After a rather timid 2023 growth, Microsoft’s Surface range could profoundly change from next year, notably with a new ARM chip designed by Qualcomm and design changes.
After a timid refresh of the Surface range in 2023, Microsoft apparently aims to completely review the design of its computers by 2024. After the departure of Panos Panay, head of Surface devices, in last September, it will be essential for Microsoft to prepare for the profound changes that the PC market will undergo next year.
And according to information gleaned by Zac Bowen, journalist at Windows Central, it seems that the Surface range will embrace the era of “AI PCs” from 2024.
The Surface range is ARM for the future of PCs
The first change, and it’s a big one, concerns the innards of the Surface Laptop and Surface Pro computers. In 2024, the two machines will be offered in two versions: one with a 14th generation Intel chip and one with an ARM chip. The latter will no longer be branded Microsoft, but Qualcomm, with a visibly modified version of its Snapdragon X processor.
These PCs embedding new generation ARM chips have the code name “CADMUS” internally at Microsoft and are, unsurprisingly, aimed at the next version of Windows, the name of which is not yet known between Windows 12 and Hudson Valley. These machines will be optimized for all AI-related tasks thanks to an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) integrated next generation.
This is the first step for Microsoft, which should in 2025 use its own chips, a variation of Azure Maia and Cobalt, its processors already used in data centers. The objective remains the same, for Microsoft as for other OEMs: to catch up with Apple in the race for performance per watt and energy efficiency.
Surface Laptop and Surface Pro: a design that will evolve
But it’s not just the technical sheet that will change in 2024 for the Surface, their design could significantly evolve. According to Windows Central, the Surface Laptop 6 should sport more curvy lines with much thinner bezels around the screen. Two sizes will be offered for the laptop: 13.8 inches (compared to 13.5 inches currently) and a large model still at 15 inches.
The connectivity offer could also improve with an additional USB-C port (two in total) in addition to the USB-A port. The touchpad should offer optical feedback, a technology found on the Dell XPS or even Huawei’s MateBook X. Finally, and as expected, the keyboard will accommodate a Copilot key for quick access to Microsoft’s AI chatbot.
The Surface Pro 10, the manufacturer’s next tablet, should also offer updates beyond its components. We therefore expect a brighter screen that supports HDR, even if we do not yet know whether it will be the HDR10 or Dolby Vision standard. Microsoft is also reportedly testing a model with a slightly lower definition, 2160 x 1440 instead of 2880 x 1920, which would be less expensive and therefore more accessible.
That’s about all we know for the next version of Microsoft’s devices. The firm is also planning updates for its Surface Laptop Go, but also for Surface Laptop Studio in 2025, which should also offer Intel and ARM versions. By then, every manufacturer (except Intel) will have its ARM chip aimed at the general public and the PC market will be profoundly different from what it is now. And we can’t wait to be there.