Microsoft has quietly announced the Surface Laptop 4, with updated processors bringing purported battery life improvements being the main addition for this fourth-gen release.

But that's your lot, really, as the Surface Laptop 4 is otherwise a mirror image of the previous Surface Laptop 3 - not that's a bad thing, per se, as that device won Pocket-lint's laptop of the year 2020.

It's just that we were quietly hoping a new Surface Laptop would bring with it more ports and do away with the proprietary charging point. But no dice, it's still there, along with a single USB-C and full-size USB-A port.

It's inside where things change up the most, with 11th Gen Intel Core processors and, for the first time in a Surface device, AMD Ryzen Mobile processors available to choose from. That shows where the market is going - as the Ryzen range has proven itself to be exceptional with battery life and is why Microsoft claims the Surface Laptop 4 will deliver 19 hours of life per charge.

The Surface Laptop 4 will be available in 13.5-inch and 15-inch form-factors, each delivering the 3:2 aspect ratio PixelSense panel - it's simply how large a screen you want for your work setup.

In terms of finishes, there's a new Ice Blue colour - but as the previous laptop came in Cobalt Blue, it's hardly a ground-shifting change. There's also Alcantara and metal finish options to suit any taste.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 will go on sale 15 April 2021 in the USA, Canada and Japan; and 27 April 2021 in the UK. Prices start from £/$999 for the 13.5-inch model and £/$1,299 for the 15-inch model.

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