It’s been a while since we saw a properly new Surface, but now we have two, as Microsoft joins the world of AI PCs with a set of Snapdragon Surfaces.
This week’s launch of a new breed of AI PCs with Snapdragon inside might have come from the likes of HP and Lenovo, but they weren’t alone, with Microsoft also talking up new tech.
The maker of Windows has its own hardware to choose from, but it can be all too easy to not think about due to just how infrequent updates seem to be, or even consumer availability.
In recent years, in fact, Microsoft’s Surface computers have felt increasingly made solely for business rather than consumers, and a little on the stuck side. They still review well, but while other manufacturers have been evolving the design and hardware side, Microsoft Surface has felt stale by comparison.
That may change this year, as the Surface gets an update alongside other machines this week, and a change to the chips inside.
Rather than a Surface with Intel inside, the latest models on the way will have a Qualcomm Snapdragon X chip instead, as well as Microsoft’s additions to Windows that form “Copilot+”.
Specifically, that’ll mean AI-assisted software that can use the Neural Processing Unit technology found on the hardware, with Windows doing more than letting you press the Copilot key to talk to the Open AI function built into Windows. Rather, it’ll mean improvements to battery life using AI to balance workloads, a deeper search functionality for the computer, and even a new version of Microsoft Paint with an AI component for rendering better images.
Doing this on the Surface will mean new hardware, but fortunately, that’s where those new chips come in, with two such models.
For folks who prefer a laptop, there’s the Surface Laptop 7, an update of that machine with thin bezels on either a 13.8 or 15 inch touchscreen, a choice of either the Snapdragon X Plus or X Elite chip, up to 32GB RAM and up to 1TB SSD, as well as a combination of USB-C and USB-A ports to use with the laptop.
The classic Surface tablet is also getting an update in the 2024 Surface Pro, also known as the Surface Pro 11. This latest generation will see a 13 inch screen in either LCD or OLED tech, dependent on how much you want to spend, with those choices arming you with either a Snapdragon X Plus or X Elite respectively.
Much of what you known about the Surface Pro previously is there, including the kickstand, front and rear camera, minimalist approach to ports, and a magnetic keyboard, though that is changing, too.
The latest generation of Surface keyboard is the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard, a keyboard that can be used both attached to a Surface and detached, essentially giving you options. You can also store the Surface Slim Pen inside of it, meaning you don’t need to keep the pen clinging for life to magnets on the side of the tablet.
In Australia, the Surface Laptop 7 will start from $1899, with availability expected from June 18, while the 2024 Surface Pro will also start from $1899, though the optional Surface Pro Flex keyboard will cost an extra $599.95 without the Slim Pen and a staggering $769.95 with the Slim Pen. Ooof.
