Microsoft Surface Event (October 2018) Preview: What to expect from today’s Microsoft event
Microsoft is set to take the wraps off of a handful of new Surface products at its October 2, 2018 launch event in New York City – and may even have a surprise or two up its sleeve. Here’s what to expect from today’s big tech event.
Inviting members of the media to today’s Surface event, Microsoft simply asked for a “moment of your time”, which doesn’t reveal too much about what the Redmond-based company has in store for us later today.
Updated: follow our Microsoft Surface 3 coverage
The event will be headed by Microsoft Surface boss Panos Panay, which pretty much confirms that new Surface hardware is coming, but what else can we expect to see? Read on for our preview of Microsoft’s October event, which starts at 4pm EDT / 9pm BST on Tuesday October 2.
Surface Pro 6
One of the near certainties of today’s Microsoft event, expect to see the latest version of Microsoft Surface Pro hybrid break cover tonight. We’re not anticipating a radical design overhaul, but rather souped up internals – think the new Intel 8th-gen Whiskey Lake CPUs. The device could be called the Surface Pro 6 if Microsoft returns to a linearly numbered naming convention, or simply retain the same ‘new Surface Pro’ moniker last year’s hardware adopted.
The following ‘leaked’ unboxing video suggests rumours of USB-C charging may be unfounded (meaning the Surface Pro 6 would keep USB-A ports), but the clip obviously can’t be verified and should be approached with caution. There’s also the possibility that Microsoft will offer buyers additional colour options for the Surface Pro 6.
Related: Best laptops
Surface Laptop 2
Microsoft’s Surface Laptop (pictured, below) is an excellent bit of kit, but having been unveiled well over a year ago, it’s now due an update. Again, Intel’s new 8th-gen Whiskey Lake CPUs are likely to be front and centre here, and it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect a RAM boost as well. Elsewhere, USB-C charging has been mooted as with the Surface Pro 6, but recent leaks suggest the Surface Laptop 2 might also retain the older jacks. However, a new colour option – black – seems like an increasingly good bet based on the rumour mill, so there are potentially some aesthetic changes to look forward to.
Surface Studio 2
At roughly two years old, the Surface Studio is primed for a refresh, and Microsoft’s Windows 10 all-in-one (AIO) PC is likely to get it in New York later today. Why are we so confident? Well, Microsoft UK’s online store is currently listing the Surface Studio as ‘Out of Stock’ (see below), and prior to that had price slashed the 2016 Surface Studio significantly – both tell-tale signs that an update is on the way. New Intel processors and Nvidia GPUs are likely to be the headline upgrades on offer under the hood.
Related: Best desktop PCs
Windows 10 updates
Autumn Microsoft events typically feature plenty of Windows 10 talk and tonight should be no different. The company’s 2018 Fall Creators Update has been teased for some time now, so we’re expecting to see final details of the Windows 10 October 2018 update revealed, as well as (maybe) a taste of what’s to come from 2019’s Windows updates. Given the ‘moment of your time’ reference in the event invite, Windows productivity functionality will likely take centre stage on the software side.
Microsoft Event (October 2018): Surface event wildcards
Microsoft could well have a surprise in store for us tonight, and the bulk of the chit-chat is focussed on the mythical Surface Phone. A Microsoft handset has been rumoured for nearly as long as I’ve been writing about technology, and while the signs continue to point to the company having something smartphone-related up its sleeve in the not-too-distant future, I just can’t see it happening tonight.
The main reason for my reluctance is that Microsoft has confirmed it won’t be live streaming tonight’s Surface event, which would seem an odd move it had something all-new for us, rather than simply a series of incremental hardware and software updates to showcase. Other possibilities include new HoloLens details ahead of a 2019 HoloLens 2 reveal, but in all likelihood, Microsoft’s October Surface event will centre on the products outlined above, leaving us to wait until next year for a ‘one more thing’ moment.
What do you think Microsoft has in store for us later today? Tweet your Surface event predictions to us @TrustedReviews.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
