Microsoft is gearing up for this its annual Surface hardware event which is scheduled to happen on Oct. 12. What can fans expect from the tech giant?
The Redmond-based tech giant will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of Surface, which means fans and would-be fans should expect to see more than the usual upgrade. It's currently unclear, however, if fans will be seeing the new devices in person or via screens only.
That said, here's what might be revealed during the event:
A new Surface Laptop
First up is a new Surface Laptop, which is obviously overdue right now, Windows Central noted. The Surface Laptop 4 received its last update more than a year ago, and it's about time for an upgrade.
The new Surface Laptop could potentially feature 12th-gen U series chips from Intel. It's currently unclear if there will be models powered by AMD Ryzen processors, but if ever Microsoft decides not to ship Ryzen-powered models, this will be the first time it happens since the Surface Laptop 3.
Regardless of processors, the new Surface Laptop can be expected to ship in 13- and 15-inch models, both of which might feature Thunderbolt 4, a first for the Surface Laptop.
Surface Pro 9
Sources told Windows Central that Microsoft is working on merging the Surface Pro X with the mainline Surface Pro brand, and this could mean a Surface Pro 9 would be made available powered by Intel or Qualcomm chips.
The Qualcomm-powered model is expected to feature a customized Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 SoC called the Microsoft SQ3. This new SoC will give it improved performance compared to the existing Surface Pro X.
The Intel-powered model, on the other hand, is expected to feature a 12th-gen processor. It's currently unclear as tho whether this will be a U- or P-series chip.
Microsoft could also release a new Surface Pro with 5G LTE.
Surface Studio 3
Microsoft might release a new Surface Studio 3, featuring improvements and updates inside and out. The new device is expected to feature a new processor, although it remains unclear as to whether this will be an 11th- or 12th-gen chip.
Consumers should expect to see only one Surface Studio configuration this time, one that is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor backed up by 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage.
Project Volterra
Microsoft's first mini-desktop PC, the Project Volterra, could make its way to this year's Surface event. This device, built by the Surface team, features a Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 under the hood and could be sold as a developer kit only.
There's more
Fans should expect to see more devices and accessories at this year's Surface event once it happens on Oct. 12 at 10AM ET. For the meantime, readers are urged to stay tuned for more updates.
