The interesting offering here is the Surface Pro 9, which comes in both ARM and Intel variants. With this device, Microsoft is strengthening 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 a refreshed version of the Studio 2 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 upgrades this year. In addition to selling ARM and Intel variants of the new Surface Pro model, it also has new color options, with matching Type Cover keyboards. The ARM variant is powered by the Qualcomm SQ3 and comes with support for 5G connectivity as well. Both versions will support Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 6E, but the Qualcomm version has much more connectivity, such as support for GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and Beidou positioning systems, 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 (2880 x 1920px, 3:2 aspect ratio) PixeSense streaming display with support for a 120Hz refresh rate, compatible with the Surface Slim Pen 2. There’s a place to store (and recharge) the pen right between the Surface machine where it meets with type cover. The Intel-powered Surface Pro 9 can be configured with a 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U or Core i7-1255U processor. Storage options start at 8GB of RAM with 128GB of storage. Meanwhile, the Snapdragon SQ3 version has a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) that takes advantage of some new front camera features such as auto framing, Super Resolution enhancement, and there is also a new noise reduction application similar to those developed by Discord and Nvidia. Battery life is rated very differently between the two models. The Intel version is rated for up to 15.5 hours of use, while the 5G Snapdragon version is rated for up to 19 hours of battery life. 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: either 8GB, 16GB or 32GB. The 5G variant comes with 8GB or 16GB LPDDR4X RAM. While this model can be configured with up to 512GB of storage, Intel’s model has 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 refreshed model is coming – with mostly the same look on the outside. Most of the upgrades come from internal hardware. There’s a capable 11th generation Intel i7-11370H processor and the portable version of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 with 6GB of dedicated video memory, there’s 32GB of DDR4 RAM and 1TB 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 features 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 comes with Surface Pen, Surface Keyboard, Surface Mouse and power cable. 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 refresh with updated 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 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 same use. Both displays have a 3:2 aspect ratio and are protected by Gorilla Glass 5 (Gorilla Glass 3 if you choose the Alcantara version of the laptop). Surface laptops have one USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port, one USB-A port, one Surface Connect port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Surface Pro Laptop 5 starts at $999 for the 13.5-inch version, 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 acts as a USB-C hub for any laptop. There is a 20W speaker and a 5W subwoofer. It has powerful omnidirectional microphones so you can pick up 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, Audio Dock will also support MacOS and work with other conferencing apps. The Audio Dock also has an HDMI output for external display 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 be released on October 25th.
