Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15 review

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15 (2021) — a quieter flagship, a reliability flag it wears honestly

The Surface Laptop 4 15 at $739 is a 2021 premium ultrabook with a Core i7 1185G7 and 32 GB of RAM. No strength is flagged. Reliability is the flagged weakness at 34 — a third under the class median of 51 — with mobility at 47 (−26.6%) and a 47.4 Wh battery (−24.8%) alongside.

Where it holds up

Office productivity at 70.41 leads the sheet while reliability reads 34 — the strongest axis and the weakest flag, the card in one sentence. Overall performance posts 37.76 (mid) on the top-bin U-series chip of its year, portability reads 58.8 (mid), photo design 36 (mid) and value 35.3 (mid). The 32 GB ceiling doubles the class norm and the 3:2 display carries the format case.

Where it falls short

Reliability 34 (low) is the flag to weigh at five years, and the 47.4 Wh cell is the smallest battery in this batch's 15-inch Surface set. Gaming reads 23 (low), modeling 19 (low) and CAD 22 (low) at the integrated floor. No depreciation anchor is recorded (base $0); the 2021 cohort rate is 9.44% per year, gentle.

Price and depreciation

No curve or projection applies without an anchor; the 9.44% class rate is nearly flat. At $739 the ask sits above same-age rivals on brand and build, not on capability.

Alternatives to consider

The Surface Laptop 4 13.5 at the same $739 in this list is the same platform in the lighter body; the Surface Laptop 5 15 at $840 is one platform step on; and the Yoga 7i 15 (2020) at $566 is the value route with a bigger battery.

Bottom line

Fairly priced for the class. A build-first 15-inch ultrabook: office 70.41 high on 32 GB of RAM against reliability 34 low and a 47.4 Wh battery. The chassis outlives the platform — inspect the battery before committing.