Microsoft, at their zappy livestream event, unveiled three new computing devices – the Surface Pro 9, Surface laptop 5 and Surface Studio 2 Plus, in addition to a couple of adaptive accessories. Let’s move ahead by the piece.
Microsoft launches New Surface Devices with a slew of updates and upgraded tech
Surface Pro 9, Surface Laptop 5 and Surface Studio 2 Plus in the house
Surface Pro 9, we believe, is the most interesting offering. It’s the new addition to Microsoft’s long-standing convertible tablet range and is made available in two options — the12th-gen Intel chips or a Qualcomm-powered alternative with built-in 5G connectivity and extended battery life.
The Intel-powered version supports 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U or a Core i7-1255U processor. The Snapdragon version has a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) which allows a range of new front camera features like super resolution enhancement, auto framing and a new noise-reduction implementation.
Both these variants support Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 6E, plus a 13in PixelSense Flow Display and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz for smooth experience. Both the variants have Gorilla Glass 5 protection, the signature Surface keyboard and Surface Slim Pen 2 that can be stowed and recharged between the surface machine and the type cover. Just like other Surface devices, Pro 9 also comes with an easy clipping keyboard so the tablet can take the form of a laptop and vice versa in just a blink. The versions are laced with Intel Iris Xe graphics with 32GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of on-board storage.
Battery backup is pretty different for both the models, as per the brand, the Intel version can go for around 15.5 hours while the 5G Snapdragon variant can last for up to 19 hours. There is also a difference in USB-C support. The Snapdragon variant has two 3.2 ports while the Intel model uses two Thunderbolt 4 ports.
Moving on to Surface Laptop 5, this device gets an updated processor with both 13.5in and 15in variants exclusively powered by Intel Intel Evo 12th Gen chip. The 13.5in model comes with either Intel Core i5 or i7 processors while the latter only comes in a Core i7 configuration.
The work machines come with the Intel Iris Xe graphics, up to 32GB RAM and Thunderbolt 4 ports. Design-wise, they are pretty similar to their predecessor the Surface Laptop 4. However, as per the brand, the new set of laptops comes with 50% more power than the older version and has a battery life of upto 18 hours. The displays are in 3:2 aspect ratio, Gorilla Glass 5 protected and features Dolby Vision Advanced HDR along with Dolby Atmos Audio. Latest addition, this year, is the new Sage colour variant, alongside the already existing matte black, sandstone and platinum.
Next in line is Surface Studio 2 Plus, the last surface studio version we saw was four years back in 2018. And we can safely say the new model is a massive upgrade over the Surface Studio 2.
The device is run by the 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and backed by NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 laptop version, a rather big upgrade from the GTX 1070, plus 6GB of dedicated video memory, 32GB of DDR4 RAM and 1TB of storage built in. The new Studio 2 plus also has three Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, one 3.5mm audio jack and a gigabit ethernet port.
This device is touted as Microsoft’s creator-friendly all-in-one desktop, it has better internal hardware to support 3D rendering and video editing, along with a fold-down display that is good for graphics work. Its 28in PixelSense display has 3:2 aspect ratio with a resolution of 4500 x 3000 pixels, and supports both sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamut coverage. It also supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
The front-facing webcam has also been upgraded to a 1080p sensor and laced with Windows Hello facial recognition for quick screen unlock.
Microsoft also launched a new Audio Dock speaker stem that can also function like a USB-C hub for any laptop. It is equipped with a 20W speaker, a 5W subwoofer and powerful omnidirectional microphones. There are two buttons on top of the device — a dedicated button to launch Microsoft Teams, and a microphone toggle.
Want to know the prices for these flashy devices? Surface Pro 9 reportedly starts at ₹82,245, Surface Laptop 5 at ₹1,06,944 and the Surface Studio 2 Plus comes at a whopping price of ₹3,70,412. And, the Audio Dock is priced at ₹20,583.