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Microsoft's Surface and Lumia event: by the numbers
The dust is settling on Microsoft's Windows 10 Devices event where the company showed off all the shiny devices that it's about to start selling. But if you weren't able to sit through our excellent liveblog, then perhaps you'd like to read this breakdown of the show based on the key numbers. It's like an extended highlights reel, but with a more statistical edge. Get all the news from today's Microsoft event right here.
The Surface Pro 4 vs. the competition: Tablets for productivity
It's been an up-and-down ride for Microsoft's line of Surface tablets -- but the company finally hit on a formula that worked with the Surface Pro 3. It's a device that has inspired a number of competitors, most recently from Microsoft's long-standing rivals Apple and Google. The newly-announced iPad Pro and Pixel C both take clear and obvious cues from the Surface lineup, but fortunately for Microsoft it now has a brand-new Surface Pro 4 to compete with these newcomers. While much of your interest in these devices will likely come from which operating system you prefer, we've lined up the specs below so you can get an idea as to how these tablets will all stack up when they hit stores later this year.
Hands-on with Surface Pro 4, Microsoft's ideal hybrid tablet
The Surface Pro 4 is here and ... it's pretty much just like the Surface Pro 3. Microsoft basically refined its design from last year to create a hybrid tablet that's slightly thinner and 30 percent more powerful. It also included a slightly larger 12.3-inch screen in the Surface Pro 4 (0.3 inch bigger than the SP3) without making the case larger. Instead, Microsoft just chipped away at the bezel around the screen. All that makes for a Surface Pro that feels exceedingly familiar, but also wonderfully refined. While the Surface Pro 3 was good enough to replace most laptops for me, the SP4's improvements should make that true for even more people.
Artists rejoice: The Surface Pro 4's stylus has 1,024 touch levels
At the big Windows 10 devices event today, Microsoft's Panos Panay said that 53 percent of Surface Pro 3 owners use the device's stylus. So, when it came to building the improved Surface Pro 4, it made sense to upgrade the writing and doodling experience, too. Most importantly, the new "Surface Pen" has 1,024 degrees of pressure sensitivity, four times that of the Surface Pro 3, and an "all-year" battery life, which is something of a double-edged sword since you can't actually recharge it. The Surface Pen also has a tail eraser for manual undoing, and a selection of interchangeable tips for different tasks that change how the Pen feels and responds.
Microsoft announces Surface Pro 4
In the span of a few years, Microsoft's Surface has gone from a genuine surprise, to a big disappointment, to a solid hybrid tablet (thanks to the Surface Pro 3, and to a lesser extent the Surface 3). Now, we have the Surface Pro 4, which comes just in time to go toe to toe with plenty of other Surface-like competitors, including Apple's new iPad Pro, Lenovo's Miix 700 and Dell's rumored new XPS 12. It looks pretty similar to last year's model, but it's thinner at 8.4 mm and sports a larger 12.3-inch display. However, the revamped specs and the fact that it was built specifically for Windows 10 might make it a much bigger draw than past Surfaces.
Live from Microsoft's Surface Pro 4 and Lumia event!
Hello! We hope you're not sick of big keynotes, because Microsoft is about to kick off a press event in New York, and if that invite up there is any indication, some shiny new hardware is in order. If nothing else, we can safely assume that includes the long-awaited Surface Pro 4 -- it is their flagship product, after all, and the last-gen version has gone a year and a half without an update. Microsoft is also likely to officially introduce Windows 10 Mobile alongside some new smartphones, including the 5.2-inch Lumia 950 and the 5.7-inch 950 XL. We also wouldn't be surprised if we got a close-up peek at the lower-end Lumia 550, which has also been revealed in leaks. And hey, if we're lucky maybe we'll even learn more about when HoloLens is finally going on sale. Only one way to find out: Bookmark this liveblog link, and check back at 10AM Eastern on Tuesday, October 6th for up-to-the-minute coverage.
What to expect from Microsoft's Windows 10 device event
Microsoft may be tight-lipped about what will be revealed at its October 6th device event, but that doesn't mean that everything is a mystery. In some cases, a slew of leaks have telegraphed Redmond's plans in advance. More Lumia phones, anyone? However, there are still a few questions left. What about the fabled Surface Pro 4? When does Windows 10 reach your existing phone? And will there be any wearable tech? We'll answer as many of those questions as we can so that you have a good idea of what to expect when Microsoft's execs take the stage.
