Microsoft announced new Surface models, canceled experimental devices

At today's event, Microsoft revealed new and updated devices from the Surface family. Those include Surface Hub 3, Intel N200-powered Surface Go 4, Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Surface Laptop Go 3. Here are some details.

Surface Laptop Go 3

Like its predecessor, Surface Laptop Go 3 features a 12.4-inch PixelSense touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio. The weight of the device is about 1.13 kg. Microsoft promises that the Surface Laptop Go 3 will perform 88% faster than the first generation Surface Laptop Go.

The set of ports also remains unchanged. You will find one USB-A, one USB-C, a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a Surface Connect port. It also includes a fingerprint scanner. The new product will provide up to 15 hours of battery life and will be sold at a price of $799.

The full specs are as follows.

Surface Laptop Studio 2

The newest Surface Laptop Studio 2 device received a large number of improvements against the first generation. The device has got a 13th generation Intel processor, NVIDIA RTX 40 graphics, more ports, a larger display and touchpad, as well as support for AI-based functions.

It features 13th-generation Intel Core i7 H-series processors, which deliver significant performance gains over the 11th-generation chips found in the first Surface Laptop Studio. Either Intel Iris Xe or NVIDIA RTX 40 can be responsible for graphics, while in the second case the amount of video memory will be larger.

Surface Laptop Studio 2 comes in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB DDR5X RAM variants. The 64 GB memory model is designed for professional users who need to process large amounts of data.

The design of the laptop has remained almost unchanged. In addition to two USB-C ports, Thunderbolt 4 has added one USB-A port on the left and a microSD card slot on the right. Surface Connect ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack are also present.

Changes include a brighter display with HDR support, an updated touchpad with more levels of feedback, and a new webcam with a wider viewing angle.

Finally, Surface Laptop Studio 2 comes with a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) to help you complete AI tasks faster. Also, the presence of an NPU will allow you to use Windows Studio Effects.

Surface Laptop Studio 2 will be available in October 2023. The cost of the new product starts at $1,999 for a model with an Intel Core i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB of memory and Intel Iris Xe graphics.

Specs

Surface Go 4 for Business

This new device is aimed exclusively at business clients. It has got an Intel N200 processor, which provides a significant performance boost over the Intel Core i3-10100Y installed in the Surface Go 3. The new product supports artificial intelligence features such as “Voice Clarity” for improved audio quality from the microphone by removing background noise.

In the basic configuration, Surface Go 4 comes with 8 GB of RAM and 64 GB UFS storage, abandoning the eMMC storage.

Microsoft has completely redesigned the internal design of the Surface Go 4 to make it more repairable. Now you can replace everything, including the display and motherboard.

There is no information about the price and start date of sales yet. It is expected that prices will start at $579.

Surface Hub 3

Microsoft today announced a new generation of collaboration device - Surface Hub 3. The new version has support for smart rotation and portrait mode, allowing users to physically rotate the screen to a vertical orientation. The operating system interface will update the image automatically.

Surface Hub 3 is available in two sizes - 50 and 85 inches. The device runs Microsoft Teams on the Windows platform. This means that users can easily switch between different rooms and continue working on the same project. Copilot, an AI-powered digital assistant, will also be added in the future to help you run more effective meetings.

Surface Hub 3 features a high-quality 4K PixelSense display with anti-glare coating. Microsoft says the device's performance has increased by 60% and graphics power by 160% compared to the previous generation. Its screen supports 20-touch multi-touch and allows you to use two Surface Hub or Surface Slim Pens simultaneously.

Microsoft is also offering to upgrade Surface Hub 2S devices to Surface Hub 3 using a special Surface Hub 3 Pack cartridge. This will allow users to access all of the new Hub 3 features without having to purchase a new device.

Surface Hub 3 will be available for purchase later this year. The price of the new device has not yet been announced, but it is expected to be high. Let's remember that the Surface Hub 2S is about $9,000.

Microsoft is canceling 'experimental' Surface devices

Many of the experimental and niche devices in the Surface line have been abandoned by Microsoft. The premium Surface Headphones, which were due to release their second generation this year, were among those put on hold. Microsoft-branded accessories have also been abandoned, with only premium Surface options remaining.

As Windows Central reports, Microsoft has no plans to release new versions of the Surface Studio all-in-one and Surface Duo in the foreseeable future. However, this is not the entire story.

The Surface Laptop SE 2 was scheduled for release in spring 2023 but was canceled at the last minute. An 11-inch version of the Surface Pro tablet was also considered but ultimately canceled in favor of the Surface Go 4 (mentioned above) with an Intel N200 chip.

The Surface team will now focus on developing the most popular and well-known devices in the line, including the Surface Pro, Surface Laptop, Surface Laptop Go, Surface Laptop Studio, and Surface Go.

These developments may have been a factor in Panos Panay's sudden departure from Microsoft. He has always been an advocate for unique form factor devices, but Microsoft is now prioritizing more profitable devices.

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