Image Credit: Microsoft
What would a surface event be without Panos Panay? Microsoft answered existential questions during its Windows event in New York City today. The company has thrived in the absence of longtime division chief Panai (whose early exit from the company was announced earlier this week) and CEO Satya Nadella took the stage. But the hardware was the real star of the show today – specifically the Surface Laptop Go 3 and Surface Laptop Studio 2.
Fifteen months after the Go 2 laptop debuted with a new fingerprint reader, its successor has arrived with new internals. The system is powered by a 12th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU and Intel Iris Xe graphics. Microsoft compared the performance to the original Surface Laptop Go launched in late 2020 and notes that it represents an 88% speed increase.
As the name suggests, portability is key here. It weighs just under 2.5 pounds—pretty good for a 12.4-inch device. It’s definitely a touchscreen, in keeping with the rest of the line. It has a pair of studio microphones as well as speakers tuned for Dolby Atmos. Microsoft also promises 15 hours of battery life.
The size of the new studio laptop is 14.4 inches. It is powered by 13th generation Intel Core H-class processor. The system includes an optional Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, 4060 or RTX 2000 graphics card. It has two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports, an old-fashioned USB-A port and a microSD card reader – a nod to the Surface range’s take on the creative pro category. From the looks of it, it’s a solid, integrated system.
Both systems can be pre-ordered now and will be delivered from October 3rd. The Go 3 laptop starts at $799 and the Studio 2 laptop starts at $1,999.
Device access within the report Panay left the department due to budget cuts and the discontinuation of more experimental surface devices.
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