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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.
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 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.
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.
We're live at Microsoft's Surface event!
We're kicking off another October full of anticipated gadget launches with Microsoft's Surface event, which is happening at 10AM ET today. Because no company is immune to the leak plague, we already know a lot about what to expect from Microsoft, including a new Surface Pro, an ARM-based Surface and an updated Surface Laptop. But that can't be all, right? We're hoping to see a dual-screen Surface, even if it's just a prototype. It'd also be nice if Microsoft dropped some earbuds, since companies like Amazon and Huawei have also recently unveiled wireless audio devices. Don't forget, Microsoft surprised us with new Surface headphones at this same event last year, so it's not too much of a stretch to expect new audio products.
Watch Microsoft's Surface event at 10AM ET
If you've been bored by Apple's computers lately, maybe it's time to take a closer look at what Microsoft's been cooking up. The company's latest Surface device event is kicking off today in New York City at 10AM ET, and we'll be on the ground to get our hands on all of the new gear. Check out our preview of the event -- how does a dual-screen Surface sound? -- and be sure to follow our liveblog. You can watch the Surface event live below or at Microsoft's site.
What we hope to see at Microsoft’s Surface event
Like clockwork, Microsoft is gearing up to announce its latest batch of Surface devices tomorrow. We've already gotten a preview of some hardware, thanks to a recent leak: it looks like there's a new Surface Pro, a sleeker ARM-based Surface and a new Surface Laptop on the way. But really, none of that is really surprising, since they're all due for a refresh. What else could Microsoft have in store? Well here are a few less obvious things we'd like to see.
Microsoft is considering foldable devices with liquid-filled hinges
Microsoft's dreams of dual-screen devices aren't disappearing any time soon. A recent patent filing from the company details a clamshell device concept whose hinge is filled with a liquid or gas to reduce strain on a foldable display and prevent debris from getting inside -- both sore points for foldables as of late. You could close this shut without worrying quite so much about wear and tear.
Microsoft demos its bid at creating 'secure' voting systems
Microsoft is keen to show that its election security system is more than just a theoretical exercise. The company has demonstrated the first voting system to use its ElectionGuard tech, promising a vote that's both easier and more trustworthy. The example hardware is pieced together from off-the-shelf parts and includes a Surface tablet (in a fiddle-free kiosk mode), an everyday printer and an Xbox Adaptive Controller to make voting more accessible. That's relatively unique in itself by proving that you can use regular components, but the software is ultimately what glues it all together.
Microsoft's dual-screen tablet could run Android apps
Microsoft could release a radically different Surface as early as the first half of 2020. Rumors about a dual-screen tablet have been circulating since last year, and the company reportedly showed a similar device to employees earlier this month. Now, market research firm IHS Markit told Forbes that the device will be ready sometime in the first six months of 2020, and it's expected to run both Android apps and Apple's iCloud.
This week in tech history: Microsoft shows us the Surface
At Engadget, we spend every day looking at how technology will shape the future. But it's also important to look back at how far we've come. That's what This Week in Tech History does. Join us every weekend for a recap of historical tech news, anniversaries and advances from the recent and not-so-recent past. This week, we're looking back at Microsoft's first Surface devices.
Microsoft is showing a dual-screen Surface device to employees
Rumors of Microsoft making a dual-screened Surface appear to be solidifying, although you may need to adjust your expectations. Sources for The Verge claim the company held an internal event where it offered a peek at future Surface device, including a prototype of dual-screen hardware (not pictured above -- that's Intel's). Staff reportedly got into "long lines" just to get a look, the insiders said. However, it's not believed to be the pocketable Andromeda device rumored in recent years.
This week in tech history: Microsoft announces its first 'real' laptop
At Engadget, we spend every day looking at how technology will shape the future. But it's also important to look back at how far we've come. That's what This Week in Tech History does. Join us every weekend for a recap of historical tech news, anniversaries and advances from the recent and not-so-recent past. This week, we're looking back at Microsoft's first "real laptop," the Surface Laptop.
Microsoft may respond to AirPods with its own smart earbuds
Microsoft's personal audio efforts might not stop with the Surface Headphones. Thurrott sources said that the company is developing a pair of Surface-branded earbuds codenamed Morrison (the Headphones, for context, were nicknamed Joplin). It's not clear if they'd do anything differently than the existing over-ears or even whether or not there would be a cable, but it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect an all-wireless design that counters Apple's AirPods, Samsung's Galaxy Buds and similarly trendy choices.
Surface Studio 2 review: A better all-in-one PC twist
The Surface Studio made all-in-one PCs cool again. Now with the Surface Studio 2, Microsoft is making it something even more compelling for creative professionals. The original Studio showed there was still the potential for innovation beyond iMac-like desktops -- thanks to its hinge, all it took was a push on the top of the display to lay the whole screen down like a drafting table. By doing that, the Studio became a giant easel, the sort of thing that would be ideal for digital artists. But despite being so innovative, Microsoft saddled that first machine with an aging CPU and slow graphics. This time around, the company is fixing most of those issues, with newer CPU options, faster storage, and most important, significantly beefier NVIDIA 10-series graphics. The only downside, once again, is that you'll have to pay a steep price for a machine you can't upgrade down the line.
