Microsoft held a live launch event on Wednesday where the company announced three new Microsoft Surface PCs, along with some other updates to Windows 11, new AI platforms for creativity and an audio dock that doubles as a hub USB-C.
The interesting offering here is the Surface Pro 9, which comes in both ARM and Intel variants. With this device, Microsoft is consolidating Windows 11’s ARM support, removing any doubts you might have about running apps on Windows 11 for ARM.
The Surface Studio 2 Plus is an updated version of the Studio 2 that launched in 2018 with updated internals, more Thunderbolt 4 ports, and improved graphics performance.
Meanwhile, the Surface Laptop 5 gets mostly internal updates, and like the Surface Pro 9, there are more colors to choose from, including Platinum, Sage, Black and Sandstone. The 13.5-inch model has an Alcantara keyboard finish.
Surface Pro 9
The Surface Pro 9 sees the most significant updates this year. In addition to selling both ARM-based and Intel-based variants of the new Surface Pro model, it also gets new color options, with Type Cover keyboards to match. The ARM variant is powered by the Qualcomm SQ3 and also includes support for 5G connectivity.
Both variants will support Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 6E, but the Qualcomm version has much more connectivity, such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and Beidou positioning system support, nanoSIM and eSIM support, Sub-6 GHz/mmWave 5G networks ( mmWave is US). only), as well as support for LTE.
There’s a 13-inch PixeSense Flow display (2880 x 1920px; 3:2 aspect) with support for a 120Hz refresh rate, compatible with the Surface Slim Pen 2. There’s a place for the Pen to store ( and load it) right between the Surface Machine where it is with a cover of type.
The Intel-powered Surface Pro 9 can be configured with either a 12th generation Intel Core i5-1235U processor or a Core i7-1255U processor. Storage options start at 8GB of RAM with 128GB of storage. Meanwhile, the Snapdragon SQ3 version comes with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) that takes advantage of some new front-facing camera features, such as auto-framing, improved Super Resolution, and there’s also a new implementation of noise reduction similar to those developed by Discord and Nvidia.
Battery life is rated very differently between the two models. The Intel version has a battery life of up to 15.5 hours, while the 5G Snapdragon variant has a battery life of up to 19 hours. Another difference is USB-C support. While the 5G variant has 2 Thunderbolt 3.2 ports, the Intel version uses two Thunderbolt 4 ports.
The Intel model uses LPDDR5 RAM: 8GB, 16GB or 32GB. The 5G variant comes with either 8GB or 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM. While this model can be configured with up to 512GB of storage, the Intel model goes up to 1TB.
Liberty Surface Pro 9 Special Edition
The Surface Pro 9 starts at $999 with an Intel i5, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. The Intel i7 version starts at $1599, and the 5G model will start at $1299. If you want a Type Cover keyboard, you’ll have to add $279 to the price of the Surface Pro 9.
Surface Studio 2 Plus
The last time Microsoft announced a Surface Studio was in 2018 with the Studio 2. A new, updated model is arriving, with most of the same external appearance. Most updates come from internal hardware.
There is a capable 11th generation Intel i7-11370H processor and the mobile version of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 with 6 GB of dedicated video memory, there is 32 GB of DDR4 RAM and 1 TB of built-in storage.
The 28-inch Pixel Sense display supports sRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces and has a 3:2 aspect ratio with a resolution of 4500 x 3000 px. There is also support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
The all-in-one desktop has three USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports that support up to 3X external 4K displays, two USB-A 3.1 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Gigabit Ethernet port.
Surface Studio 2 Plus includes a Surface Pen, Surface Keyboard, Surface Mouse, and a power cord. There’s only one configuration of the Surface Studio 2 Plus, and that’s a whopping $4499, aimed at professional and business customers.
Surface Laptop 5
The Surface Laptop 5 gets a modest update with upgraded processors. The 13.5-inch model comes with Intel Core i5-1235U or Intel Core i7-1255U processors. Meanwhile, the 15-inch version only comes in a Core i7-1255U configuration. All models come with 8GB, 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM and up to 1TB of storage.
The 13.5-inch version is rated for up to 18 hours of “typical device use,” while the 15-inch version is rated for 17 hours of the same. Both screens have a 3:2 aspect ratio and are protected by Gorilla Glass 5 (Gorilla Glass 3 if you opt for the Alcantara version of the laptop).
Surface laptops are equipped with a USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port, a USB-A port, a Surface Connect port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The Surface Pro Laptop 5 starts at $999 for the 13.5-inch variant, though only in the Platinum color option. The base model has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Meanwhile, the 15-inch Surface Laptop 5 starts at $1299 with the same amount of RAM and storage.
All new Microsoft Surface PCs start shipping on October 25th.
Microsoft Audio Dock
The Microsoft Audio Dock is a speaker system that works as a USB-C hub for any laptop. There’s a 20W speaker and a 5W subwoofer. It has powerful omnidirectional microphones so you can hold meetings, and there are two huge buttons on the top of the unit. One is a dedicated button that launches Microsoft Teams and the other is a microphone toggle. Even if you don’t use Windows or Teams, the Audio Dock will also support MacOS and work with other conferencing apps.
The Audio Dock also has an HDMI output for external monitor support, two USB-C ports and one USB-A port. There are also dedicated volume and playback controls on the top. The Audio Dock will retail for $250 and, like all other Surface hardware, will go on sale on October 25th.