Microsoft’s Surface event is September 22: rumors, predictions and announcements to expect

Will we see a Surface Duo 2? Will this be a big update from the original?

Probably yes, and big is relative.

YouTube: technical rat

Authentic-looking photos of devices that need to be upgraded are a pretty strong indicator that the announcement is imminent. This is where we are on Duo 2; Apparently leaked photos emerged in July, giving Microsoft plenty of time to prepare the device for the October event. Potential changes include a rear camera bump with a trio of cameras – 16-megapixel ultra-wide, 12-megapixel telephoto, and 12-megapixel standard, plus a time-of-flight sensor for depth. Additionally, we expect white or black color choices with a frosted glass exterior and the lack of a dedicated fingerprint reader, which Windows Central says has been integrated into the power button. It also indicates that the USB-C port has been moved. The site also believes the new Duo will feature a Snapdragon 888 processor and two 5.8-inch “high refresh rate” displays. That may be enough to cheer up Scott Stein, who was disappointed with the rather low-end specs of the original Duo.

But the most telling sign that we’ll see a Surface Duo 2 is Microsoft’s clearance sale on the original model. At the beginning of August, you could get it for as little as $ 400, and even now you can get it at half the original price directly from Microsoft. It has also just passed certification with the United States Federal Communications Commission, with a mention of wireless charging. Before you get excited, it’s probably just inductive charging for the stylus (like an Apple Pencil 2), according to Windows Central.

Will there be a Surface Pro 8? What about a Surface Go 3?

Probably

Sarah Tew / CNET

An upgrade to the Surface Pro line is long overdue – the design is quite old at this point, with big ugly bezels – and Windows Central says a new model is expected to go on sale on October 5, the same day. that Windows 11 ships. Rumored changes include a larger screen and thinner bezels, to mimic the design of the Surface Pro X, USB-C / Thunderbolt support (mostly for connecting to storage devices and displays modern) and 11th Gen Intel chips, like the Surface Pro Plus announced in January. The screen would be larger than that of the Surface Pro 7, possibly closer to the 13-inch screen size found on the Surface Pro X.

Another possibility is support for a similar dynamic 120Hz screen refresh rate, similar to the recently announced iPhone 13 Pro (and which has been on the iPad Pro for some time).

An updated but not redesigned version of the budget Surface Go 2 is also very likely, as Geekbench results have surfaced with the new 10th gen Intel Pentium and Core i3 processors. But it’s a tear-off budget, which means it probably won’t be redesigned until something comes from a more expensive sibling. However, better performance is always welcome in this segment.

Will we see a Surface Book 4?

Maybe under a new name.

The Surface Book line was Microsoft’s stab at a powerful two-in-one, which allowed it to incorporate discrete graphics into the base for better “docked” performance. But I still found it to be a really awkward design. The most intriguing rumor I’ve seen is that it will be redesigned with a hinged hinge that allows you to pull the screen down, much like the iPad Pro Magic Keyboard or Asus Concept D Ezel models. It was also announced that it will integrate the latest Nvidia RTX 30 series GPU and 11th or 12th generation Intel processors; either would be great, but that’s not how Microsoft works. It is more likely that he can get the latest generation processors. It’s also been said that instead of the Surface Book 4, the line could be rebranded as “Surface Laptop Pro,” which actually makes a lot of sense.

Should we expect a new Surface Pro X?

May be.

The last time Microsoft’s Qualcomm-powered Detachable Surface got a refresh was a year ago. This makes time for a little design update. Windows on Arm-based devices still hasn’t made the dent Microsoft had hoped for, and to put on a good show with Windows 11, it needs to incorporate the latest processor – perhaps the same Snapdragon 888 that’s rumored for the Duo. 2. Windows Central has also heard that there may be a Wi-Fi-only model.

Will we have a new Surface Laptop? A Surface Laptop Go 2?

Probably not.

The Surface Laptop line was refreshed in April 2021 with Surface Laptop 4, predictably with latest-gen Ryzen or 11th-gen Intel processor offerings. Equivalent Intel mobile processors are usually updated towards the end of the year, so they’ll likely be next gen soon enough.

The Surface Laptop Go has had little to no update buzz, but it launched in October of last year. At most, it’ll likely have a processor bump, but Microsoft typically leaves it for a few years unless it’s something high-tech like the Duo. Considering that this is the online budget model and we are in the midst of a shortage of components, it is even less likely that there will be an update for a while.

Why is Microsoft still charging $ 3,500 for the obsolete Studio 2?

This is the display.

I have to ask this because there haven’t been any rumors of an update to this once state-of-the-art all-in-one in years, and it still sells with the older Nvidia GTX graphics and a seventh-generation Intel processor – neither of which were impressive or new when the upgrade was announced nearly three years ago. Frankly, the IT part of the Studio has never been anything to write home about; it was always about the display, a 28-inch widescreen pull-down screen with support for pressure-sensitive drawing. The screen and hinge have always been unique to Microsoft, which makes the system so expensive to this day.

But there have been rumors over the years that Microsoft has turned the display into a stand-alone display (although it could be just the voices in my head), and unless it isn’t considering overhauling the system, the business really needs to come up with a different strategy. If a new Surface Studio desktop is announced at the event, I’ll be happy. But very surprised too.