Microsoft's new Surface Pro 11 comes with a free $180 keyboard at Best Buy

SAVE $179.99: As of Aug. 21, Best Buy is giving away free Surface Pro Keyboards with pen storage with the purchase of select Microsoft Surface Pro 11 configurations (starting at $1,499.99).

Microsoft markets its Surface Pro as a "2-in-1 laptop," but that designation should come with an asterisk: The device functions as a hybrid laptop if you buy its sold-separately keyboard. Otherwise, it's just a tablet.

For a limited time, Best Buy is remedying the situation: Select configurations of the new Surface Pro 11 come with a free Surface Pro Keyboard with pen storage (a $179.99 value) through Sunday, Aug. 25 as part of the retailer's Tech Fest sale. This marks the first-ever deal we've seen on the newest Surface Pro, which hasn't seen a formal markdown since launching in June.

The Surface Pro 11 is a lightweight convertible Copilot+ PC with a built-in kickstand and four color options. Like the excellent new Surface Laptop 7, Microsoft's more traditional clamshell-style offering, it's powered by a fresh Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset that makes it AI-ready and plenty power-efficient. (We haven't tested it ourselves, but Microsoft claims the Surface Pro 11 is 90 percent faster than its predecessor and capable of lasting up to 14 hours per charge.)

The configurations that Best Buy's picked for this bundle deal feature an upgraded Snapdragon X Elite CPU with 16 to 32GB of RAM and 512GB to 1TB of storage (priced at $1,499.99 to $2,099.99). If you're doing some last-minute back-to-school shopping for laptop deals, then this is a great opportunity to buy a Windows device that will last you for a long time to come.

As for that free Surface Pro Keyboard you're getting: It has a dedicated Copilot key, a glass touchpad, and a built-in storage tray for the second-generation Surface Slim Pen. Annoyingly, you still have to buy that stylus separately. (Psst: My Best Buy members can get it on sale for 10% off through Aug. 21.)