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Surface Earbuds look weird, but they feel great
I've been on the hunt for comfortable earphones for years, and Microsoft's new Surface Earbuds might just be the ones I'm looking for. Microsoft, alongside Amazon, which unveiled the Echo Buds last week, is joining the truly wireless earbud game. So far, I'm more intrigued by the Surface Earbuds, which surprisingly don't stick into my ear canal the way a lot of other buds do. That's good for people suffering from cerumen impaction (or earwax buildup, for those of you who are less squeamish).
Microsoft's 2019 Surface event by the numbers
Microsoft executives had a lot to talk about when they took the stage for this year's Surface Event on Wednesday. The company is rolling out a slew of new and improved hardware (many at the end of the month) that could well give Apple's recently announced lineup a run for its money.
Here's everything Microsoft announced at its Surface event
Microsoft held its annual Surface event today, but you definitely couldn't call it a by-the-numbers presentation. The tech veteran unveiled a flood of new devices, and updates to its existing Surface Laptop and Surface Pro lines were really just the start. It also introduced its first ARM-powered Surface Pro, true wireless smart earbuds and not one but two dual-screen devices -- including its first phone in years.
Microsoft previews transcription and expanded stylus support for Office
As with any Microsoft product launch, the company spent a good portion of its fall hardware event talking about how Office 365 integrates with its new devices. While those enhancements didn't take centerstage, Microsoft has detailed them in a separate blog post the company posted to its website.
Surface Pro 7 hands-on: USB-C is the main upgrade
You might have a hard time telling the new Surface Pro 7 and its predecessor apart. Microsoft unveiled its latest 2-in-1 PC today, among a slew of new computers, and most of its updates are under the hood. The two have the same screen size and resolution as well as almost the same dimensions and weight. But there is one big difference. The Surface Pro 7 has a USB-C port. Hurray!
The Surface Laptop 3 vs. the competition: 13-inch workhorses
It's October once more, which means we get to look at some new machines from Microsoft. We're long accustomed to the hybrid Surface Pro line but we're also seeing the third iteration of the company's powerful and stylish Surface Laptop. The 15-inch version packs an AMD Ryzen CPU, but the 13-inch is no slouch thanks to its 10th-gen Ice Lake chip, the better to compete with machines like the XPS 13. To see how the smaller Surface Laptop stacks up against some of the leading 13-inch machines on the market, check out the table below and read our hands-on while you wait for our full review of the new computer later this year.
Surface Laptop 3 hands-on: Bigger, yet more refined
While we loved the original Surface Laptop, last year's sequel wasn't a huge improvement design-wise. The Surface Laptop 3 is another story entirely: there's a larger 15-inch model with a custom AMD chip and Radeon Vega graphics. It may not have the 2-in-1 capabilities of the Surface Pro or Book, but the Surface Laptop 3 continues to be a unique and compelling option in the crowded world of ultraportables.
Surface Neo and Duo hands-on: Our dual-screen future
We fully expected Microsoft to show off a dual-screen Surface today -- what we didn't expect was the company's return to smartphones in a bold new way. The Surface Neo, the larger laptop-sized device, and the Surface Duo, a more svelte phone, are bets on the future of dual-screen devices. They hearken back to the original Surface, which paved the way for the plethora of 2-in-1 and convertible PCs we see today.
The Surface Pro 7 vs. the Pro 6: What's changed?
Surface Pro devotees can rejoice, for the Pro 7 is here, bringing with it a new 10th-gen processor. But is that enough to get Pro 6 owners to upgrade, or for shoppers to ignore a recent discount on last year's machine? You can take a peek at the changes in the table below and, for a deeper dive into Microsoft's newest hybrid, check out our hands-on today as well as our upcoming review in a few weeks.
Surface Pro X hands-on: Microsoft tries Windows on ARM again
Microsoft is officially giving Windows on ARM-based processors another go, after its previous efforts (ahem, Windows RT) failed years ago. It's not like we haven't seen PCs using ARM chips recently. Qualcomm's been leading the charge with the Windows on Snapdragon movement producing laptops and hybrids powered by its Snapdragon processors. But with the Surface Pro X announced today, Microsoft is taking ownership of the second stab at an ARM-based PC. Although, it might be more accurate to call this attempt number 2.5.
Microsoft phones are back with the dual-screen Surface Duo
When Microsoft last built its own phones, we got the underwhelming Lumia 950 and 950 XL — a pair of devices that were meant to usher in the age of Windows 10 Mobile, but ultimately couldn't do the job. Now the company is trying to make its mark in mobile once again, but with a device we didn't exactly see coming: a dual-screen Android phone that looks just like a smaller Surface Neo.
Windows 10X will power dual-screen PCs from Microsoft, Dell, and more
Just how, exactly, will Windows work on dual-screen PCs like Microsoft's Surface concept? With Windows 10X, a new variant of the OS that's designed for machines with two displays. This isn't like Windows 10S, Microsoft's ill-fated and restrictive variant for the Surface Laptop (which has since become far more relaxed). Instead, 10X is more like a rethinking of the OS -- it'll be smarter about how you move apps across dual displays, and it'll be much more efficient with system resources. Exactly what you'll need to conserve battery life when you're running a thin machine with two displays.
Microsoft embraces dual-screen computing with the Surface Neo
Microsoft has been mulling over the value of a dual-screen computer for at least a decade, and now it finally built one. Microsoft hardware chief Panos Panay pulled back the curtain on the new Surface Neo at a press conference in New York, and it essentially looks like -- what else? -- a foldable Surface.
The Surface Pro X's Slim Pen charges in your keyboard case
Microsoft's extra-slim Surface Pro X doesn't really have a place for a pen on its side, so how do you keep it with you? By tucking it into your keyboard case. The company has unveiled a Slim Pen that tucks into a space on the Type Cover for both storage and charging -- it's in a secure yet unintrusive place until you need it. And it's a fully functional pen, too, with angle recognition (you can shade an image by laying the pen almost flat) and an eraser.
Microsoft's SQ1 is a custom ARM chip for the Surface Pro X
ARM chips in laptops can give you battery life, slimness and connectivity, but power? In Windows laptops, that hasn't been the case. Microsoft has promised that will change with the new ARM-powered Surface Pro X, freshly unveiled at its Surface event today. To make sure it can keep up with Apple's iPad Pro, Microsoft and Qualcomm have developed an all-new ARM processor called the SQ1.
The Surface Pro X is Microsoft's return to ARM-based Windows
Microsoft is reviving its dream of an ARM-powered Surface device. Today, the company unveiled Surface Pro X, a Windows 10 hybrid powered by a custom SQ1 processor. That chipset has "Snapdragon mobile DNA," according to Panos Panay, Microsoft's chief product officer, alongside an "integrated AI accelerator." It was developed in partnership with Qualcomm and is likely related to the Snapdragon 8cx announced last December. "You will not find this anywhere else out there," he claimed.
Surface Earbuds are Microsoft's voice-focused true wireless option
As was rumored earlier this year, Microsoft has been working on smart earbuds -- it unveiled the Surface Earbuds Wednesday. They're touch and voice-enabled with omnisonic sound, and boast a pair of mics in each bud. They come with a charging case and boast a battery life of up to 24 hours. The Surface Earbuds will start at $249, and they'll ship during the holiday season.
Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7 gets a long-overdue USB-C port
It's been precisely a year since Microsoft last updated its Surface range, and now we're seeing what the company has been working on in the last 12 months. As expected, the biggest machine to launch on the day is the Surface Pro 7, the latest in its flagship line of laptop/tablet hybrids. This year, the biggest changes to the formula include the long-awaited inclusion of USB-C.
Microsoft's Surface Laptop 3 packs a 10th-gen Intel CPU
Microsoft has good news if you just want a straightforward portable PC instead of one of its more exotic models: there's a new Surface Laptop in town. The Surface Laptop 3 shares much of the familiar design (more on that in a bit), but there's considerably more power under the hood. There's now a 15-inch model with special Surface Edition AMD Ryzen processors and Vega 11 graphics, for a start -- this won't be a hardcore gaming machine, but it should have some extra visual oomph. There are also quad-core 10th-generation Intel Ice Lake chips on the 13.5-inch, so you'll have some choices for computing power.
Microsoft will offer a 15-inch version of the Surface Laptop 3
For the first time, Microsoft plans to offer a 15-inch version of the Surface Laptop. Microsoft worked with AMD to develop a custom Ryzen mobile CPU for the 15-inch model. The company's Panos Panay claimed the Ryzen "Surface Edition" is the most powerful mobile CPU in a laptop available today, noting that it's three times faster than the underpowered 2018 MacBook Air. Depending on the model of AMD CPU, it comes with built-in Vega 9 or Vega 11 graphics. This won't make the 15-inch model into a gaming machine, but it'll work in a pinch when you want to play games like Fortnite and Overwatch. Alternatively, it's possible to outfit the 15-inch model with one of Intel's new 10th-gen Ice Lake chips.
