Microsoft 13.8" Touchscreen Notebook 13.8" PixelSense Flow Review

The Microsoft 13.8" Copilot+ PC Notebook is a premium ultraportable with a beautiful 120Hz touchscreen and a promised 20-hour battery. However, its Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU is only mid-tier, and the base 256GB storage is stingy for its $1,875 price. It's best for those who value portability and screen quality over raw power.

The Microsoft 13.8" Touchscreen Copilot+ PC Notebook is a premium, ultraportable laptop that's trying to do a lot. It's got a sharp 13.8-inch 120Hz touchscreen, a modern Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, and the promise of 20-hour battery life. At around $1,875, it's squarely in the high-end laptop conversation, competing with thin-and-lights from Apple and other Windows makers. If you're searching for a compact Windows laptop with a great screen and long battery, this is definitely one to look at. But as we dug into the data, we found some interesting trade-offs you should know about before you buy.

Performance is a bit of a mixed bag, which our benchmark data backs up. The Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU lands in the 23rd percentile for its category, which means it's fine for everyday tasks like browsing, office work, and video calls, but it's not a powerhouse. The integrated Intel Arc Graphics with 16GB of VRAM is more impressive, scoring in the 63rd percentile. That means it can handle some light photo editing and even casual gaming, but don't expect to run the latest AAA titles. The 16GB of DDR5 RAM is solidly average (52nd percentile), but the 256GB SSD is a real weak spot, ranking in the bottom 12%. You'll likely need cloud storage or an external drive pretty quickly.

At $1,875, the value proposition is tough. You're paying a premium for the sleek Microsoft design, that high-refresh touchscreen, and the long battery life promise. But you're getting a relatively weak CPU and a tiny 256GB SSD at that price. For the same money, you could get a MacBook Air with more storage and better CPU performance, or a Windows laptop like the ASUS Zenbook with more ports and potentially more power. This laptop's value is really for someone who prioritizes portability, screen quality, and battery life above raw specs.

Let's name some names. Compared to the Apple 14" MacBook Pro (even an M3 model), you're giving up a huge amount of CPU and GPU performance, but you gain a touchscreen and potentially longer battery. The ASUS Zenbook Duo offers a wild dual-screen setup for creators at a similar price, though it's less portable. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, while a gaming laptop, offers far more power for less money, but it's a brick. The most direct competitor is probably another Microsoft product, the Surface Laptop Copilot+ PC, which might offer better battery efficiency with a Qualcomm chip. This Intel version feels caught between the raw power of traditional laptops and the efficiency of the new ARM-based Copilot+ PCs.

Gamers and creative pros should look elsewhere. The GPU isn't cut out for modern games, and the CPU isn't ideal for heavy video editing or 3D work. Also, if you need lots of ports or plan to store a big media library locally, the limited port selection and tiny 256GB SSD will frustrate you. In those cases, consider a Lenovo Legion for gaming or a MacBook Pro for creative work. Even power users on a budget might find better value in a non-touchscreen business laptop with more storage and a stronger CPU.

So, should you buy this? It's a solid 'maybe' with a big 'if'. If your top priorities are a gorgeous, high-refresh touchscreen, all-day battery life in a super portable package, and you live in the Microsoft ecosystem, this could be a great fit. But for most people, the price is hard to justify given the mediocre CPU and stingy storage. You're really paying for the design and experience here, not leading specs. We'd recommend this mostly to business travelers or students who need a reliable, long-lasting companion for web work and media consumption, and who don't mind paying extra for the Microsoft build quality.