EXCLUSIVE: Microsoft readies 'next-gen' AI-focused Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 with Arm chips and design upgrades for 2024

[Windows Central]

Microsoft is working on significant updates to its Surface Pro and Surface Laptop lines, which sources say will feature significant upgrades with improved designs, new features, and next-gen silicon in the form of Intel 14th-Gen and Qualcomm X Series chips.

EXCLUSIVE: Microsoft readies 'next-gen' AI-focused Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 with Arm chips and design upgrades for 2024 : Read more

 

[kroty]

@Zac Bowden will the ARM versions have fans? It would be great if at least the laptop had the fans.

 

[WindoesTwelf]

@Zac Bowden Do you know if switching to a mini LED or OLED display panel is on their roadmap for the near future?

 

[naddy69]

"Intel and Arm, with an emphasis on Arm"

Good god, it's about time. MS seriously needs to move on from Intel. Everyone else already has.

My current work laptop with a 12 core i7 gets hot 10 minutes after booting up. Before I even do anything. Just running Windows 10, the fan comes on.

OTOH, this MacBook Pro with a 12 core M2 Pro is currently running MacOS on 6 CPUs and Windows 11 Pro on the other 6 CPUs. For about 2 hours now. It is still cool.

THAT is what Arm brings to the table. Trust me, once you experience Arm performance/battery life/cool running, you will never care about Intel again. I saw LOTS of crazy deals here on Intel Windows laptops over the holidays. Like a $2500 laptop going for $800.

Expect more of this - and worse - when Arm Windows laptops become real. The same thing happened to Intel Macs. You can't give them away today.

If you still own any Intel stock, now is the time to dump it. Assuming you can find anyone willing to buy it.

 

[bradavon]

YES!

I've wanted a Surface Laptop on ARM for years and the current design is so dated it's embarrassing. Love my Surface Pro X but have wanted to go back to a clamshell.

Glad I held off getting a Huawei Matebook X Pro.

3:2 is so good. It's a shame only MS and Huawei really use it.

 

[bradavon]

We just need Google to get behind Windows on ARM now.

MS should be doing more to make this happen, deals are done all the time.

 

[ShinyProton]

This is VERY interesting but, if Microsoft sticks to its current pricing strategy with Surface, that is premium pricing, it will continue toward its irrelevancy spiral.
In my household, we all abandoned the Surface lineup - we had several over time - because of the bad price/value ratio.
Without a major shift in this area, they will never see me back.

 

[timwhite]

This is VERY interesting but, if Microsoft sticks to its current pricing strategy with Surface, that is premium pricing, it will continue toward its irrelevancy spiral.
In my household, we all abandoned the Surface lineup - we had several over time - because of the bad price/value ratio.
Without a major shift in this area, they will never see me back.

What did you move to after abandoning the Surface lineup?

 

[bradavon]

This is VERY interesting but, if Microsoft sticks to its current pricing strategy with Surface, that is premium pricing, it will continue toward its irrelevancy spiral.

They compete with MacBook. They're no more or less expensive.

There are plenty of excellent midrange and budget laptops.

How is Surface irrelevant?

They don't compute in the gaming space, neither does Apple, but are seen are the Windows MacBooks.

 

[naddy69]

"They compete with MacBook. They're no more or less expensive."

Well, they compete on price only. Surface is really no competition to Macs.

"There are plenty of excellent midrange and budget laptops."
"How is Surface irrelevant?"

Your question is answered by the preceding sentence. There are loads of laptops available with equal specs at way lower prices, from well-established and well-known vendors. Meanwhile, Apple is the #4 vendor while Microsoft is buried way down in the "Other" category. Again, Surface is no competition for Apple.

"They don't compute in the gaming space, neither does Apple, but are seen are the Windows MacBooks."

No, Surface is seen as expensive Windows PCs. Which is why they sell in such low volumes. Which makes them irrelevant.

Remember when Macs were overpriced and underpowered? Hello, Surface.

 

[bradavon]

Well, they compete on price only. Surface is really no competition to Macs.

That is the whole point of the excitement . 2024 is expected when Windows on ARM.

Even putting that to one side, it's Intel who're not competitive not Surface. The Surface Laptop failing is Intel and Design.

It's otherwise considered Surface competes with MacBook.

Regardless MacBook has never been particularly competitive. Taking that word literally. Lenovo, HP, Dell sell more PCs in a week than Apple do in a year.

There loads of laptops available with equal specs at way lower prices, from well-established and well-known vendors.

No you can't. They don't have the same build quality. There's more to a pc than under the hood specs.

One minute you make a MacBook comment, the next you compare Surface to regular laptops. Which is it?

For starters your core argument doesn't hold up when you consider Apple also sold Core i3 laptops for an inflated price like Microsoft do.

Incidentally it's a silly comparison because MacBook like Surface aren't regular PCs.

Secondly you're conflating Surface lines. You start off speaking of a bad price/value ratio when it's no different to what Apple does.

Secondly you then consider Surface irrelevant because they're more expensive than regular laptops when Microsoft don't compete with those anyway.

And you claim Surface is irrelevant but make exceptions for Apple's inflated pricing.

The Surface Laptop Go is well overpriced agreed but you're just not going to get a Surface Laptop for under a grand when that's the market value.

Laptops under a grand can be great but they don't have Surface or MacBook build quality.

It's perfectly acceptable to place internal specs higher than build quality. There's a laptop for that.

Microsoft have never tried to be particularly competitive spec wise. That's not new.

Meanwhile, Apple is the #4 vendor while Microsoft is buried way down in the "Other" category.

So what. Microsoft have the likes of Lenovo, HP, Dell. Apple can only dream of selling those numbers.

You're not comparing like for like. Surface has never been about numbers.

Surface is seen as expensive Windows PCs. Which is why they sell in such low volumes. Which makes them irrelevant.

That's your argument? Surface is expensive so it's irrelevant. Okay.

There are PCs from 200 to 2000 and there a market for all of them.

Like I said so what numbers are lower. You're comparing wildly different business models.

 

[ochhanz]

"I’m told Surface Laptop 6 will also have an expanded selection of ports, including two USB-C ports and one USB-A port,", why no microsd port? MS kindy blows with port selection nowadays, this used to be a strong feature of older Surface devices. Pro 7/7+ was almost perfect.

This is VERY interesting but, if Microsoft sticks to its current pricing strategy with Surface, that is premium pricing, it will continue toward its irrelevancy spiral.
In my household, we all abandoned the Surface lineup - we had several over time - because of the bad price/value ratio.
Without a major shift in this area, they will never see me back.

Well the Surface Go and Laptop Go are not that expensive (for standard stuff) and the Surface Pro's are expensive but you also get an unique form factor (/good specs for a tablet). The Laptops however misses something that makes them standout, an AMD option would be cool though an ARM option possibly is interesting as well.
Biggest issue I think (besides the port selection) is if you want to have 32 gb ram the prices are ridiculous, hopefully MS will correct that with this iteration.

 

[ShinyProton]

What did you move to after abandoning the Surface lineup?

In my case, I replaced a Surface Pro with a 14” Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1. This computer is better in every way, fast, reliable and very versatile. It also cost me less than half the price of an equivalent Surface. And the build quality is premium. I am still very satisfied with it and carry it all the time I need computing on the go.

For my significant other, her Surface Pro was replaced by the Robo&Kala 2-in-1. Again here, the device was close to 1/3 the price of the equivalent Surface Pro 9 SQ3. For the price paid, this device is simply incredible and puts the Pro 9 SQ3 to shame.

The Microsoft pricing strategy was modeled on the Apple playbook of premium devices at premium prices. It worked for some time but now, competitors adjusted and it’s simply not working anymore. Not for me at least.

 

[Bryan Pruitt]

ARM is a great idea and a positive step back to the mainstream. But they must dust off the ProX frame; without the need for fans and additional cooling, there's no excuse for not further advancing toward a lighter and thinner body.

 

[Bryan Pruitt]

In my case, I replaced a Surface Pro with a 14” Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1. This computer is better in every way, fast, reliable and very versatile. It also cost me less than half the price of an equivalent Surface. And the build quality is premium. I am still very satisfied with it and carry it all the time I need computing on the go.

For my significant other, her Surface Pro was replaced by the Robo&Kala 2-in-1. Again here, the device was close to 1/3 the price of the equivalent Surface Pro 9 SQ3. For the price paid, this device is simply incredible and puts the Pro 9 SQ3 to shame.

The Microsoft pricing strategy was modeled on the Apple playbook of premium devices at premium prices. It worked for some time but now, competitors adjusted and it’s simply not working anymore. Not for me at least.

My wife and I both love the Robo&Kala too (we both have one). But we miss a cellular option. We connect to no WiFi outside of home!