Microsoft Announces new Surface Pro 8, Laptop Studio and Surface Duo 2

Product family (via - Microsoft)

 Surface Pro 8 

Microsoft’s flagship Tablet/Notebook hybrid has received a refresh in the form of new interior and exterior features which start with the inclusion of 11th gen Core i7 (1185G7) or Core i5 (1135G7) processors paired with 8/16/32 LPDDR4 ram. This means the new “tiger lake” 11th gen chipsets use Intel’s new Iris Xe graphics and are Intel Evo compliant - which basically means the hardware offers excellent performance as well as power efficiency. 

In terms of storage, the new model offers SSD storage options from 128/256/512 and a 1TB option as well (Its also expandable). The tablet also has kept the weight of the new drive low at 1.96lb while adding a 51.5Wh battery (which is expected to last 16 hours of typical usage) and improved cooling. 

The overall chassis of the Pro 8 have also been changed, and thus the ne
w 3:2 aspect ratio - 13” Pixelsense display (2880x1920 - 120hz display with Surface Pen support is surrounded by less bezel than before and you also get a 5MP front camera with Windows Hello support up front. The rear of the tablet features a 10 MP rear shooter with 4k recording and you do get a selection of ports which include 2X USB C 4.0 , a headphone jack , a surface connect port and type cover port and the all too familiar kickstand. 

Prices start at $1099.99 and goes upto $2599.99 without the Surface Pro signature keyboard and the new Slim Pen 2 which will be sold for $279.99 and will be sold in the U.S, UK, Japan and selected European countries on the 5th of October and the rest of the world will get it on the 8th.The device ships with Windows 11 out of the box. 

Surface Laptop Studio

The Surface Laptop Studio aims to be Microsoft’s creator focused -flagship laptop as it blends elements found on the Surface line with specs of a content creation laptop. First off, the internals feature 11th gen Core H35  i7 (11370H) or Core H35 i5 (11300H) processors paired with 16 or 32GB of  LPDDR4 ram. The Graphics options on the laptops include an Nvidia RTX 3050Ti with 4GB of GDDR6 memory for the Core i7 model  while the Core i5 features integrated Iris X graphics. The storage options include 256/512GB or 1/2TB SSD options and these are removable. 

The most important aspect of the Laptop studio over - let’s say another device is the inclusion of an Articulating display which can move into a flat or Surface tablet like position thanks to a new hinge. The mode at its laptop configuration allows you to operate the mechanical keyboard while the tablet mode allows you to pull the screen towards the trackpad - known as Stage mode. And if you are even more keen on going lower, the whole hinge could be folded down with the screen into a tablet mode - also known as Studio Mode - This offers the best layout for drawing on the 3:2 aspect ratio 14.4”  2400x1600 resolution Pixelsense display with 120Hz refresh rate with the new Slim Pen2. The rest of the specs include a front HD camera with Windows Hello.

Prices start at $1599.99 for the base Core i4/16GB ram model with 256GB of storage and the top of the line model with the GeForce RTX GPU costs $3099.99 and the Slim Pen 2 is sold at $129.99. The Surface Laptop Studio comes with Windows 11 Home.

Surface Duo 2

Microsoft is back with its Android powered Dual-Screen phone - the Surface Duo 2. The new model basically improves upon the older Duo and is more en par with modern flagship specs of 2021 and thus it features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G Soc with 8GB of ram and 128/256 or 512GB of storage. The device, which features a folding book design features two separate displays which when fully open offer 8.3” 2688x1892 resolution of screen real estate while each single Amoled pane has a resolution of 1344x1892 and has a 90hz refresh rate each. Both are protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. The phone also has a neat feature which is by design - once the phone is closed, the gap between the two panes could light up their edges for notifications or display the battery level and works similar to Samsung’s curved edge lighting feature.

Cameras on the device include a Wide 12MP sensor with f1.7 aperture,OIS and PDAF. the Telephoto module meanwhile has a 12MP sensor and has 2X optical zoom and also has OIS and PDAF and the final module includes an ultra-wide module with 16MP and has a field of view of 110 degrees. The front of the phone - basically the inside of the device - features a single 12MP sensor.The phone records 4K at 60fps.

Rest of the specifications include a fingerprint sensor,USB C with HDMI out support,A 4449 mAh battery with 23W fast charging, Dual sim (eSim and Nano sim - unlocked 5G capable) and support for Microsoft's Surface Pen support. Pricing starts at $1499.99 and goes up to $1799.99. 

Surface Go 3  and accessories 

Microsoft’s cheapest tablet is also getting an upgrade in the form of an Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y for the base model or an i3 10100Y chipset. The rest of the internals and the 10.5” display remain the same as before and the pricing starts at $399.99.

Microsoft also demoed their new Surface adaptive kit for people with disabilities to better detect ports,keys and opening the hinge and will be available later this year.

Microsoft also announced a new Eco-Friendly mouse which is made out of 20% recycled ocean plastic and also the aforementioned new Surface Slim Pen 2 which now comes with built in haptic feedback and retails for $129.99.

Source - Microsoft