Global Courant
Although the forthcoming laptops look similar in design to their predecessors, the new Surface devices arrive with upgraded processors, better battery life, and other minor spec bumps. We’ve yet to fully test either laptop, but if you want to preorder them ahead of their official release, you can already do so via various retailers. Here’s what you should know.
The new Surface Laptop Studio 2 looks similar to the prior model, with the same kind of 14.4-inch screen you can pull forward or lay flat like a tablet. However, it sports a few changes under the hood. Microsoft says it’s twice as fast as its predecessor, with new Intel 13th Gen i7 processors and Nvidia’s RTX 4050 and 4060 GPUs. It’s also the first Windows computer to come with the Intel neural processing unit, which should allow for faster, more powerful AI capabilities.
Along with new chips and GPUs, Microsoft’s premium convertible comes with two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, a microSD card reader, and the Surface Slim Pen 2. The laptop also features a customizable haptic touchpad Microsoft says is “the most inclusive touchpad on any laptop.”
You can preorder the Surface Laptop Studio 2 at the Microsoft Store for $1,999 in its base configuration with 512GB of storage, 16GB of RAM, an Intel 13th Gen processor, and Intel Iris Xe graphics (or with an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU for $2,399 at Amazon and Best Buy). You can outfit it with as much as 2TB of storage, 64GB of RAM, and an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU — though, as expected, the higher-end models will cost you north of $3,000. The laptop will be available on October 3rd.
The Laptop Studio 2 wasn’t the only Windows machine Microsoft also introduced at its Surface event this week. The company also unveiled the new Surface Laptop Go 3, which offers the same 12.4-inch 3:2 aspect ratio PixelSense touchscreen as last year’s Surface Laptop Go 2. The new laptop weighs less than 2.5 pounds — making it the lightest Surface device — and is supposedly 88 percent faster than its predecessor with all-day battery life.
The Surface Laptop Go 3 will be available on October 3rd in four colors: gray, blue, pink, and green. You can preorder it from the Microsoft Store, Amazon, and Best Buy for $799.99 with 256GB of storage, 8GB of RAM, and an Intel Core i5 processor. You can also configure it with up to 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and an Intel Core i5 processor for $200 more.
Update September 22nd, 6:30PM ET: We’ve updated this post with additional preorder details for Amazon and Best Buy.