Microsoft has announced second-generation versions of its Surface Laptop and Surface Studio all-in-one during its New York City event on October 2.
Shortly after unveiling Surface Pro 6, Microsoft unveiled the other device it wants Windows 10 fans to choose between. The Surface Laptop 2 will now be available in a matte black finish, but all of the difference-making changes are on the inside of the device.
Microsoft is including the latest Intel 8th-generation processors, here which it says make it 85% faster than the first-generation laptop. Presumably this means the high-end Whiskey Lake CPUs Intel recently announced, but the exact CPU models have yet to be confirmed by Microsoft.
The Surface Laptop 2 also has a 13.5-inch PixelSense display with touch support with a 1500:1 contrast ratio, which Microsoft claims is the best you’ll find in this class of notebook.
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Battery life will apparently get you from dawn ’til dusk, with Microsoft promising 14.5 hours of video playback. How that converts to regular everyday use is another thing, of course.
Unfortunately, there’s no USB-C on board, as had been previously rumoured in recent weeks, but there is a 3.5mm headphone jack, so your old cans will work.
In a promo video, Microsoft is highlighting the backlit, Alcantara-covered keyboard which offers quieter and faster typing and, of course, the same new matte black colour that also graces the Surface Pro 6. There’s also omnisonic speakers.
Microsoft says the device will be available from $999 (around £770), starting on October 16 with pre-orders commencing today. That’s in-line with last year’s model.
It’s not clear yet precisely what the spec sheet for the entry-level model will look like, but that price is likely to be significantly higher when accounting for higher-end versions of the device boasting the i5 and i7 processors with more RAM and storage.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 – Specifications
Note that Microsoft has yet to release a full set of specs for the Surface Laptop 2, so we don’t know about the types of RAM and SSD used, nor do we know for sure that the processors are the i5-8265U or i7-8565U Whiskey Lake CPUs, but the key words ‘latest’ ‘Intel’ and ‘quad-core processors’ all but confirm that they are. This is the current official list of specs for the Microsoft Surface Laptop 2:
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 | |
| Dimensions | 308.1 x 223.27 x 14.48 mm |
| Weight | 1.25kg (i5) / 1.28kg (i7) |
| Processor | Intel Core 8th Gen i5 / i7 |
| Memory | 8GB / 16GB RAM |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB (SSD) |
| Display | 13.5-inch 2256 x 1504 (201 ppi) 3:2 aspect ratio Pixel Sense with 10 point multi-touch, Surface Pen enabled, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi ac (IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.1 |
| Ports | USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, Surface Connect port, Surface Type Cover port,
3.5 mm headphone jack, microSDXC card reader |
| Cameras and mics | 720p HD front camera with Windows Hello, stereo microphones, Omnisonic Speakers with Dolby Audio Premium |
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Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 – Price
According to Microsoft’s pre-order page for the Surface Laptop 2, you can only get the cheapest 128GB + 8GB configuration in platinum.
None of the colour options will let you select this on the pre-order page. It’s currently unclear if this is due to supplies, as Microsoft has yet to confirm the full pricing structure separately.
In lieu of that happening, here’s how all the prices and options for the Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 break down:
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 configuration | Official US price | UK converted price |
| Platinum, 8GB, Intel Core i5, 128GB | $999.00 | £769 |
| Platinum/Black/Burgundy/Blue, 16GB, Intel Core i5, 256GB | $1299.00 | £1000 |
| Platinum/Black/Burgundy/Blue, 8GB, Intel Core i7, 256GB | $1599.00 | £1231 |
| Platinum/Black/Burgundy/Blue, 16GB, Intel Core i7, 256GB | $2199.00 | £1693 |
| Platinum, 16GB, Intel Core i7, 1TB | $2699.00 | £2079 |
Note that the UK prices are conversions based on current exchange rates and as such they don’t factor in VAT on inflation. We’re including them as a guide, but it’s likely that the actual price will end up being more.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 – Release date
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 will be released on October 16th.
Microsoft Surface Studio 2
Elsewhere, Microsoft has confirmed the Surface Studio 2. This is a powerful all-in-one desktop device which includes unspecified 8th-generation Intel Core i-Series processors. This, Microsoft says is the ‘fastest Surface ever’ with 50% more graphics performance courtesy of an Nvidia chip, and an SSD (2TB) for the first time.
The 28-inch, easily-adjustable PixelSense display offers 13.5 million pixels and is now 38% brighter and offers 22% mode contrast. It supports the Surface Pen with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt functionality.
As with the original Surface Studio, it has Xbox Wireless support built-in, as well as the ability to connect to an Xbox One controller. Unlike the other hardware announced today, the Surface Studio 2 does include USB-C support.
The Surface Studio 2 will be available to pre-order beginning on October 2 in the US, starting at $3,499 (around £2,695). We’re awaiting news on UK price and availability.
Microsoft Surface Studio 2 – Specifications
| Microsoft Surface Studio 2 | |
| Dimensions | Display: 637.35 x 438.90 x 12.50 mm
Base: 250.00 x 220.00 x 32.20 mm |
| Weight | 9.56 kg |
| Processor | Intel Core 7th Generation i7-7820HQ |
| Memory | 16GB / 32GB DDR4 |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5 / Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 8GB GDDR5 |
| Storage | 1TB / 2TB |
| Display | 28-inch 4500 x 3000 (192 ppi) 3:2 aspect ratio PixelSense display with 10 point multi-touch, support for sRGB, DCI-P3, and Vivid colour-calibration |
| External display support | Up to two 4K UHD (@30Hz) or single 4K UHD (@60Hz) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi ac (IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.1 |
| Ports | 4 x USB 3.0 (one power port), 1 x USB-C, SDXC card reader, 3.5 mm headphone jack, gigabit Ethernet |
| Cameras, speakers and mics | Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing), 5.0-megapixel front-facing camera with 1080p HD video, dual microphones, stereo 2.1 speakers with Dolby Audio Premium |
Microsoft Surface Studio 2 – Price
While Microsoft hasn’t announced UK prices for the new Surface Studio 2s, it has released US prices for each variation. Note that the UK prices in brackets are estimates based on current exchange rates and may not necessarily be indicative of the actual retail price.
- 1TB, 16GB: $3499 (£2690)
- 1TB, 32GB: $4199 (£3230)
- 2TB, 32GB: $4799 (£3690)
Microsoft Surface Studio 2 – Release date
The new Microsoft Surface Studio 2 will start shipping on November 15th.
Microsoft Surface Headphones
Finally, Microsoft has announced a pair of Surface Headphones, which are its ‘first premium and smart headphone experience’. They offer hands-free calls, adjustable noise cancellation, and automatic ‘pause and play’ when you remove them from your ears. There’s also Cortana support offering ‘proactive guidance’, as well as the ability to read emails and kick-off conference calls.
Microsoft Surface Headphones – Specifications
All of the key specs and features for the Microsoft Surface Headphones announced so far.
| Microsoft Surface Headphones | |
| Dimensions | 204 x 195 x 48 mm |
| Weight | 290g |
| Frequency response | 20-20kHz |
| Noise cancellation | Up to 30dB (passive), up to 40dB (active) |
| Sound pressure level output | Up to 115 dB (1kHz, 1Vrms via cable connector with power on), up to 115 dB (1kHz, 0dBFS over Bluetooth connection) |
| Speaker | 40 mm Free Edge driver |
| Battery | Up to 15 hours (with music playback over Bluetooth, ANC on, Cortana enabled) |
| Charging | Full charge in under 2 hours |
| Inputs | USB-C connector, 3.5 mm audio connector |
Microsoft Surface Headphones – Price
An official UK price for the Surface Headphones hasn’t been released by Microsoft, but in the U.S. they’ll be priced at $349, which converts to around £270 at the time of writing.
Microsoft Surface Headphones – Release date
You can pre-order the Surface Headphones from Microsoft in the States now, but no solid release date has been announced so far, just a vague note that they’ll be available ‘in time for the holidays’, so we’d expect late Novemeber early December.
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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.
