Category: Hardware

Microsoft has opened pre-orders for 3 new Xbox Series X and Series S console models slated for release in October. The new devices were initially revealed at the Xbox Game Showcase in June and boast the expanded storage, despite keeping most specs unchanged.

Microsoft has reportedly signed a deal with Samsung to supply micro-OLED displays for a new mixed reality headset in development. The device is rumored to be aimed at consumers and will be suitable for movies and games. This marks a shift in strategy for the company after the cancellation of HoloLens 3 and the demise of the Windows Mixed Reality platform.

As the May 20 event was mostly dedicated to Surface and "new era PCs", Microsoft has announced new variations of Surface Laptop and Surface Pro powered by the Snapdragon X chip. Also, there are now new devices with the same option from Dell, HP, Acer, ASUS & Lenovo.

HP disables printing access for printers until users install the HP Smart app in addition to drivers. Earlier this month, a HP LaserJet M110w printer user reported that the manufacturer of office equipment had seemingly disabled the printer's printing capability without providing a clear reason.

Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon X Plus desktop processor for laptops running Windows on ARM. This chip will be cheaper than the flagship Snapdragon X Elite, but it will still offer good performance for everyday tasks, games and AI-powered features. Snapdragon X Plus will be used in mid-range devices.

In May, Microsoft will debut the consumer versions of the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6, both powered by the latest ARM processors from Qualcomm. The event will be held in Seattle on May 20th. But the specs of the upcoming devices have been leaked to the public.

It took Qualcomm several years to build a truly powerful ARM desktop processor, crucial for the success of Windows on ARM. Meanwhile, Apple has successfully released multiple generations of devices featuring its own ARM-designed processors, seeming to dominate the market without any real competition in sight.

Earlier in January, Microsoft made a statement that the dedicated Copilot key won't be required for devices to pass Windows 11 certification. Despite that, Intel points that the key is a mandatory requirement for "new era PCs".

At today's event, Microsoft unveiled the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6, albeit only in business versions. The design of the new products has not changed compared to the previous generation. But there are still quite a lot of improvements.

Microsoft is reportedly developing a new network card that should increase the performance of the Maia AI server chip and reduce the company's dependence on NVIDIA solutions.