Microsofthas taken the wraps off its latest lineup of business-facing Surface PCs, which consists of the new Surface Pro 11th Edition and the Surface Laptop 7th Edition. These two new models are decked out with newIntel Core Ultra Series 2processors, and will be available starting February 18.
These new Surface devices areCopilot+certified, which makes them compatible with all of Windows 11’s current and upcoming AI-based experiences. From a hardware standpoint, these new PCs assume the physical form factor introduced by Microsoft in its consumer Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 deviceslaunched in June of last year.
“Starting February 18, business customers can choose between Intel and Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs from Surface, experiencing the most advanced, intelligent, and secure PCs available across both platforms,” said Nancie Gaskill, General Manager at Surface, in a recent statement sent to Pocket-lint.
It’s the end of the road for Windows Mail
Microsoft is ending support of its Windows Mail, Calendar and People apps at the end of the year and migrating users to the new Outlook app.
The new Surface Laptop is of particular note, as it comes in a 5G cellular configuration for the first time. This always-connected model will be available “later in 2025,” and has been “redesigned from the ground up,” according to the company.
Additionally, Microsoft has announced a new Surface USB4 Dock, which is an I/O expansion hub that includes two USB-C, one USB-A, one Ethernet, one HDMI port, and 65W power passthrough.
These new Surface devices are designated as ‘for Business,’ which means they won’t be available for purchase through Amazon, Best Buy, or other consumer-facing retail outlets. You can still purchase the devicesdirectly from Microsoft, but they’re primarily aimed at business customers.
Surface Pro 11th Edition for Business
Microsoft’s latest business-oriented Surface Pro 2-in-1, the Pro 11th Edition for Business ships with Intel’s latest Core Ultra Series 2 chipset and Copilot+ certification.
Surface Laptop 7th Edition for Business
Microsoft’s latest business-oriented Surface Laptop, the 7th Edition for Business ships with Intel’s latest Core Ultra Series 2 chipset and Copilot+ certification.
Surface USB4 Dock
The new Microsoft Surface USB4 Dock is a full-featured-C I/O expansion hub with support for 2x USB-C, 1x USB-A, 1x Ethernet, 1x HDMI, as well as 65W power passthrough.
Microsoft’s new business-oriented PCs run on Intel’s Core Ultra Series 2 processor
Intel’s latest chips are AI-ready, and offer major efficiency gains
Microsoft’s new Surface for Business products are powered by Intel’s latest Core Ultra Series 2 chipsets, which are a notable step up over the previous Series 1 processors. With Series 2, Intel has made a number of under-the-hood tweaks to improve the overall efficiency of its x86-based platform, in an effort to catch up to its strongArm-based competition.
Aside from efficiency gains, the Core Ultra Series 2 chips include a much more powerful neural processing unit (NPU) than before, now capable of enough trillion operations per second (TOPS) to enable Microsoft’s Copilot suite of AI features.
As a result, both the Surface Pro 11th Edition and the Surface Laptop 7th Edition for Business will be able to tap into Windows 11’s generative AI tools, includingstudio camera effects, and, eventually, the flagshipWindows Recallfeature.
Microsoft is reportedly ready to take on the 11-inch iPad Pro
According to an exclusive Windows Central report, Microsoft is planning on launching a smaller Surface Pro and Surface Laptop later this year.
More Surface hardware might be just around the corner
Rumors indicate that Microsoft is working on 11-or-12-inch Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models, geared towards the consumer market
According to a recent reportfrom Windows Central, Microsoftis gearing up to launchadditional Surface hardware sometime in the coming months. These new products are expected to arrive as 11-inch or 12-inch variants of the existing consumer-facing Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models.
Much like with the existing Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7, these new miniaturized devices are tipped to run Arm-based Qualcomm processors, likely offering a choice betweenthe newly announcedSnapdragon X and the existingSnapdragon X Pluschipsets.
…these new miniaturized devices are tipped to run Arm-based Qualcomm processors.
If these rumors prove accurate, it would reaffirm existing reports that Microsoft has decided to double-down on its two most popular hardware lines – the Pro and the Laptop – at the expense of more experimental hardware.
Followingthe sudden departureof then chief product officer Panos Panay in late 2023, we’ve seen Microsoft scale back its more outlandish hardware efforts.
The tech giant has axed its dual screenedSurface Duo line, discontinued a number of its first-party PC accessories, ended support forWindows Mixed Realityheadsets, and, most recently, sunset its all-in-one desktopSurface StudioPC.
Windows 365 Link feels like Microsoft’s version of the Mac mini
Microsoft has announced the Windows 365 Link, a cloud-based mini PC aimed at businesses.
