Microsoft is offering MacBook Pro owners up to $1,000 in cash back to trade in their laptop and buy a Surface Laptop Ultra. The bonus sits on top of the standard trade-in value, and the company’s marketing pitch is to “break up with your MacBook”.
According to Windows Central, the offer appears on the Surface Laptop Ultra page in the US. Microsoft’s pitch reads: “If you’ve outgrown the compromises of a traditional professional laptop, we’ll help make the switch.” The offer targets creators and developers, and Microsoft says it is confident they “won’t look back”, as quoted by Macworld.
How the payout works
The cash back isn’t applied at checkout. Microsoft says a promotional bonus is “extra value added to your trade-in when your device and purchase qualify”, and that it pays the total after it receives and evaluates your device. If the assessment finds the laptop in worse shape than you described, TechRadar notes the offer can be lowered, and you can then accept it or have the MacBook returned.
The $1,000 is a ceiling, not a typical figure. Reported trade-in quotes from Microsoft’s value finder vary widely:
| MacBook Pro | Quoted trade-in value |
|---|---|
| 13-inch (2020), 8GB/256GB | $45 |
| 14-inch (2023), M3, 8GB/512GB | $275 |
| 14-inch (2024), M4, 16GB/1TB | $755 |
| 16-inch (2025), 128GB/4TB | $2,115 |
The first three figures come from TechRadar, the last from Windows Central, and Macworld got a similar $2,115 quote for an M5 Max model with the same memory and storage. Macworld’s author was also offered $32.37 for a base 12-inch MacBook. TechRadar adds that you’d likely get more by selling a used MacBook yourself.
The laptop it’s meant to sell
The Surface Laptop Ultra runs on Nvidia’s RTX Spark platform, with an N1X CPU, an RTX GPU, and up to 128GB of unified memory. It has a mini-LED display and a magnetic USB-C port. Preorders start at $2,599.99, with shipping beginning 16 October 2026. Windows Central says that makes it the cheapest RTX Spark laptop so far.
Macworld flags that Microsoft hasn’t said anything about battery life or power draw, which matters for anyone weighing it against a MacBook Pro.
What it means for the UAE
Not much yet. TechRadar says the offer appears to be US-only, as it wasn’t available on Microsoft’s UK site, and we haven’t seen a UAE equivalent or UAE pricing for the laptop. If you’re in the GCC and eyeing the switch, check the local Microsoft store before assuming a trade-in scheme exists.
The stunt is still notable. Trade-in programmes usually take back a company’s own old hardware, and Microsoft is now paying a premium for a rival’s. Apple is also preparing its own laptop launches, and an OLED MacBook Pro is rumoured for this autumn.
Does the $1,000 come off the Surface Laptop Ultra price at checkout?
No. Microsoft pays it after it receives and evaluates your MacBook, so you pay the full price upfront.
Can I trade in any MacBook?
The $1,000 bonus applies to an eligible MacBook Pro. Microsoft’s value finder also quoted older and non-Pro models, but the promotion’s eligibility terms are in the offer’s fine print, which we haven’t seen in full.
Is the offer available in the UAE?
Not that we can confirm. It appears on the US product page and reportedly isn’t offered in the UK.
