- Surface Laptop 6 and Pro 10 will feature Intel’s 14th-Gen and ARM chips with NPUs to enable new AI features.
- These devices should also significantly improve performance and battery life.
- The Laptop 6 is the device expected to ship with more design changes.
- They should arrive in the spring of 2024 with the new version of Windows, but pricing is still unknown.
Microsoft is reportedly working to launch its new Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 sometime in spring 2024. In 2023, the company released updated versions of its Surface line, including a new Surface Laptop Studio 2, Laptop Go 3, Surface Go 3, and Surface Hub, but it didn’t have anything in store for Pro and Laptop devices.
However, it appears that Microsoft didn’t neglect to refresh these devices. Instead, I believe that the plan was to delay the upgrade of the most popular Surface devices until after the Intel 14th-Gen and Qualcomm X Series processors were available to allow the next version of Windows to take advantage of their NPU (Neural Processing Unit) for AI features.
If true, this would explain why the last refresh felt the company was giving up on the platform after Panos Panay departed from Microsoft since the upgrade to devices was minor, and there was no introduction for new Pro and Laptop models.
As for the new devices, I understand that Microsoft will position the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 as the next generation of computers powered by AI with new hardware designs and options of Intel 14th-Gen and Qualcomm X Series processors.
Surface Pro 10
According to a report from Windows Central, the Surface Pro 10 will retain many of the same aesthetics as the previous model, but the biggest upgrade will be found in the internals and display. For example, the device is expected to include a brighter display with HDR support, rounded corners, and an anti-reflecting coating to minimize glare. The display is rumored to introduce a lower resolution (2160 x 1440) but for the cheaper model.
Other hardware improvements could include an NFC (Near Field Communication) reader for commercial customers and a new wider FoV webcam that will be enhanced with the Windows Studio Effects.
Aside from the device itself, Microsoft is working on a new Type Cover that will feature a dedicated Copilot button. Although this is another way for the company to push its chatbot AI, in my opinion, it doesn’t bring any additional value since Copilot is already one click away from the Taskbar or using the “Windows key + C” keyboard shortcut. (You can even create a dedicated Copilot shortcut manually.)
Surface Laptop 6
As I understand, the Surface Laptop 6 will be the device with the most significant update. This new version of the laptop is expected to unveil new design changes with a display with rounded corners, thinner bezels, and a new variety of ports.
This laptop is expected to ship with two screen sizes, 13 and 15 inches, but with some physical changes. For example, the 13-inch will actually sport a 13.8-inch display (up from the previous 13.5-inch) in the same chassis, which is possible thanks to the thinner bezels. On the other hand, the 15-inch model will also have thinner bezels, but because the company will be shrinking the actual device.
Finally, the Surface Laptop 6 is expected to include two USB-C and USB-A ports as well as the Surface Connect port for charging. Again, in a continued effort, the company will build a dedicated Copilot button in the keyboard, and it’ll be adding a new touchpad with haptic feedback.
Another important piece of information is that we could be seeing the Surface Laptop 6 with up to 64GB of RAM and up to 2TB of storage.
Intel and Qualcomm processors
As I previously mentioned, the Surface Laptop 6 and Surface Pro 10 will be available with Intel’s 14th-Gen and Qualcomm X Series processors. These chips should not only help to bring to life many of the AI features that Microsoft is planning to release in 2024 with the new version of the operating system (which the company may or may not call “Windows 12”), but they will also help to boost performance and extend battery life (especially for the ARM-based models) and bring these devices close to the Apple’s iPad Pro and MacBook Air.
And Microsoft will not stop here. According to the same report, the company is already working on more noticeable design changes for the Pro line, but we won’t see them until the end of 2025. Some of these rumors include a new 11-inch, in addition to the 13-inch display.
Also, the company is working on updating its Surface Laptop Studio with Intel and ARM processors, but this won’t happen until the end of 2025. However, in 2024, we may also see another update for the Surface Laptop Go, and Microsoft may even release an update for the Surface Pro 9 and Laptop 5 for commercial customers.
Finally, it is important to note that rumors of AI capabilities coming to Surface devices have been going around for some time now, and the company is planning these upgrades not only for the Pro and Laptop models but for all Surface devices eventually.
The pricing of these new devices is still unclear, but they should be close to the current models.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].