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Microsoft just had its big Surface event, and the company announced all sorts of stuff. There's the Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Pro 8, Surface Go 3, Surface Pro X, and the Surface Slim Pen 2. Plus, it has all sorts of new accessories for Surface devices and the Surface Duo 2 phone.
Surface Laptop Studio
The Surface Laptop Studio is the most exciting device announced by Microsoft, as it pushes things forward for Windows 11 laptops. The company says it's the most powerful Surface it has ever created, which is no small claim.
Microsoft says it's the "ideal product for developers, creative pros, weekend gamers, and designers, bringing you the power of a desktop, the portability of a laptop, and a creative studio all
in one."
The Surface Laptop Studio can be used in three modes. First, there's the traditional laptop mode, then there's Stage mode, which brings the screen forward, and finally, a Studio mode that makes it more tablet-like for drawing and writing with a stylus like the Surface Slim Pen 2, which we'll get to later.
The laptop comes with a 14.4" screen with up to a 120Hz refresh rate. In addition, it comes with a solid 2400 x 1600 resolution.
In terms of power, Microsoft includes either a Quad-core Intel 11th Gen Intel Core H35 i5-11300H or a Quad-core Intel 11th Gen Intel Core H35 i7-11370H processor. You can get an optional NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti laptop GPU if you want extra graphics power.
Of course, it comes with Windows 11, and all of the specs are more than powerful enough to accommodate the latest operating system.
As this is Microsoft's high-end Surface, it comes with a price to match. It starts at $1599.99 and goes up from there, depending on the configuration. It's available for preorder starting today.
Surface Pro 8, Surface Pro X, and Surface Pro 3
Microsoft also announced new traditional Surface models. There's the Surface Pro 8, the Surface Pro X, and the Surface Go 3.
The Surface Pro 8 is the latest in a long line of traditional Surface devices. Microsoft calls it the "most significant leap forward since Pro 3." It's more than twice as fast as the Surface Pro 7, which is a giant leap forward in performance. The company says it's the most powerful 2-in-1 device on the market, which is impressive considering how many hybrid devices are out there now.
The Pro 8 comes with a 13" touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 2880 x 1920 resolution, up to a Quad-core 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1185G7 chip, and up to 32GB of RAM. Like the Surface Laptop Studio, it'll come with Windows 11. This device comes with a $1,099.99 starting price and is available for preorder now.
The Surface Pro X is the 2-in-1 on Microsoft's SQ2 ARM silicon. It's far more budget-friendly, starting at $899.99, and like the other devices, it's available for preorder now.
Finally, Microsoft announced the Surface Go 3 with WiFi that starts with a $399.99 price tag. It's the most affordable Surface device, so if you're looking for a 2-in-1 on a budget, this is one to consider.
Surface Slim Pen 2
Outside of the actual devices, Microsoft announced a new version of its popular stylus called Surface Slim Pen 2. Microsoft says the Pen 2 works with zero pressure force and ultra-low latency, creating a similar feel to writing with an actual pen. As you might expect, the stylus also takes advantage of Windows 11 and the capabilities it brings to the table.
As the Slim Pen 2 comes with a lot of features, it's not cheap. It's available for preorder now for $129.99.
Microsoft's New Lineup
Microsoft definitely impressed with its Surface lineup at its big event this year. From the gorgeous new laptop all the way down to the budget-friendly Surface Go 3, there's something for everyone. Between the new hardware and the release of Windows 11, there's a lot for Microsoft fans to be excited about.
As mentioned, all of the devices are available for preorder now, and Microsoft says they'll ship on October 5, 2021, so you won't have to wait long to get your hands on one.