Microsoft’s hardware event on Sept. 22 saw the refresh of nearly the entire Surface lineup, along with a new addition to the family and a few new accessories.
Surface Laptop Studio
Starting with the big-ticket item, the Surface Laptop Studio is Microsoft’s reimagined convertible laptop, a vision that started with the first Surface Book in 2015.
Unlike the Surface Book, which features a detachable display that functions as a standalone tablet, the Surface Laptop Studio collapses its screen on top of the keyboard using a hinge mechanism reminiscent of the Surface Studio desktop.
The display can be adjusted into three positions: a Laptop mode, a Stage mode where the display is angled forward, and a Studio mode where the display sits almost flat, turning its 14.4-inch display into a drawing pad. In Studio mode, the display is angled slightly to improve drawing comfort.
The benefit of this new approach is of course speedier transitions between laptop mode and drawing pad mode, but being fixed to the keyboard base also renders the Surface Laptop Studio unwieldy as a tablet.
| Device | Surface Laptop Studio |
| Display | 14.4-inch PixelSense Flow, 2400 x 1600, 3:2, 120Hz, Dolby Vision |
| Processor | Intel Core H35 i5-11300H or Intel Core H35 i7-11370H |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe graphics (i5 model)
Dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti or Nvidia RTX A2000 (i7 model) |
| Memory | 16GB or 32GB LPDDR4x |
| Storage | Up to 1TB SSD, removable |
| Battery | i5 model: up to 19 hours, 65W charger
i7 model: up to 18 hours, 102W charger |
| Ports | 2x USB-C 4.0 with Thunderbolt 4, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x Surface Connect port |
| Camera | 1080p with dual far-field studio mics |
| OS | Windows 10 Pro, Windows 11 Home, or Windows 11 Pro |
| Weight | Core i5 model: 1.74kg (3.83 lbs)
Core i7 model: 1.82kg (4lbs) |
| Price | CA$2,050 |
The Surface Pen, sold separately, attaches magnetically to the underside of the keyboard and charges wirelessly.
Hardware-wise, the Surface Laptop Studio has the best in the series. The highest-end configuration carries an Intel 11th Gen Core H35 i7-11370H processor, 32 GB of memory, 1TB storage, and either the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics or the Nvidia RTX A2000 workstation graphics.
Cooling these powerful components in a 14.4-inch chassis is no easy feat, which is why Microsoft compromised on the device’s thickness. The base has an extra “layer” at the bottom to house its cooling system and increase ventilation.
It’s also highly likely that the extended base accommodates a larger battery. Microsoft quotes the Surface Laptop Studio’s battery life as 18 hours for the Intel Core i7 model and 19 hours for Intel Core i5 model. Note that the optional dedicated graphics is only available for the Core i7 model.
Another big feature is the 120Hz high refresh rate display. It goes without saying that a high refresh rate display offers smoother animations and gaming, but it may also improve the drawing experience as well. Although Microsoft did not list the display’s colour gamut on the spec sheet, it does promise an impressive 1,500:1 contrast ratio (any number above 1,000:1 is considered “good”) and Dolby Vision support.
The Surface Laptop Studio is also the first to feature USB 4.0 ports and a haptic touchpad. Moreover, Microsoft says the device’s storage is removable, as it was on the Surface Laptop.
Both the form and function of the Surface Laptop Studio appear to overlap with that of the Surface Book. That’s no coincidence. In an email to IT World Canada, Microsoft said that the Surface Laptop will replace the Surface Book.
The Surface Laptop Studio is available for pre-order now starting at CA$2,050. Ships on Oct. 5.
Surface Duo 2
The Surface Duo, Microsoft’s folding smartphone, has received a massive overhaul.
Whereas the Surface Duo 1 arrived with dated hardware, the Surface Duo 2 has anything but. Inside its two folding leaves is Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 888 system-on-chip (SoC), 8GB of LPDDR5 memory, and up to 512GB of storage. Using Qualcomm’s latest chip also enables mmWave 5G connectivity. In the U.S., it supports mmWave frequencies; in Canada, sub-6GHz.
More importantly, Microsoft has bolted a rear camera array to the Surface Duo 2 to improve the subpar camera performance of its predecessor. The triple camera array comprises a 12MP main camera, a 12MP telephoto camera, and a 16 MP ultra-wide camera. Even the front camera now sports a new 12MP sensor.
| Device | Surface Duo | Surface Duo 2 |
| Display | Dual AMOLED PixelSense Fusion Displays, 60Hz
Open: 8.1-inch, 2700 x 1800, 3:2, 401 PPI Single: 5.6-inch, 1800×1350, 4:3, 401 PPI Glass: Corning Gorilla Glass |
Dual AMOLED PixelSense Fusion Displays, 90Hz, HDR, 100 per cent sRGB and DCI-P3, 800 nits
Open: 8.3-inch, 2688 x 1892, 401 PPI Single: 5.8-inch, 1344 x 1892, 401 PPI Glass: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 |
| Memory | 6GB | 8GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | Up to 256GB | Up to 512GB |
| Battery | 3,577mAh | 4,449mAh |
| Durability | N/A | N/A |
| Ports | USB-C 3.1 | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 |
| Biometrics | Fingerprint sensor | Fingerprint sensor |
| Camera | Front: 11MP, f/ 2.0 Adaptive camera | Rear:
Wide: 12MP, f/ 1.7, 27mm, 1.4μm, PDAF, OIS Telephoto: 2x zoom, 12MP, f/ 2.4, 51mm, PDAF, OIS Ultra-Wide:16MP, f/ 2.2, 13mm Front: 12MP, f/ 2.0 |
| OS | Android 10 | Android 11 |
| SIM support | Nano SIM+eSIM | Nano SIM+eSIM |
| Weight | 250g | 284g |
| Colors | Glacier | Glacier, Obsidian |
| Price | CA$1,869 at launch | Starting at CA$1,900 |
The folding AMOLED display got better, too. Each half is now 5.8-inches, 0.2-inches larger compared to the previous generation. When opened, the two halves combine into an 8.3-inch display. They’re protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus, the same durable material used for the Samsung Galaxy S21 series. Another surprising upgrade is the 90 Hz refresh rate. The Surface Duo 1’s display was locked at 60Hz.
Also new is the Glance Bar. It’s not a separate display, rather, it uses the edge of the main display to show notification counts so the user doesn’t have to open the device.
Increasing the display size didn’t seem to increase the device’s footprint. Unfolded, the Surface Duo 2 is just 1.1mm wider and 0.7mm thicker than the original. Retaining the sizes while increasing display size could only mean one thing: thinner bezels, woo! With that said, the new version is 34g heavier than its predecessor.
When the first Surface Duo debuted, its 3,577mAh battery was worryingly small to power an 8.1-inch display. Microsoft has now addressed this with the second-gen by including a 4,449mAh unit. But despite the upgrade, Microsoft still quotes a 15.5-hour local video playback time, the same as last gen, although the call time has extended by one hour to 28 hours.
While the device supports Fast Charging at 23W, Microsoft will not be including a fast charger in the box. And like the last generation, there still isn’t any word on water or dust resistance.
The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is available for pre-order today starting at CA$1,900. Ships on Oct. 5.
Surface Pro 8
The classic Surface Pro returns for the eighth time, making it the longest-running model in the Surface family.
The Surface Pro 8 brings the biggest jump in display size –from 12.3-inches to 13-inches–since the release of the Surface Pro 3 in 2016. The display didn’t just get bigger, it’s also been upgraded to the 120Hz PixelSense Flow panel. Moreover, the display now features 10.8 per cent higher resolution and is 12.5 per cent brighter.
The bigger display also means a bigger Surface Type Cover keyboard. Microsoft used the extra room to carve out a channel to hold and charge the Surface Slim Pen 2, but only on the more expensive Signature keyboards. A natural consequence of a bigger device is more weight; the Surface 8 is now around 100g heavier than its predecessor.
| Device | Surface Pro 8 |
| Display | 13-inch PixelSense Flow, 2880 x 1920, 3:2, 120Hz |
| Processor | Consumer:
Intel Core i5-1135G7 Intel Core i7-1185G7 Commercial: Intel Core i3-1115G4 (Wi-Fi) Intel Core i5-1145G7 (Wi-Fi or LTE3) Intel Core i7-1185G7 (Wi-Fi or LTE3) |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics (i3 model)
Intel Iris Xe graphics (i5 and i7 model) |
| Memory | 8GB, 16GB or 32GB LPDDR4x |
| Storage | Up to 1TB SSD |
| Battery | i5 model: up to 19 hours, 65W charger
i7 model: up to 18 hours, 102W charger |
| Ports | 2x USB-C 4.0 with Thunderbolt 4, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x Surface Connect port |
| Camera | Front: 1080p, 5.0MP
Rear: 4K, 10MP |
| Weight | 891g (1.96lbs) |
| OS | Consumer: Windows 11 Home
Business: Windows 10 Pro or Windows 11 Pro |
| Price | Starting at CA$1,400 |
The Surface Pro 8 carries up to an Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor, an appreciable update to the Surface Pro 7’s 10th gen Intel processors. Microsoft says that the Surface Pro 8 can deliver over 40 per cent higher sustained CPU performance and 74 per cent faster sustained graphics performance compared to the Pro 7. The performance gap undoubtedly narrows when it’s pitted against the Surface Pro 7+, but that’s only available to enterprise customers.
The devices include up to 32 GB of memory and up to 1TB of storage.
After eight years, the Surface Pro series finally gets Thunderbolt for the first time. Not only does the Surface Pro 8 come with two USB-C 4.0 ports, but they also support Thunderbolt 4. Unfortunately, the two USB-C ports left no room for a USB-A port; its absence from this generation likely means the end of USB-A on Surface Pro devices.
The Surface Pro 8 is available for pre-order now starting at CA$1,400. Ships on Oct. 21.
Surface Go 3
Microsoft’s affordable Surface Go 3 gets new processors, now coming with the Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y or the Intel Core i3-10100Y. Its 11-hour quoted battery life is one hour longer than the previous version. The Type Cover keyboard is still sold separately.
| Device | Surface Go 3 |
| Display | 10.5-inch PixelSense, 1920 x 1280, 3:2 |
| Processor | Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y
Intel Core i3-10100Y processor |
| Graphics | Intel UHD 615 |
| Memory | 4GB/8GB |
| Storage | Consumer: 64GB eMMC or 128GB SSD
Commercial: 256 GB SSD |
| Battery | Up to 11 hours |
| Ports | 1x USB-C, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x Surface Connect port, 1x MicroSDXC slot |
| Camera | Front: 1080p, 5.0MP
Rear: 1080p, 8MP |
| OS | Consumer: Windows 11 Home in S mode
Commercial: Windows 10 Pro or Windows 11 Pro |
| Weight | Wi-Fi only: 544g (1.2lbs)
LTE: 553g (1.22lbs) |
| Price | Starting at CA$520 |
And that pretty much sums it up. The Surface Go will be available for pre-order today starting at CA$520 for the Wi-Fi only model. The LTE model will be available in the coming months.
Surface Pro X
The Surface Pro X received the least love. In fact, its biggest change is actually a feature reduction. It now comes in a Wi-Fi only model that starts at a lower US$889 (CA$1,150) price point. The silver lining is that it now runs Windows 11 on ARM.
| Device | Surface Pro X |
| Display | 13-inch PixelSense, 2880 x 1920, 3:2 |
| Processor | Microsoft SQ1
Microsoft SQ2 |
| Graphics | Intel UHD 615 |
| Memory | Microsoft SQ1 Adreno 685 GPU
Microsoft SQ2 Adreno 690 GPU |
| Storage | Up to 512GB, removable |
| Battery | Up to 15 hours |
| Ports | 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x Surface Connect port, 1x nano SIM |
| Camera | Front: 1080p, 5.0MP
Rear: 4k, 10MP |
| Weight | 774g (1.74lbs) without keyboard |
| OS | Consumer:
Wi-Fi only: Windows 11 Pro on ARM LTE: Windows 10 Home on ARM Commercial: Wi-Fi only: Windows 11 Pro on ARM LTE: Windows 11 Pro on ARM |
| Price | Starting at 284g |
The future for an ARM-powered Windows device is a nebulous one. The Surface Pro runs well enough to be sold, but it’s clear that Windows on ARM just can’t hold a candle to Apple’s M1 MacBooks both in performance and ecosystem. Microsoft had its chance before Apple released its own chips, but it now must fight an uphill battle.
Surface Slim Pen 2
The Surface Slim Pen 2, Microsoft’s active stylus for Surface devices, now carries a haptic motor for Tactile Signals when used with a compatible application. The tactile feedback provides “the same feeling you get with pen on paper” and confirmation when a natural gesture is activated successfully. Compatible apps include Microsoft Word, Adobe Fresco, and Shapr3D. Note that Tactile Signal only works with Surface Pro 8 and Surface Laptop Studio with Windows 11.
Its features include 4,096 pressure sensitivity points and near-instantaneous latency. The pen comes with a USB-C charging base in the box, but can also be charged wirelessly in the Surface Pro Signature Keyboard, Surface Duo 2 Pen Cover, or when it attaches magnetically to the Surface Laptop Studio. Each full charge can last 15 hours of use.
Full list of compatible devices:
- Surface Laptop Studio
- Surface Pro 3 to Pro 8
- Surface Pro X
- Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2
- Surface Go
- Surface Go 2
- Surface Go 3
- Surface Hub 2S
- Surface Laptop 1 to 4
- Surface Studio gen 1 and 2
- Surface Book gen 1 to 3
- Non-Surface devices that support Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP)
The Surface Slim Pen 2 is available for pre-order now for CA$170. Ships on Oct. 5.
Update: The Surface Pro 8 will ship on Oct. 21, not Oct. 5. The original article has been amended to reflect this change.