Microsoft unveils the $249 Surface Laptop SE for education

Microsoft has a new low-end laptop for the education market. It's called the Surface Laptop SE, costs $249, and will release in the 2021-2022 timeframe.

Surface Laptop SE
Surface Laptop SE (Source: Microsoft)
  • The Surface family is getting the Surface Laptop SE.
  • It’s a $249 laptop designed specifically for K-8 students.
  • Surface Laptop SE will run the new Windows 11 SE OS to compete with Chromebooks in the education market.

Microsoft has introduced the Surface Laptop SE, a new laptop running Windows 11 SE to compete again with Chromebooks. This isn’t a laptop for gaming, professionals, or creators. Instead, it’s a low-cost device designed for the education market, which means that it will only be available for schools. It won’t be a device that you or businesses will be able to get.

The $249 laptop carries the Surface brand, but there’s nothing premium about it. The body is made of plastic, and the base model has an 11.6-inch 1366 x 768-pixel resolution TFF display. It features an Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of memory, 64GB of eMMC storage (slower than NVMe drives), and it has a custom UEFI that Microsoft claims can hold up to 16 hours of battery life.

Surface Laptop SE full tech specs

Surface Laptop SE
Display11.6 inches.
16:9 aspect ratio.
1366x768 resolution.
Panel type TFT.
ProcessorIntel Celeron N4020
Intel Celeron N4120
GraphicsIntel UHD Graphics 600
Memory4GB DDR4
8GB DDR4
Weight2.45 lbs (1112.4 grams)
Storage64GB SSD eMMC
128GB SSD eMMC
WirelessWi-Fi 5: 802.11ac
Bluetooth Wireless 5.0 LE technology
Ports1 x USB-C (no thunderbolt support)
1 x USB-A
1 x 3.5 mm headphone jack
1 x DC port
Battery lifeUp to 16 hours
ColorsGlacier
SecurityTPM 2.0
Cameras, video, and audio

1-megapixel 720p camera (front-facing)
2W stereo speakers
SensorsNA
CasingPlastic
Dimensions283.70 x 193.05 x 17.85mm
OSWindows 11 SE

Perhaps one of the features that stands out is how easy the Surface Laptop SE is to repair. According to the marketing material, the device uses regular screws to take the device apart to troubleshoot, fix, or replace components, such as hard drive, memory, battery, and more.

Surface Laptop SE screws
Surface Laptop SE screws (Source: Microsoft)

Also, this device includes all the essential ports, including USB-C, A, 3.5mm headphone jack, and while you won’t get the Surface power port, you will be getting the standard DC charge port.

Surface Laptop SE ports
Surface Laptop SE ports (Source: Microsoft)

Although the Surface Laptop SE does not have all the bells and whistles you come to expect on a Surface device, it includes all the minimum specs for kindergarten through eighth-grade students to get the work done.

Surface Laptop SE will launch later in 2021 and early 2022 for $249 for the base model. You can get more details at the Microsoft Store.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He is also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.