Microsoft reveals ARM Surface Pro X, Intel Surface Pro 7, AMD Surface Laptop 3

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited October 2019
At Microsoft's media event in New York on Wednesday, the Windows producer expanded its Surface hardware line with new models, including updates to the Surface Laptop line and the Surface Pro, and the debut of the ARM-powered Surface Pro X.

New Microsoft Surface hardware

Surface Pro X

The new Surface Pro X is 13 inches diagonal in the same chassis size as the Surface Pro. The display has a 2880 x 1920 resolution, at 267 PPI with a 1400:1 contrast ratio. The unit measures 5.3 mm at thinnest point, and weighs 1.68 pounds.

Wired connections are provided by USB-C ports. Microsoft also says that it has "constant LTE connectivity." A new Surface Slim Pen embeds into the space between the Type Cover and the Surface Pro X itself.

Microsoft Surface Pro X


Microsoft's SQ1 processor is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, with custom cores for artificial intelligence processing, according to Microsoft. The company also says that it uses a custom GPU, co-developed by Qualcomm and Microsoft.

The Surface Pro X also uses "full Windows 10" according to the company. It will ship in "early November" for $999 and up.

Surface Laptop 3

The Surface Laptop 3 is a more conventional notebook compared to the Surface, following on from last year's model, in that it is a fully-fledged notebook rather than a tablet hybrid. New for this year is the inclusion of 13-inch and 15-inch models, giving potential customers a choice of something similar in size to the Surface Laptop 2 or a larger version.

Microsoft spent a considerable amount of time talking about usability for the device, including a big focus on the input side of things. The keyboard has been updated to have 1.3mm of travel, with each key having a slight dish shape and claimed to provide an almost silent typing experience, while the trackpad is 20% larger than the Laptop 2.

Inside the Surface Laptop 3 13-inch is an Intel 10th-gen "Ice Lake" quad-core processor, claimed to be twice the power of the Surface Laptop 2, and allegedly three times more powerful than the MacBook Air. The exact specifications of neither the MacBook Air nor the Surface Book are mentioned, so it is unclear what specifically is being compared. Historically, Microsoft has done this comparison with the highest-end Surface product, versus the entry-level Mac.

Within the 15-inch model, Microsoft has left out Intel in favor of its main rival. The larger model uses an AMD processor, using the "Ryzen Surface Edition" chip which Microsoft co-engineered with the processor maker.

Fast charging has been introduced to the entire Surface line for the new launches, with an 80% charge possible after an hour of charging.

Preorders are open now from the online Microsoft Store and B&H Photo, priced at $999 and $1,199 for the 13-inch and 15-inch models respectively, with Microsoft shipping them on October 22.

Surface Pro 7

The Surface Pro 3 retains the same size as the previous model. The updated Surface Pro 7 comes configurable with a Core i3-1005G1, Core i5-1035G4, or Core i7-1065G7 processor. Storage is available in capacities from 128GB to 1TB. Microsoft is allowing for 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB of RAM.

The display is a 12.3-inch touchscreen, running at a 2736x1824 resolution at 267 PPI, at a 3:2 ratio. The company is still using the Surface Connector for power, but has replaced the miniDisplayPort with a USB-C port. It isn't presently clear if the Surface Pro can be charged with that port. Other ports include a single USB-A port, a microSDXC slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The rear camera is an 8MP unit, and the front-facing camera is 5MP.

The Surface Pro 7 will ship on October 22, and will start at $749 from Microsoft and B&H Photo.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 50
    razorpitrazorpit Posts: 1,796member
    As bad as these Surface products are I'm glad someone out there is offering some competition for Apple.
    philboogieseanismorriscoolfactorwilliamlondonwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 2 of 50
    tnet-primarytnet-primary Posts: 242member
    Has anybody been watching the keynote?   Who in the world is that clown talking about the new Surface Laptop 3?   You’d think he’s describing a cure for cancer.  

    And the overwhelming number of “kinda” and “sort of” and “um” expressions really shows a complete lack of presentation polish.  

    I love the Surface Pro (have one for work), but I had no idea how excruciating their press conferences were.  
    SpamSandwich
  • Reply 3 of 50
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    Live stream:



  • Reply 4 of 50
    marc gmarc g Posts: 65member
    That artist was fine but good god, those guys are terrible. 
    philboogiewatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 50
    ericthehalfbeeericthehalfbee Posts: 4,486member
    So my guess is this is a Snapdragon 8cx derivative with an added AI core.

    Still can't keep up with the A12X from last year, and the A13X is right around the corner. I really would like to see an A13X powered MacBook. It's time for Apple to take their complete control of the entire stack (hardware/software/dev tools) and apply that to an ARM MacBook.
    d_2rinosaurwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 50
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,016member
    philboogie said:
    Live stream:




    What a gut wrenching presentation.  It's just so awkward.  It's like they put up a black background at the Comedy Cellar and had their presentation.  
    philboogiecornchipwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 50
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    The WonderBar™! Good grieve, this Neo dual display thingy looks, well, a terrible device. For me that is. YMMV.

    And what does Windows 10 X mean? Are they again skipping version numbers, by going from 10 to 20?

    sdw2001lollivercornchipwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 50
    davendaven Posts: 696member
    Regardless, this is not good news for Intel. As companies realize ARM chips are the better solution for laptops, that is going to cut into Intel production.
    philboogiewatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 50
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    sdw2001 said:
    What a gut wrenching presentation.  It's just so awkward.  It's like they put up a black background at the Comedy Cellar and had their presentation.  
    Cringe worthy. Excruciatingly bad. The presenter was probably their worst choice. Although for me it's a tie with their Android flip-phone.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 50
    coolfactorcoolfactor Posts: 2,241member
    I'm impressed! Apple is being left in the dust, it's becoming more clear every year. That Neo device is what Apple should have come out with, but didn't because they have been too scared to move away from their tried and true, but aging, device designs.
    cy_starkmanmocseg
  • Reply 11 of 50
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,016member
    daven said:
    Regardless, this is not good news for Intel. As companies realize ARM chips are the better solution for laptops, that is going to cut into Intel production.
    Intel deserves everything that's coming to it, IMO.  Their ridiculous increasing megahertz scam lasted what...15 years?  How many billions did they bilk out of customers along with the PC world over that time? Now that the scam is over, they happen to have serious competition in performance and price.  It's just a matter of time until Apple gives them the heave-ho.  
    rinosaurcornchipwatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 50
    coolfactorcoolfactor Posts: 2,241member
    philboogie said:
    sdw2001 said:
    What a gut wrenching presentation.  It's just so awkward.  It's like they put up a black background at the Comedy Cellar and had their presentation.  
    Cringe worthy. Excruciatingly bad. The presenter was probably their worst choice. Although for me it's a tie with their Android flip-phone.

    I don't know. They are clearly very excited and proud of their work, and that's okay. It's a new take on the excitement that Ballmer used to have. Are they going too far? I don't think so.

    Congrats to Microsoft for pushing the boundaries.
    Carnagerinosaurmocseg
  • Reply 13 of 50
    coolfactorcoolfactor Posts: 2,241member
    philboogie said:
    The WonderBar™! Good grieve, this Neo dual display thingy looks, well, a terrible device. For me that is. YMMV.

    And what does Windows 10 X mean? Are they again skipping version numbers, by going from 10 to 20?


    Windows 10 X = Windows 10 10? 

    or maybe X represents cross-device? Transition?
    philboogie
  • Reply 14 of 50
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,418member
    The presentation is poorly executed. Most of the speakers are just dull and lacking in personality.
    philboogiewatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 50
    foljsfoljs Posts: 390member
    philboogie said:
    Live stream:



    The most me-too, also-run presentation I've seen -- they've copied the Keynote format, the graphic design for the new devices' pages/posters, the exterior design for the new laptops, the airpod like headphones (just round instead of extended) and their case, they keyboard cover style for the tablet, the pencil, everything...

    And it's like a Keynote directed and presented by late night informercial actors...
    cornchipwatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 50
    foljsfoljs Posts: 390member
    I'm impressed! Apple is being left in the dust, it's becoming more clear every year. That Neo device is what Apple should have come out with, but didn't because they have been too scared to move away from their tried and true, but aging, device designs.

    What part of this also-run, copy-cat, inferior product line impressed you?
    lolliverwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 17 of 50
    foljsfoljs Posts: 390member
    Damn, even the Fresco showcase drawing was something a child would do...
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 50
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,063member
    I have a list of companies that I simply will not buy from. Microsoft, Samsung, Sears. There is nothing they can offer that will make me consider their wares. Ever.
    cornchipwatto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 50
    jumejume Posts: 209member
    Live stream:



    This keynote is hilarious  :D

    Beautiful laptops BTW. Those 13 and 15 inch do many things right. 
    edited October 2019 philboogiecy_starkmantobian
  • Reply 20 of 50
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,699member
    razorpit said:
    As bad as these Surface products are I'm glad someone out there is offering some competition for Apple.
    What's so bad about them.  If these new Surface Laptops and Surface Pro X perform as expected, they'll definitely give Apple's Macbook (exception being 15" MBP) and iPad Pro a serious run for their money.  Good for MS. These are great products.
    cy_starkmanrinosaurmocseg
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