARM-based PC, and do normal apps work?
As it features a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus processor, the Surface Pro 12-inch is a Windows-on-Arm PC, capable of running normal compatible apps natively or a powerful new emulation technology called Prism, especially after Prism’s latest update.
What are the Surface Pro 12-inch’s ports and charging like?
The Surface Pro 12-inch features two USB-C 3.2 ports and supports 45W chargers for fast charging.
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