EXCLUSIVE: Microsoft Readies 'nextgen' AIfocused Surface Pro 10 And Surface Laptop 6 With Arm Chips And Design Upgrades For 2024

The past few months have been tough for Surface fans. With Panos Pana's departure still on people's minds, no one is sure if Surface will continue like this, or if Windows Phone will suffer from the inefficiencies it once had.

Microsoft has already announced that it will keep Surface and Panay's departure will not change that. But we already know that Microsoft has scaled back its Surface portfolio to its core products, which explains why we haven't seen much of the Surface team in the past year.

In 2023, Microsoft released updates to the Surface Hub, Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Laptop Go, and Surface Go lines, which mostly consisted of lower specifications and price increases. But interestingly, Microsoft didn't ship a new Surface Pro or Surface Laptop this year, so what's next for Surface?

According to my sources, Microsoft is working on a significant update to its Surface Pro and Surface Laptop lines, which sources say will bring significant improvements with design improvements, new features and next-gen silicon in the form of 14th-gen Intel and Qualcomm. chips. From what I hear, this new device will be announced in the spring and marketed as Microsoft's first next-generation AI computer.

Intel and Arm with emphasis on Arma

For the first time, the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop will be available in Intel and Arm variants, and both will feature next-generation NPU (neural processing unit) silicon. Sources are enthusiastic about the Arm variant, which I think will be powered by a special version of Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X-series chips.

Internally, Microsoft is calling its next-generation Arm devices powered by Qualcomm's new chips "CADMUS." The computer is designed for the next version of Windows, called Hudson Valley, and will take advantage of the next-generation AI experience that Microsoft will introduce in the 2024 version of Windows.

Specifically, Microsoft differentiates its CADMUS computers with identical battery life, performance and security so that they truly compete with Apple Silicon. The upcoming Surface Pro and Surface Laptop are expected to be the first CADMUS computers to ship next year in preparation for a Hudson Valley launch in 2024.

Surface Laptop 6

So what has changed with the Surface Laptop 6? I'm told the new Surface Laptop will finally have an updated design with slimmer bezels, rounded screen corners and more ports. This will be the first time that Microsoft's Surface Laptop line will receive a long overdue design update.

The Surface Laptop 6 will again be available in two sizes. However, I'm told the smaller model will have a 13.8-inch screen, slightly larger than the 13.5-inch screen on the Surface Laptop 5. Sources say the larger model will still be 15 inches.

I'm told the Surface Laptop 6 will also have an expanded port selection, including two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, as well as a Surface Connect magnetic charging port. Microsoft is also adding a tactile touchpad (presumably with Sensel technology) and a dedicated Copilot on the keyboard for quick access to Windows Copilot.

Overall, the Surface Laptop 6 is shaping up to be a significant upgrade for a lineup designed to compete with the MacBook Air.

Surface Pro10

The upcoming Surface Pro will also be a big upgrade, though not as drastic as the Surface Laptop 6. The main changes to the Surface Pro 10 are more display-related, according to my sources. the source is now brighter. It supports HDR content, a new anti-reflective coating to reduce reflections, and now has rounded screen corners.

I've also heard that Microsoft is testing a version of the Surface Pro 10 with a 2160 x 1440 display, which is slightly smaller than the 2880 x 1920 display found on previous Surface Pro models. Sources say that this lower resolution panel is only intended for . for lower-end models, this means that more expensive models will continue to ship with higher-resolution screens.

Finally, I've also heard that Microsoft is equipping its next Surface Pro with an NFC reader for commercial customers and a wider FoV webcam that will be enhanced with Windows Studio effects. It should also be in a new color. I've also heard that we might get an updated Type Cover accessory with a dedicated Copilot button for quick access to Windows Copilot.

Thanks to the upcoming Arm chips, there's no denying that the next Surface Pro will be better than its predecessor in terms of performance, perhaps approaching or even matching the MacBook Air and iPad Pro.

What else does Surface do?

So the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 will be the stars of the show in 2024. I've heard that Microsoft might ship a Surface Laptop Go again next year (see our recent review of the Surface Laptop Go 3), but I don't know don't have one. One. more specific details about that product.

I've also heard rumors that Microsoft is considering commercial versions of the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop that will retain the design of the current Surface Laptop 5 and Surface Pro 9, but with updated 14th Gen Intel chips and other minor improvements. . However, I am not sure if they will actually deliver it.

After 2024, my sources say, Microsoft is working on a more significant design update to the Surface Pro line, targeting a final release window of 2025. It's too early to know exactly what will be different, but sources say the company is toying with the 11-inch Surface Pro model to ship alongside the standard 13-inch model.

Microsoft is also working on its next Surface Laptop Studio, targeting a similar late 2025 release window (read our Surface Laptop Studio 2 review for context). Not much is known about the Surface Laptop Studio 3 yet, although I understand that Microsoft plans to offer it in Intel and Arm versions for the first time.

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