Microsoft has announced this year’s Surface product line-up that includes Surface Laptop 3, Surface Pro 7 and Surface Pro X PCs, two new dual-screen devices Surface Neo and Surface Duo, and Surface Earbuds. The Satya Nadella-led company says that this is their ‘broadest Surface lineup ever’ – with five new products coming this holiday and two new dual-screen devices, Surface Neo and Surface Duo, coming in Holiday 2020. The new category of dual-screen devices are claimed to built for mobile productivity.
‘When we started Surface, we had a vision to remove the conflict between the tablet and laptop. What started as an effort to create the two-in-one evolved into a full line of products that are more versatile, more adaptable and more personal. We know that to be your best, you need devices that adapt to you to help you accomplish your goals. These new products are about empowering you to be your most productive, and your most creative,’ Panos Panay, Chief Product Officer at Microsoft, said in a blog post.
With Surface we are reimagining every layer of the tech stack – from how we infuse AI from the silicon up, to device form factors and the role of operating systems – to put people at the center and empower them to create the world we want to live in. https://t.co/evyoCykBwV
— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) 2 October 2019
The Surface Laptop 3 now comes with a choice of a 13.5-inch or 15-inch display, new colours and finishes. Along with the Surface Pro 7 and Surface Pro X two-in-one devices, the Surface Laptop is now available for pre-order in select markets. The Surface Earbuds, which offer Omnisonic sound, comes with intuitive touch controls, and deep integration with a slew of Microsoft products and services. Dual-screen devices Surface Neo and Surface Duo will be available next year.
As mentioned, the Surface Laptop 3 is now available in two sizes. Microsoft says that the Surface Laptop 3 is twice as fast as compared to the previous generation but it still have the same slim design and up to 11.5 hours of battery life. The laptops has been updated with the 10th Generation Intel Core processor. The Surface Laptop 3 with 13.5-inch display comes in Sandstone and Cobalt colours with aluminum all-metal finish.
The model with 15-inch display comes with integrated graphics performance with the new AMD Ryzen Surface Edition processor. Microsoft says that it is the fastest 15-inch laptop available in the market. Surface Laptop 3 offers 1.33mm key travel, a 20 per cent larger glass trackpad as compared to predecessors, both USB-A and USB-C and Fast Charging, which is claimed juice up 80 per cent of the battery in about an hour.
Both the laptops feature improved front-facing cameras; however, there is no clarity on the ‘improvement.’ There are OmniSonic speakers and dual far-field Studio Mics. Surface Laptop 3 13-inch starts at $999 (approx Rs 71,000) and Surface Laptop 15-inch starts at $1199 (approx Rs 85,200).
Surface Pro is offered in two variants: the Surface Pro 7 or of the new ultra-mobile Surface Pro X. The Surface Pro 7 is equipped with 10th Generation Intel Core processor, both USB-A and USB-C and up to 10.5 hours of run-time on a single charge.
Microsoft says that it wants to keep pushing the Pro line and as a result, it unveiled Surface Pro X. The device has a thickness of 5.33mm and weighs 1.68 pounds (approx 800 gms), and is claimed to be the thinnest, lightest, most powerful and most connected Surface Pro ever.
It is equipped with the new Microsoft SQ1 processor codesigned with Qualcomm, and pushes two teraflops of graphics processing power. It is said to have 33 per cent thinner bezels on a 13-inch edge-to-edge touch screen. The new Surface Pro X Signature Keyboard includes pen docking for storage and charging for the new Slim Pen. Surface Pro 7 starts at $749 (approx Rs 53,200) and Surface Pro X starts at $999 (approx Rs 71,000).
Last year, Microsoft launched the Surface Headphones and this year, it has expanded its hearable portfolio by unveiling Surface Earbuds with intuitive touch and voice controls for music, calls and more. ‘Experience rich, immersive Omnisonic sound, and instantly play Spotify from your Android phone with a triple tap on either earbud. Screen-free integration with Office 365 lets you access your Outlook calendar and email with your voice (in the US) and even get live, on-screen captions and translations in PowerPoint,’ Panay added.
The company says that the Surface Earbuds offer up to 24 hours of battery life with the included charging case. According to Microsoft, one single charge can deliver eight hours of continuous listening, plus another two 8-hour charges with the charging case. Surface Earbuds are priced at $249 (approx Rs 17,700).
The Windows-maker also announced a range of accessories, including type covers, pens and mice designed to work with Surface products. There is a new Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard and Mouse, an affordable Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse, and new colour options in popular Arc Mouse.
‘What if we didn’t have to switch between devices, screens or apps? What if one device had two screens to keep us in flow?’ Microsoft says that Surface Neo and Surface Duo answer all these questions. It’s a new category of dual-screen devices which, Microsoft says, is designed to help people get more done on smaller, more mobile form factors. ‘That was the inspiration behind creating a dual-screen device that gives you the benefit of a larger screen or the flexibility of two screens when you want to do multiple things at once,’ Panay said.
Surface Neo is dual-screen device and has a 360-degree full-friction hinge that connects two 9-inch screens. When seen together in an unfolded form, a user gets a full-size 13-inch LCD display. It is compatible with keyboard, Surface Pen and Bluetooth mouse. Microsoft says that on Surface Neo, it is introducing Windows 10X, an expression of Windows 10 designed for a new category of dual-screen PCs. ‘With Surface Duo we are building upon Android to marry cutting edge hardware with familiar software and services,’ the company says.
Surface Duo is basically the first Surface device that can fit in a pocket. Just like Surface Neo, the Surface Duo is a foldable device with two 5.6-inch screens that unfold to 8.3 inches. Owners can also make phone calls with Surface Duo.
