- Microsoft launches Surface Laptop Studio, Pro 8, Go 3, Pro X, and Duo 2.
- All the devices will be available on October 5, 2021.
- Customers can preorder them all starting Wednesday, September 22, at the Microsoft Store.
- The company also announced the Ocean Plastic Mouse and Surface Adaptive Kit.
During its virtual Surface hardware event, Microsoft has introduced five new devices, including the new Laptop Studio, Pro 8, Go 3, Pro X, and Duo 2. The new devices are available for preorder now, and they will start shipping on October 5 alongside the Windows 11 launch.
If you weren’t able to watch the live stream, these are the biggest announcement that the company unveiled on September 22.
Surface Laptop Studio
The event was packed with a lot of new devices and accessories announcements, but one that stood out the most was the new Surface Laptop Studio, a power-house laptop with a hinge design similar to the one on the Surface Pro line. However, this one is attached to the body that allows to bring the screen forward to make it easier to use the device with touch like a tablet, play games, watch movies, and more.
The Surface Laptop Studio is the new product that replaces the Surface Book with a removable display.
This Windows 11 laptop features up to a Quad-core Intel 11th Gen H35 i7-11370H processor with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics, up to 32GB of memory, and up to 2TB of Solid-State Drive (SSD) storage. The company claims up to 19 hours of battery life for the Core i5 model and 18 hours for the Core i7 model.
One of the most exciting parts of the Laptop Studio is the 14.4-inch touch-enabled display with up to 120Hz refresh rate and the 2 USB 4.0 with Thunderbolt 4 technologies support, ditching the old USB Type-A.
Since most of the components are now in the base, Microsoft has designed a new ventilation system all around the body of the Surface Laptop Studio. In addition, the base also houses the new Surface Slim Pen 2 (sold separately).
The Surface Laptop Studio will release on October 5, starting at $1599.99 for the base model, but you can preorder today from the Microsoft Store.
Surface Pro 8
The new Surface Pro 8 introduces a major design change from the previous models. The new device has a larger 120Hz 13-inch display with thinner bezels, 2 USB 4.0 with Thunderbolt 4 support, and more powerful internals.
Microsoft is loading the most versatile tablet with up to a Quad-core 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1185G7 Processor, up to 32GB of memory, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, and removable storage of up to 1TB SSD. Also, the company claims up to 16 hours of battery life.
Although the Surface Pro Signature Keyboard is sold separately, it now comes with the Surface Slim Pen 2. The keyboard now charges the pen, similar to the Surface Pro X. Also, the new Pen 2 features a haptic motor to mimic the feeling of writing on paper, and it reduces latency for better precision.
The Surface Pro 8 will launch on October 5, starting at $1099.99 for the base model, and you can preorder today from the Microsoft Store.
Surface Duo 2
Microsoft is also introducing a new version of its dual-screen phone powered by Android OS, the Surface Duo 2. The new device includes a refined design and adds a triple-lense camera system and 5G cellular connectivity.
While the design remains pretty much the same as the previous version, the company is now using the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor that finally brings 5G to the phone, 8GB of memory, up to 512GB of storage, and USB-C 3.2 Gen 2.
The Duo 2 comes in the same white color as the original version, but now there is a new black option. The device also comes with two 5.8-inch OLED displays with a 90Hz refresh rate, which, when opened, converts it into an 8.3-inch canvas. Also, the display is curved at the edge, allowing for viewing system notifications (missed calls, battery, etc.) without having to open the phone.
As for the camera, there is a three-camera system with 12-megapixels with wide, ultrawide, and telephoto lenses featuring optical image stabilization (excluding the ultrawide).
The Surface Duo 2 also supports the new Surface Slim Pen 2 that attaches to the device’s body and charges automatically. The original pen also works with the Duo 2.
You are still not getting wireless charging in this new version, but there is NFC and a new 4449mAh battery, which the company claims up to 28 hours of talk time and 15.5 hours of local video playback.
The Surface Duo will launch on October 5, starts at $1499.99, and is available for preorder today (in select markets).
Surface Go 3
The Surface Go 3 is the next version of a low-end tablet, and it now comes with the choice of Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y or Core i3-10100Y processor that should increase performance significantly, around 60 percent faster than its predecessor, according to Microsoft.
The Go 3 comes with a 10.5-inch 1080p touch-enabled display, up to 256GB of storage, and up to 8GB of memory. Also, the company claims up to 11 hours of battery life.
The Surface Go 3 starts at $399.99, and you can preorder it today at the Microsoft Store. The tablet will be available on October 5.
Surface Pro X
Microsoft is also making available for preorder a new model of its Surface Pro X tablet based on the ARM architecture. However, there isn’t a lot new with it other than it comes in a Wi-Fi-only version instead of 4G.
You can preorder the Surface Pro X now at the Microsoft Store, starting at $899.99.
Accessories
Alongside the new devices, Microsoft also introduced a couple of accessories, including the Ocean Plastic Mouse and the Surface Adaptive Kit.
The Ocean Plastic Mouse is a new simple Bluetooth mouse made of 20 percent recycling plastic from the ocean, and the packaging is also recyclable.
The mouse will go for $24.99, and it’ll be available on October 5. You can preorder today from the Microsoft Store.
The Surface Adaptive Kit is a kit that includes labels for important keycaps, bumps, port indicators, and pull-out strings to help open a device like a laptop or the kickstand of the Surface for people with disabilities. Microsoft isn’t sharing pricing and availability.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He is also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.