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Microsoft rolls out new Surface devices in NYC

by on03 October 2018


Surface Laptop 2, Pro 6, Studio 2 and Surface Headphones as well

At its dedicated event in New York, Microsoft unveiled a couple of new Surface devices, including the Surface Laptop 2, Surface Pro 6, Surface Studio 2 AiO, and the Surface Headphones.

While most of these Surface devices have already been detailed in rumors earlier, Microsoft did manage to keep some devices and details hidden until the event. The Windows 10 October update rolled out as well, but devices were the key part of the event.

Surface Laptop 2 with 8th gen Core i5/i7 and 14.5hr battery life

The list of new Surface devices starts with the Surface Laptop 2, a laptop with 13.5-inch PixelSense 2256x1504 (201ppi) touchscreen protected by Gorilla Glass 3 and powered by Intel's 8th generation Core i5 or Core i7 CPU. The rest of the specifications include Intel UHD Graphics 620, 8GB or 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of SSD storage.

According to Microsoft, the quad-core 8th generation Intel CPU should make it 85 percent faster than the original Surface Laptop.

It also features 720p HD camera with Windows Hello support, stereo microphones, Omnisonic speakers with Dolby Audio Premium, 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1, Windows 10 Home OS with Office 365 30-day trial, ambient light sensor, single USB 3.0 port, Surface Connect port, mini-DisplayPort, and 3.5mm headphone jack.

Measuring 308.1x223.27x14.48mm (12.13x8.79x.57”) and weighing in at up to 1,283g (2.83lbs) with Core i7 CPU, (1,252g/2.76lbs with Core i5), the Surface Laptop 2 should be very portable and provide enough performance punch for almost any office task.

According to Microsoft, the battery on the Surface Laptop 2 will provide enough power for up to 14.5hr of video playback and it also comes with a backlit keyboard which Microsoft calls the best in class, together with the trackpad.

The Surface Laptop 2 starts at $999 and will start shipping on October 16th in Burgundy, Platinum, Cobalt Blue, and Black color options.

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The Surface Pro 6 with the same specs but no keyboard

The Surface Pro 6 also got an upgrade to Intel's quad-core Core i5/i7 CPU, making it up to 67 percent faster than the previous generation Surface Pro, and although it shares a lot of specifications with the Surface Laptop 2, it has a somewhat smaller battery - up to 13.5hr of video playback and all-day normal usage - and lacks a keyboard, as it comes with an optional Surface Type cover.

In short, it comes with Intel 8th gen Core i5/i7 CPU, 8GB or 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of SSD storage, 8-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front camera with Windows Hello support, stereo speakers, kickstand, and pretty much the same ports, USB 3.0, mini-DisplayPort, Surface Connect, Surface Type Cover port, microSDXC slot, and 3.5mm headphone jack.

Due to the smaller 12.3-inch PixelSense 2736x1824 resolution multitouch screen, which leaves it with 267ppi of pixel density, and the lack of keyboard, the Surface Pro 6 is much smaller than the Surface Laptop 2, measuring 292x201x8.5mm (11.5x7.9x0.33”) and weighing in at just 792g with a Core i7 CPU. It uses a unibody magnesium design chassis and will be available in platinum and black color options.

It also has 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1, stereo speakers and dual microphones, but also comes with accelerometer and gyroscope, in addition to the ambient light sensor.

The Surface Pro 6 starts at $899 and will also ship on October 16th.

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Surface Studio 2 AiO with Core i7, Nvidia GPU and more

Microsoft also unveiled the new Surface Studio 2 all-in-one system, which can easily trade blows with any Apple-designed device, both in looks and the performance.

Featuring the 28-inch PixelSense multitouch display with 4500x3000 resolution, color-calibration, the Surface Studio 2 AiO is quite impressive, especially since it supports Surface Pen with tilt activation, Surface Dial on-screen interaction, and Zero Gravity Hinge, and comes with support for either a single 4K@60Hz or two 4K@30 external displays.

Microsoft had to stick with Intel's 7th generation Core i7-7820HQ CPU and a choice between Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB or GTX 1070 8GB graphics cards, 16GB or 32GB of DDR4 memory, and either 1TB or 2TB of SSD storage.

The screen has 637.35x438.90x12.5mm dimensions while the base measures 250x220x32.20mm. As far as connectivity goes, it has four USB 3.0 ports, single USB Type-C port, SD card reader, 3.5mm headphone jack, Gigabit Ethernet port, 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0, and support for Xbox Wireless. It also features 2.1 speakers and dual microphones, a 5-megapixel front camera with Windows Hello support, and comes with Windows 10 Pro OS with a 30-day trial of Office 365.

Unfortunately, it can also measure with Apple when it comes to the price so the Surface Studio 2 starts at $3,499 and is currently available for pre-order.

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Surface Headphones with noise-canceling and Cortana support

Microsoft was also keen to announce the new Surface headphones, wireless headset with 40mm Free Edge drivers and two beam-forming microphones in each cup, as well as other microphones that are used for advanced noise cancellation, with a total of 13 levels.

According to Microsoft, the Surface Headphones can provide up to 30dB for active and up to 40dB of passive noise cancellation.

Microsoft claims up to 15 hours of music playback battery life over Bluetooth, with both ANC on and hands-free Cortana enabled, and it can get to a full charge in less than two hours. It also comes with a 1.5m long USB cable and 1.2m audio cable.

The controls for volume and noise canceling is integrated into the ear-cups, and with support for Cortana, these might be interesting for those looking for a closer integration with Microsoft's virtual assistant.

Microsoft also put a lot of effort into making the Surface Headphones comfortable and was quite keen to note it spent a lot of time designing those ear-cups as well as making the headset as light as possible, tipping the scales at 290g.

The Surface Headphones are now available for pre-order with a price set at $349, but there is no precise shipping date.

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You can check out more about all these products in a dedicated blog written by Microsoft's Chief Product Office, Panos Panay.

 

Last modified on 03 October 2018
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