Microsoft has taken the wraps off some new Surface devices today. Though the latest Surface Pro 10 for Buisness and Surface Laptop 6 for Buisness are only for commercial users, the new products preview consumer versions that are expected to be coming later this year.
While not majorly redesigned, the devices pack a promising jump in performance under the hood thanks to the Intel Core Ultra CPU, as well as some features enterprise users will surely appreciate. AI is also a big focus in the form of Copilot.
Surface Laptop 6 for Business
Both the new Surface Laptop 6 for Business and Surface Pro 10 for Business feature Intel Core Ultra 5 and Core Ultra 7 chips under the hood. In the case of Surface Laptop 6 for Business, it is Intel’s Core Ultra 135H and Intel Core Ultra 7 165H chips. Intel and Microsoft say this helps make the device up to two times faster than the Surface Laptop 5. The biggest gains are mainly thanks to the new Intel Arc graphics and the 64GB of RAM.
This new Surface Laptop is not getting a major redesign, though, and still comes in both 13.5-inch and 15-inch models. The only change on this device is a new Windows Copilot button on the keyboard, as well as the option for a smart card reader and an additional USB-C port on the 15-inch model.
Even the 1080p webcam is the same, despite the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) in the Surface Laptop 6 for Business being able to unlock advanced filters in Windows Studio Effects for improved video calling. The resolutions on the 3:2 aspect ratio display are unchanged as well, though the brightness has slightly been improved by 33%, and there’s now an anti-reflective coating to reduce glare.
Surface Laptop 6 for Business starts at $1,200. It will ship starting on April 9. The device will come in Platinum or Black. You can buy through Microsoft’s commercial channel but won’t see it at retailers like Amazon or Best Buy.
Surface Pro 10 for Business
The new Surface Pro 10 for Business, meanwhile, has seen a bit of a change when it comes to the display, though its design is the same as that of the Surface Pro 9. There’s now an anti-reflective coating and the screen is 33% brighter than before, which could help those who use the device outdoors. A new ultrawide, 144-degree camera also helps unlock the power of the NPU and Windows Studio effects. Microsoft is even offering a 5G option on an Intel-powered Surface Pro for the first time.
The CPU in the Surface Pro 10 for Business starts at the Intel Core 5 135U, with options for the Intel Core Ultra 7 165U. This is also one of the first Surface Pro devices to come with options for 64GB of RAM. Similar to the new Surface Laptop, Microsoft has a new Surface Type Cover that includes a Copilot button on the keyboard. There’s also a new Type Cover with bolder text, for those who might have vision issues. Microsoft also ships the device with an option for an NFC reader.
Surface Pro 10 for Business starts at $1,200. It will ship starting April 9. The device comes in Platinum and Black, and like Surface Laptop 6 for Business, it’s only available through commercial channels and not traditional retails stores.
Though today’s event focused on commercial Surface devices, Microsoft will hold a separate Windows and Surface AI event for the media on May 21 ahead of the Build 2024 conference. It is expected we’ll see redesigned consumer versions of these devices then, possibly with the option for Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chips. We also expect Microsoft to talk more about how AI is used in Windows 11, including a new “AI Explorer” feature that can help you search your PC.
