This week, Microsoft announced an all-new Windows PC lineup with the Surface Pro 9, Surface Laptop 5, and Surface Studio 2+. All are available for pre-order for an October 24 release date, though the Surface Laptop 5 and Pro 9 can also be purchased at Amazon as well as Microsoft and other retailers. What do Microsoft’s latest releases bring to the table? Let’s take a closer look down below.
Microsoft updates Surface lineup with three new computers
Let’s start where Microsoft began its Surface story: the Surface Pro. Coming in as the latest generation of the Surface Pro lineup, Microsoft is again pushing that their tablet can replace a laptop. Comprised of high-grade aluminum with anodized colors, there’s a 13-inch PixelSense display and built-in kickstand in tow here. You’ll find the edge-to-edge screen packs up to a 120Hz refresh rate with wide color support as well as packing an HD camera, Omnisonic speakers, and directional microphones. Microsoft chose Intel’s 12th Generation processors with the Evo platform and Thunderbolt 4 support for the traditional route and is also releasing a Microsoft SQ3-powered Qualcomm Snapdragon model with 5G connectivity. Either version will deliver all-day battery life and be powerful enough to handle anything you need, with the Intel model even supporting eGPUs for desktop-class gaming from a tablet.
However, the Surface Pro 9 will shine the most when opting for the Microsoft-built SQ3 processor, since it packs up to 19 hours of battery life and 5G connectivity. On top of that, the SQ3-powered Surface Pro 9 also now packs an entirely new Neural Processing Unit, or NPU for short that “transforms how you connect with the people in your life” by driving new experiences with Windows Studio effects.
Moving onto the Surface Laptop 5, we have Microsoft’s take on what they think an ultrabook-style laptop should be. As its “most loved Surface,” the Surface Laptop 5 also leverages Intel’s 12th Generation lineup of processors with Thunderbolt 4 in tow as well as being an Intel Evo device. This marks the first time that the Surface Laptop lineup has become an Evo device and it makes the computer “over 50% more powerful than its predecessor.”
You’ll find the standard 3:2 PixelSense display here in either a 13.5- or 15-inch option, each packing Dolby Vision IQ technology to give you “the best picture possible.” The speakers are also Dolby-powered, delivering Atmos 3D spatial processing to “fully immerse you in your content.”
Continuing to the Surface Studio 2+, the update is a little less impressive. While it’ll be faster than previous generations and packs a 28-inch 3:2 display, Microsoft is keeping the Studio 2+ on 11th Generation Intel, while upgrading it to an RTX 3060 graphics card. The Studio 2+ will be a solid workhorse all around, and the i7 H-series processor is said to be “up to 50% faster” in CPU performance over the previous generation, though we would have liked to see the 12th Generation put to use here. However, Microsoft is updating the Surface Studio 2+ with better I/O this time around, including USB-C and Thunderbolt 4, so that’s a plus.
The Surface Pro 9 is available to pre-order at Amazon, starting at $1,100 for the non-5G model and $1,300 for the version with 5G built-in. However, by ordering direct from Microsoft, you can get a Surface Pro 9 for as little as $1,000, though the specs do vary a little as it only comes with 128GB of storage instead of 256GB like Amazon offers.
On the Surface Laptop 5 side of things, pricing also starts at $1,000 from Microsoft for the base 13-inch, though Amazon has a 15-inch model for $1,600. There are various storage configurations to choose from here, so be sure to dive into each one to find the perfect setup.
For the more powerful Surface Studio 2+, you’ll find a starting price of $4,500 direct from Microsoft. As a pretty premium device, Microsoft does include some impressive specs here with an i7 processor, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD on top of the RTX 3060 GPU, so you’ll be able to handle anything with this desktop. All pre-orders are slated to ship on October 24.
Electronicsforward’ Take
Microsoft’s latest device lineup is pretty impressive all around, and seeing them use Intel’s latest technologies, including Evo and Thunderbolt 4, is great. However, the one place that I really think Microsoft could have done better is with the Surface Studio 2+. At $4,500, Microsoft really should have put the latest Intel chip in it, and with 13th Generation around the corner, this 11th Generation chip is going to look even older here soon.
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