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Meet the new Microsoft Surface devices

Microsoft took the wraps off new Surface devices last week. There’s a new iteration of its dual-screened mobile device, an interesting convertible laptop, and some 2-in-1 Surface computers. If you missed the announcement and wanted to check out what Microsoft has up its sleeves, you can check them out below.

Microsoft Surface Duo 2

Microsoft has also released a new version of Surface Duo that tries to address the shortcomings of the original dual-screened device. The Surface Duo 2 runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor with 128GB/256GB/512GB storage options and 8GB of LPDDR5 memory.

It has two 5.8-inch AMOLED displays side by side that give you a total of 8.3 inches combined. The displays reach a peak brightness of 800 and are covered by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. And instead of the standard 60Hz refresh rate, the Surface Duo 2 gets a slight upgrade to 90Hz.

The company designed the displays to slightly curve on the inner edge so that when it’s folded, you can see it from the outside a bit and give you a sneak peek of the time and your notifications. It’ll even glow when an alert comes in.

The Surface Duo 2 now has a triple rear camera setup, including 12-megapixel primary and telephoto lenses and a 16-megapixel ultrawide sensor.

This dual-screen Android 11 device also supports Microsoft’s new Surface Slim Pen 2, allowing it to charge the stylus when it magnetically attaches to the outside of the Surface Duo 2. There is no wireless charging for its 4,449mAh battery, but you get 23-watt USB-C fast-charging support. The downside is you need to buy the charger separately.

The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 gets a starting price of USD 1,500 (around PHP 75,577 converted) and comes in Glacier and a new Obsidian color.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio

Dubbed as Microsoft’s “most powerful Surface” built, the Surface Laptop Studio was built alongside Windows 11 and designed for developers, creative professionals, gamers, and designers. It’s designed to offer the power of a desktop in the form factor of a laptop and works as a creative studio, too. Basically, it’s one powerful machine.

It has three new modes made possible with its new ultra-durable Dynamic Woven Hinge. There’s the traditional Laptop mode; Stage mode, where the 14.4-inch PixelSense touchscreen is pulled forward; and Studio mode, which turns the Surface Laptop Studio into a canvas for your creative pursuits.

It can also hide away the Surface Slim Pen 2 underneath the keyboard when you don’t need it, allowing it to charge simultaneously.

This laptop can render videos, stream ultra-fast games, and build apps with its 11th-generation Intel Core H35 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a starting price of USD 1,599.99 (around PHP 80,535 converted).

Microsoft Surface Pro 8

The Microsoft Surface Pro line gets a significant upgrade with this new Surface Pro 8. According to Microsoft, it represents the “most significant leap forward since Pro 3. Performance-wise, it is twice as fast as Pro 7, running on 11th-gen Intel Core processors built on the Intel Evo platform and offers two Thunderbolt 4 ports. This Windows 11-powered 2-in-1 promises a battery life of up to 16 hours.

The Surface Pro 8 features a 13-inch PixelSense touchscreen that’s almost edge-to-edge and has a 120Hz refresh rate. It supports Dolby Vision and Adaptive Color Technology for a true-to-life viewing experience. This device is ready for your video call needs as it comes with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera and 10-megapixel rear-facing camera, Dolby Atmos sound, and dual far-field Studio Mics.

It also supports the new Surface Slim Pen 2, which you can store and charge with the new Surface Pro Signature Keyboard.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 8‘s starting price is USD 1,099.99 (PHP 55,368).

Microsoft Surface Pro X

The thin and light LTE-connected Surface Pro X gets a new model this year. This time, Microsoft is offering a Wi-Fi only version of this 2-in-1. The Surface Pro X now runs on Windows 11 with 64-bit emulation built-in. You can expect apps like Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Lightroom to be optimized for Microsoft’s SQ2 ARM silicon.

There’s also a promise you can achieve an all-day battery with this portable device. The bonus is the Microsoft Surface Pro X is now available at its most affordable starting price of USD 899.99 (PHP 45,345).

Microsoft Surface Go 3

Microsoft is also offering another more portable, affordable 2-in-1 option in the new Surface Go 3. This time, it’s 60% faster as it runs on an Intel Core i3 processor. There are Wi-Fi and LTE versions, and you get all-day battery life, built-in security, support for digital Pen, and, of course, Windows 11.

This compact device’s weight comes in at just 1.2 pounds, allowing you to take it where you need it. Other specs include 1080p cameras, studio microphones, Dolby Audio, and a 10.5-inch touch display. The Microsoft Surface Go 3 with Wi-Fi starts at USD 399.99 (PHP 20,153).

New Surface accessories

One of the new accessories we’ve already mentioned is the new Microsoft Surface Slim Pen 2. Its redesigned sharper tip promises zero pressure force and ultra-low latency, allowing for a finer point when writing, shading, or inking. Since the Surface Slim Pen 2 can hide away into the Surface Laptop Studio and the Surface Pro Signature Keyboard, you don’t have to worry about misplacing it or about its charging.

The Surface Slim Pen 2 uses the new capabilities of Windows 11 and the custom Microsoft G6 processor within the Surface Pro 8 and Surface Laptop Studio for more tactile signals that make it feel like you’re using a pen with paper. It also achieves that with the help of the built-in haptic motor in the stylus. Microsoft is offering the Surface Slim Pen 2 for USD 129.99 (PHP 6,550).

Microsoft also introduced a new Ocean Plastic Mouse. This accessory is made in collaboration with SABIC. It is made of 20% recycled ocean plastic recovered or washed ashore from oceans and waterways. The company wanted to provide an “eco-friendly, comfortable accessory” that can help reduce waste. The Microsoft Ocean Plastic Mouse retails for USD 24.99 (PHP 1,275).

Microsoft’s Inclusive Tech Lab introduced a Surface Adaptive Kit to make it easier for more people to access its devices. The kit includes keycap labels, bump labels, device openers, and port indicators. It isn’t available right now, but Microsoft plans to release it later this year.

All the products, except for the Surface Adaptive Kit, are available for pre-order in select markets. General availability starts on October 5.