Technology
Everything Microsoft announced: Surface Laptop 3, Surface Pro 7, Surface Pro X, Neo, Duo, Surface Earbuds and more…
Microsoft’s 2019 Surface event has come to a close, and we now have a more rounded picture of everything the tech giant has in the pipeline in terms of hardware — even though much of what was announced was more-or-less known due to the usual deluge of leaks.
Here’s a quick recap of everything Microsoft announced in New York earlier today.
Surface Laptop 3
Pretty much as expected, Microsoft unveiled a refreshed Surface Laptop lineup, with support for USB-C and — for the first time in a Surface-branded device — an AMD (Ryzen 7) processor. Additionally, the third incarnation of the device now comes in a larger 15-inch version, as well as the 13.5-inch incarnation.
The Surface Laptop 3 starts at $999 for the smaller unit and $1,199 for the bigger machine. The exact amount of money you pay will depend on the memory / storage configuration, but they are available to preorder today and ship from October 22.
Surface Pro 7
Microsoft also announced an upgrade to its Surface Pro devices. Like the Surface Laptop 3, the Surface Pro 7 also now comes with USB-C support, which replaces the Mini DisplayPort. Aside from upgraded processors, that’s really the main change this time around other than the price.
Indeed, the Surface Pro 7 is around $150 less than its predecessor, starting at $749, and can be preordered today ahead of its shipping date on October 22.
Surface Pro X
The bigger news, in terms of the Pro lineup at least, was the all-new Surface Pro X.
The Surface Pro X looks similar to the Surface Pro 7 at a glance, but it’s ultimately a different beast. The Pro X has a larger 13-inch display, compared to the 12.3-inches on the Pro 7; however, it’s around 3mm thinner. It also has a removable solid-state drive that can be swapped in and out.
Elsewhere, the Pro X has a custom-designed, ARM-based Microsoft SQ1 chip that was designed in conjunction with Qualcomm.
The Surface Pro X starts at $999 and is open for preorders today, though it won’t be available until November 5.
Surface Neo
Microsoft had a couple of semi-surprises in store at its New York event today, though in truth these have been rumored previously.
The Surface Neo is a dual-screen PC powered by a new customized operating system called Windows 10X. The device is 5.6mm thick and sports a 360-degree hinge, though it’s worth noting here that there is a physical keyboard that folds over one of the screens.
The Surface Neo won’t be available until 2020, and we don’t have much clue on pricing yet.
Microsoft Surface Duo
In what was probably the most interesting announcement of the day, Microsoft announced the new Surface Duo — an Android phone that folds right down the middle. With dual 5.6-inch displays, Microsoft has worked in tandem with Google toward optimizing apps for the form-factor.
As with the Surface Duo, Microsoft didn’t reveal much else in terms of pricing or availability — consumers can expect to be able to buy this sometime in 2020, however.
Surface Earbuds
Microsoft debuted a new set of wireless Surface Earbuds that support voice commands relating to setting reminders, requesting weather and traffic conditions, receiving news and sports updates, and more. It’s worth noting here that they work with all the major virtual assistants: Cortana, Alexa, Siri, Bixby, and Google Assistant.
Curiously, the earbuds also integrate with PowerPoint, meaning that they can create on-screen captions of what you’re saying through leveraging text-to-speech technology. Moreover, they can translate speech in real time into around 60 languages. They also work with any virtual assistant, not just Cortana.
The Surface Earbuds will be available sometime in 2019 starting at $249.
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