POINTS
- New Surface models will be available in select markets beginning Oct. 25.
- The Surface Pro 9 and 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 5 both start at $1,000, while the Surface Studio 2+ starts at $4,300.
- October marks the Surface tablet’s 10th anniversary.
Microsoft on Wednesday unveiled three Surface computers, as the company celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Surface tablet.
At an event in New York, Microsoft introduced the Surface Laptop 5, the Surface Pro 9 convertible tablet and the Surface Studio 2+ all-in one PC.
The Surface Pro 9 and the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 5 start at $1,000, while the Surface Studio 2+ starts at $4,300. All three ship with Microsoft’s Windows 11 operating system, which hit the market last year.
All new Surface models will be available in select markets beginning Oct. 25, and in additional markets in the coming months, Microsoft said.
Here are the main features of the new devices.
Surface Pro 9
The Surface Pro 9 is Microsoft’s cross between a laptop and tablet. It runs on an Intel 12th-generation processor and now has optional 5G connectivity. The 12th generation should be considerably faster than Intel’s 11th-generation processor, which is what powered the Pro 8.
The Surface Pro 9 has a 13-inch display and comes with a 120Hz display. What’s disappointing is the 5G Pro 9 model doesn’t have a Thunderbolt port, which allows for faster file transfers of videos.
The 5G model offers up to 19 hours of battery life, compared with up to 16 hours for the Surface Pro 8. The Surface Pro 9 on Intel silicon offers up to 15.5 hours of battery life.
The price ranges from $1,000 to $1,900, depending on storage.
The Surface Laptop 5 features 12th-generation Intel Core processors. It’s available in 13.5-inch and 15-inch models, both with touchscreens.
Microsoft says it has 17 hours of battery life and a new enhanced camera for face-to-face calls. The Surface Laptop 5 also has a Thunderbolt 4 port for the first time. It connects the laptop to a 4K monitor, charges and delivers fast data transfer for large video files.
For movie and TV streaming, the Laptop 5 also has a Dolby Vision IQ picture quality and Dolby Atmos for upgraded audio quality.
Surface Laptop 5 prices range from $1,000 to $2,400, depending on storage.
Surface Studio 2+
The Surface Studio 2+ is Microsoft’s all-in-one desktop PC that will replace the Surface Studio 2 from 2018. The new 28-inch touchscreen device sits on a zero-gravity hinge, which allows users to raise and lower the display. It runs on an 11th-generation Intel Core H-35 Processor.
Users can split the display into four different app windows at once. It comes with a USB-C port and a Thunderbolt port. The viewing experience for streaming is also enhanced with Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos for upgraded audio quality.
The Surface Studio 2+ starts at $4,300, an increase of over 22% from its 2018 predecessor, which sells for $3,500.
