Microsoft Surface and AI event: 3 announcements we expect to see (and 2 we don’t)

Microsoft’s latest launch event is closing in, with the Surface and AI event taking place this Thursday. All the key rumours point towards updates for 3 key Surface products, but two more are being left out. Let’s take a look.

Let’s be honest, Microsoft isn’t one for massive changes to the Surface range year-on-year. Mercifully, the Surface Pro 8 finally saw a big hardware refresh after many years of stagnancy but many other devices in the range have been neglected.

In 2023, we aren’t expecting a reinvention of the Surface wheel, no matter how much this may be due for certain products. But, 3 Surface devices are set to get a bit of an iterative boost. Inevitably, some may be disappointed by what isn’t getting updates. You can watch the event at 6PM BST/10AM PST/1PM EST tomorrow on the Microsoft Surface YouTube channel. For now, these are the announcements we’re expecting, as well as the ones we aren’t.

A slightly updated Surface Laptop Go 3

The Surface Laptop Go 2 might just be the best device that Microsoft offers. It is a remarkably affordable yet high-end-feeling laptop, ideal for students and productivity users alike. At tomorrow’s Surface event, rumours point towards an iterative upgrade with a new Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 (via WinFuture).

The key details are a move up to a 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1250U CPU alongside the ditching of the previous low-end models. There’s expected to be no 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD storage options with the new model, instead starting at 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. It is refreshing to see Microsoft ditching underpowered specifications but it does mean we’re expecting a price bump, with a starting cost of €899 (~£775/$961) expected. This would be quite the jump, with the current model starting at €569/£475/$499, but you are getting those boosted specs.

The second-generation Surface Laptop Studio

One of Microsoft’s more interesting launches of recent years was the Surface Laptop Studio. With the Surface Book having gone the way of the dodo, Microsoft needed a more graphically capable machine, and it opted for a thicker laptop with a manoeuvrable screen. Now, it’s time for a Surface Laptop Studio 2.

The new model isn’t expected to change much though, according to Windows Central. The design will stay the same but it’ll be boosted to a 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700H or i7-13800H chip (with no Core-5 in sight this time around), up to 64GB RAM and up to 2TB SSD storage. The device is also expected to don the latest Nvidia graphics chips, with the option for an RTX 4050 or RTX 4060. Don’t expect a boost to battery life though, with the same 58Wh cell rumoured to be inside. The starting price is expected to be $1,899 (~£1,537).

Surface Go 4 gets a new chip

A Surface Go 4 is expected to be launching at the event but it isn’t coming in the flavour that was long rumoured. There had long been a suggestion that a new Surface could sport an Arm processor, similar to how the 5G version of the Surface Pro 9 offered a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip.

However, all signs now point to the new model using an Intel N200 chip, according to Windows Central. The previous Surface Go 3 model offered an Intel Pentium Gold or Core i3 option. The switch could signal more evidence of Microsoft slimming down the number of configurations for all of these new launches if only the N200 chip option is offered. This extends to the RAM, with 4GB being ditched and only 8GB RAM being offered. The storage options are expected to be 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. The display specifications are expected to remain the same, at 10.5-inch and a 1920×1280 resolution.

One shining light for the new Surface Go launch is a rumour that Microsoft will hone the new device in terms of sustainability. It is rumoured to offer a replaceable battery, kickstand, display and motherboard. In terms of price, there isn’t much indication of any changes there, except for the move to an 8GB RAM likely seeing the base price increase, with the previous 4GB model starting at £369/$399 but the boosted model coming in at £499/$549.99.

No much-needed redesigned Surface Laptop 6

Unfortunately, if you were expecting more devices from Microsoft than the ones mentioned above, there’s little expectation of that. A device that is in dire need of an updated look is the Surface Laptop 6. The most recent iteration, the Surface Laptop 5, looks remarkably similar to the original Surface Laptop released several years ago. Microsoft has shown that the Surface Laptop Go range can make excellent hardware, and it is baffling that the look of the fully-fledged Surface Laptop has been left to become so outdated. But, don’t expect to see it tomorrow.

The big 10th generation Surface Pro won’t arrive

Microsoft is about to hit the 10th generation of the Surface Pro, likely to cause confusion with the Arm-powered Surface Pro X depending on how the company decides to treat its naming scheme. However, it isn’t expected to debut at the Surface and AI event tomorrow.

Rumours, via Windows Central, have pointed towards the Surface Pro 10 introducing a new 11-inch model alongside the regular 13-inch. But, other than that, little is known right now in terms of what this potentially special iteration could bring.