The new Surface Pro is nearly here! But innovation has slowed down since 2014, when the Surface Pro 3 got a fully adjustable kickstand to give the screen a broader range of viewing angles, similar to real laptops.
Announced on Tuesday at a press event in Shanghai, the 2-in-1 laptop is a faster and quieter version of the Surface Pro 4, but without the bulky extra number in its name. The company had previously suggested it would not be launching a new Pro, outright denying that it has been working on a Pro 5. In fact, Microsoft’s technical fellow and the co-inventor of Surface, Stevie Bathiche, mentioned in a recent interview that the new Surface Pen is twice as response as the Apple Pencil. “It’s lighter than the previous generation product, and it’s more powerful with no fan”.
We know that Microsoft would be introducing a new line of Surface devices tommorow at the Microsoft’s Hardware Shanghai event.
The new Surface Pen as briefed by Microsoft is its most responsive Surface Pen ever.
Like its predecessor, the new Surface Pro is a Windows 10-running tablet that gains laptop functionality with the addition of a Type Cover keyboard accessory.
The Surface Pro ships with a 12.3-inch PixelSense display with a 2736×1824 pixel resolution.
Sure, I could buy a cheap Bluetooth keyboard that costs less than the Type Cover, but part of the allure of the Type Cover is its magnetic and removable connection to the Surface Pro.
Also being brought to China later this year is the HoloLens, Microsoft’s augmented reality headset, said Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft. The new Surface Pen will be available in the coming weeks. If Microsoft is serious about selling the new Surface Pro as a laptop, it’ll need to come bundled with the Type Cover keyboard.
The Surface Pro 4, by comparison, did start at £749 in the United Kingdom and $899 in the USA, but it has seen a price drop since the recent announcement, now starting at £675. Surface Studio will be available for preorder starting today at microsoft.com and select third-party retailers, and will begin shipping in these markets on June 15, 2017.
Microsoft isn’t offering the 4G LTE models, though – and while the entry-level Wi-Fi variant with 2GB RAM and 64GB of storage is listed on the Store, it’s now out of stock.
