Microsoft’s Surface Studio 2+ gets 11th-gen Intel chips and RTX 3060 graphics

It’s been four years since we got the Surface Studio 2, the much-improved followup to Microsoft’s ever-so-flexible all-in-one desktop. Surely, the company has something special in store for the next version, right? Well, yes and no. The Surface Studio 2+ is indeed significantly faster than before, thanks to Intel’s H35 11th-gen CPU and NVIDIA’s RTX 3060 graphics.

But we’ve also spent most of this year being impressed by Intel’s terrific 12th-gen hybrid chips, which deliver vastly better performance than 11th-gen CPUs. (Just imagine how much more intriguing the Studio 2+ would be with a 16-core 12th-gen HX CPU.) You’d think a computer starting at $4,300 would have the fastest hardware available? No wonder it’s not called the Surface Studio 3.

Surface Studio 2+
Microsoft

If you’ve been following our coverage of the Studio line, the Studio 2+ will sound pretty familiar. It has the same 28-inch PixelSense screen, a flexible hinge that can be effortlessly pushed down to an easel-like angle, and it packs in all of its hardware in a desktop-friendly base. Following the trend we’ve seen with all of Microsoft’s Surface hardware this year, there aren’t any exterior design changes at all. But hey, at least we’ve finally got Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports and Dolby Vision HDR.

Microsoft claims the Core i7-11370H CPU in the Surface Studio 2+ is 50 percent faster than the Studio 2, as well as five times faster than the original 2017 modeled. Coupled with the RTX 3060, which is twice as fast as the GTX 1060 in the Studio 2, this new desktop will definitely be a fast performer. But the hardware geek in me can’t help but wonder why Microsoft couldn’t make Intel’s 12th-gen chips work. They’re technically more efficient, and it’s not as if there wasn’t enough time to prepare for new hardware.

Surface Studio 2+
Microsoft

I’m sure the Studio 2+ will satisfy general buyers who are willing to pony up big bucks for a uniquely flexible desktop. But I can’t think of recommending Intel’s 11th-gen chips in any other computer today, unless you’re snagging it with a serious discount. For such a premium, they’re practically a dealbreaker.

At least the Studio 2+ is well equipped otherwise, shipping with 32GB of DDR4 RAM and a 1TB SSD. (It sure would be nice to see some SSD expansion slots, though). But take note, if you want it to ship with Microsoft’s Surface Pen, Keyboard and Mouse, you’ll have to spend an extra $300. (That makes it a $4,500 computer with last year’s Intel chip! The horror!)

You can pre-order the Surface Studio 2+ today, and it’ll be available in select markets on October 25th.

Follow along with the rest of our news from Microsoft’s 2022 Surface event.

Microsoft’s Audio Dock is a hybrid speaker and laptop hub

Those rumors of a Microsoft speaker were true. Microsoft has unveiled an Audio Dock that, as the name implies, combines a speaker with a laptop hub. The design centers on a relatively powerful, omni-directional speakerphone (complete with dual mics, a 15W woofer and 5W tweeters), but also includes a 60W USB-C connection for charging your computer, two regular USB-C ports, an HDMI 2.0 jack and a lone USB-A offering. In practice, that means you can attach two monitors while still leaving room for an external drive or mouse.

As you’d imagine, the company is leaning heavily on the Audio Dock’s usefulness for meetings. You’ll find large dedicated buttons for the microphone toggle (handy for working from home) and launching Teams. Don’t worry if you aren’t a fan of Microsoft’s ecosystem — the hardware supports Macs as well as calling services like Google Meet and Zoom.

Microsoft Audio Dock ports
Microsoft

The Audio Dock will be available for $250 in some markets on October 25th. It doesn’t fill precisely the same niche as a smart speaker, but the allure is obvious. This is an easy way to streamline your desk setup, whether you’re playing music in crunch mode or participating in a brainstorming session. While the 60W charging will rule out many high-performance laptops, this might save you money versus buying separate accessories.

Microsoft’s Presenter+ is a sleek PowerPoint remote for the hybrid work era

Back in the early aughts, Microsoft released the Presenter 3000, a wireless remote for PowerPoint presentations. Now, two decades later, the company has announced the Presenter+. Like its predecessor, it’s remote you can use for PowerPoint presentations, but it also reflects how work has changed since the start of the pandemic.

Presenter+
Microsoft

You can see that in the design of Presenter+. In addition to the usual slide forward and back buttons, there’s a Microsoft Teams button that allows you to quickly join meetings and raise your hand. If Teams isn’t your jam, Microsoft notes you can use Presenter+ with the majority of other meeting apps, including Zoom. There’s also a big button for muting and unmuting your microphone, and the remote will vibrate when everyone can hear you. Rounding out the package is a nifty charging stand and Bluetooth connectivity. On Windows 10 and Windows 11, you can also customize the buttons to your needs. 

Admittedly, it would have been nice if Microsoft had announced the Presenter+ back in 2020 or 2021. That said, there are still plenty of predominantly remote workers who will find the remote useful whether they’re at home or in the office. The Presenter+ will retail for $80. Interestingly, Microsoft notes it’s the first presentation control to be certified for Teams, suggesting more on the way from other companies. 

The Surface Pro 9 comes with either 12th-gen Intel CPUs or a 5G Arm chip

Last year’s Surface Pro 8 was one of the biggest design upgrades for Microsoft’s tablet PC, adding long-awaited features like Thunderbolt 4 and surprising upgrades like a 120Hz display. This year’s Surface Pro 9, paradoxically, is both more of the same and a dramatic departure. It has the usual chip refresh — in this case, Intel’s far superior 12th-gen CPUs — but there’s also a new 5G-equipped model with a custom SQ 3 Arm chip.

If that sounds confusing to you, well, it is. We last saw the company’s SQ chip in the 2020 Surface Pro X, a computer that we found both beautiful and frustrating, thanks to Windows’ crummy software compatibility with Arm chips. To shift that problem over to a computer with the same name as its Intel sibling is a recipe for disaster. (We can just imagine the frustrated Best Buy shoppers who are dazzled with the idea of a 5G Surface, only to learn they can’t run most of their traditional Windows apps.) The 5G Pro 9 is also broken down into millimeter-wave and Sub-6 variants, which will be sold in their respective markets.

Surface Pro 9
Microsoft

It’s understandable why Microsoft isn’t keen to keep the Surface Pro X moniker going — the Pro 8 lifted many of its modern design cues, after all. But from what we’ve seen, Windows 11 doesn’t solve the problems we initially had with the Pro X.

Beyond the chip updates, the Pro 9 looks mostly the same as its predecessor, with a 13″ 120Hz PixelSense display, as well as relatively slim screen bezels. Microsoft claims the 1080p webcam has been improved, and there’s also a 4-degree tilt to help keep you centered. You’ve also got a few bolder colors to choose from, including Sapphire, Forest and a new Liberty London Special Edition. (And yes, before you ask, you’ll still have to pick up a Surface Keyboard and Slim Pen 2 separately if you actually want to be productive with the Pro 9.)

Surface Pro 9
Microsoft

Adding to the confusion of having two chip platforms under the same product name, there are several major differences between them. For example, the Intel version can be equipped with up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD, while the Arm variant is limited to 16GB of LPDDR4x RAM and a 512GB SSD at most. You’ll also lose the two USB-C 4.0/Thunderbolt 4 ports on the Arm Pro 9 — instead, you’ll get two USB-C 3.2 connections. (On the plus side, the 5G model should get up to 19 hours of battery life, 3.5 more hours than the Intel version.)

The Intel-based Surface Pro 9 starts at $999 for a Core i5 model with 8GB of RAM and a paltry 128GB of storage, while the cheapest 5G model will run you $1,300 with the same specs. You’ll be able to pre-order the Surface Pro 12 in select models starting today, with general availability beginning on October 25th.

Follow along with the rest of our news from Microsoft’s 2022 Surface event.

Microsoft’s adaptive mouse and accessories arrive on October 25th

In May, Microsoft unveiled the Surface Adaptive kit — a modular mouse, hub and accessories designed with inclusivity and accessibility in mind. But the company wasn’t ready back then to share the full pricing and availability details, other than saying we would find out more in the fall. Five hot months later, summer is over and at its fall device launch event in New York today, Microsoft delivered the information as promised. Some of it, anyway. The Adaptive Accessories will be available on October 25th “in select markets.” Pricing and the specific regions remain unclear.

The company also expanded the portfolio slightly by announcing today that “business and education customers will be able to 3D print adaptive grips from Shapeways for Microsoft Business Pen and Microsoft Classroom Pen 2.” Based on the images we’ve seen, some of these 3D-printed designs appear to make the company’s stylus easier to hold, either by making them bigger or adding bulbs or curved parts.

At its New York event today, the company unveiled new hardware including the Surface Pro 9, Laptop 5 and Studio 2+. It also introduced a new audio dock, a Presenter+ remote control for cueing slideshows from afar, as well as a bunch of new software. 

Catch up on all the news from Microsoft’s Surface Event here!

Microsoft’s (barely) refreshed Surface Laptop 5 starts at $1,000

After a year and a half on the market, this fall Microsoft is updating its mainstream notebook line with the new Surface Laptop 5. Systems will be available in both 13.5 and 15-inch configs with prices starting at $1,000 and $1,200 respectively. 

That said, there aren’t a ton of changes in store for the Surface Laptop 5, because this time, instead of supporting both Intel and AMD processors, the entire line will be based on Intel’s Evo platform. That means in addition to new 12th-gen CPUs, you’ll also get support for Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 6. 

The new sage green Surface Laptop 5.
Microsoft

Other new additions include an updated PixelSense display that now comes with Dolby Vision IQ support, with the 13.5-inch and 15-inch models featuring the same 2256 x 1504 and 2496 x 1664 3:2 resolutions as before. And while the Surface Laptop 5’s exterior is largely unchanged, Microsoft has kept one version that comes with Alcantara on its deck while adding a new sage green color option to the mix. 

General specs go up to 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage and integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics. You also get some traditional features like an IR camera for Windows Hello face login (along with a 720p webcam), dual far-field mics and Omnisonic speakers with Dolby Atmos. Battery life also looks quite similar with Microsoft promising up to 18 hours on a charge for the 13-inch Surface Laptop 5 or 17 hours for the 15-inch model. 

The Surface Laptop 5 will be available in four colors, include a new sage green option.
Microsoft

So all told, while it’s nice to get some new silicon, this is a pretty minimal refresh compared to the previous version. The Surface Laptop 5 will be available for pre-order (in select markets) starting today, with official sales beginning on October 25th.