Road warriors who demand the best in Windows-based mobile computing and look cool while doing it may want to take a look at these new Microsoft Surface products built for Windows 11.
Dubbed the largest update to the Surface portfolio in the last ten years of Surface, the new products include the new Surface Laptop Studio, a redesigned Surface Pro 8, a new Surface Go 3, and an updated Surface Pro X.
The lineup is joined by Surface Slim Pen 2, along with the Surface Duo 2. Granted the latter is not a Windows device; it is an Android phone/tablet hybrid. Keep going to a summary of each product.
2021 Surface Laptop Studio
Built with developers, creatives, designers, and gamers in mind, the new Surface Laptop Studio is an ambitious laptop that wants to have everyone covered.
It features a new ultra-durable Dynamic Woven Hinge for a seamless transition from Laptop mode to Stage mode (for presentation with an upright display) to Studio mode (lay-flat mode for working as a tablet).
Under the hood, it boasts 11th-gen Intel Core H35 processors, NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs (up to 3050 Ti), an industry-leading thermal design, Thunderbolt 4 ports (albeit just two), Quad Omnisonic Speaker with Dolby Atmos, and an AI-powered smart camera that optimizes exposure and lighting so you won’t appear like a mysterious supervillain in your next video conference call.
The laptop also plays well with the new Surface Slim Pen 2 which it can store and charge by magnetically attaching to the underneath of the keyboard.
The new Surface Laptop Studio is available now with a starting price of US$1,599.99.
2021 Surface Pro 8
The Surface Pro 8 is an update to the Surface Pro 7 2-in-1 from 2019 which is billed as “the most significant leap forward since Pro 3.”
Armed with 11th-gen Intel Core processors, it is over two times faster than its predecessor and has fast connectivity through a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports.
The Pro 8 is built on the Intel Evo platform which dictates that the laptop should pass a number of tests set by Intel, including system wake from sleep in less than a second and 9 or more hours of real-world battery on systems with FHD displays, for example.
Speaking of battery life, this little guy actually offers up to 16 hours of battery life – in addition to the performance gains and the good brought about by Windows 11.
Other notables include a 120 Hz 13” PixelSense touchscreen, Dolby Vision and Adaptive Color Technology, 5 MP front-facing camera, a 10 MP-4K rear-facing camera, Dolby Atmos sound, and dual far-field Studio Mics.
Like the Surface Laptop Studio, the Pro 8 also stores and charges the Surface Slim Pen 2.
The new Surface Pro 8 is now available with a starting price of US$1,099.99.
2021 Surface Go 3
Geared towards the budget-conscious road warriors is the new Surface Go 3. Billed as the most portable 2-in-1, the Surface Go 3 is 60% faster than its predecessor – thanks to the Intel Core i3 processor.
Weighing as little as 1.2 lbs, it is a perfect device for users who prefers not to be weighed down when on the road.
The device further features a 10.5” touch display, 1080p cameras, best-in-class studio microphones, Dolby Audio, supports both pen and touch, built-in Microsoft security, all-day battery, and an optional LTE Advanced.
The new Surface Go 3 is available now with a starting price of US$399.99 for the WiFi model. The LTE model is not available yet at the time of this post. It will be available in the “coming months.”
2021 Surface Pro X
Last year, Microsoft updated the Surface Pro X with Microsoft SQ2 ARM silicon and LTE. Now, it is updated with Windows 11 and 64-bit emulation built-in, thus allowing it to run more applications.
In addition, apps like Microsoft Teams and Office are now optimized for ARM, as are other popular apps like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. Also introduced is a new Wi-Fi-only model that pushes down on the entry price.
As far as the specs, it is pretty much the same. Meaning custom-built Microsoft processor (SQ 1 or SQ 2), 13” PixelSense display, 8 or 16 GB LPDDR4x RAM et cetera.
The new Surface Pro X is available now for US$899.99 and up.
Surface Slim Pen 2
Finally, there is the all-new Surface Slim Pen 2. The new Surface Slim Pen 2 features zero pressure force and ultra-low latency for greater control and accuracy.
It also boasts a redesigned tip that is sharper to help put finer points on writing, shading, and inking.
The new Pen is also designed to leverage the new capabilities in Windows 11 and the custom Microsoft G6 processor found in the Surface Pro 8 and Surface Laptop Studio, to provide tactile signals that mimic the feeling pen on paper.
With the Pen, it is one step up Apple Pencil 2 with the built-in haptic motor. This haptic motor will activate for a natural feel while note-taking and drawing.
The new Surface Slim Pen can be had for US$129.99 as we speak.
So, there you have it. All the new Surface products were announced, suitable for work and play when on the go.
All images courtesy of Microsoft.
