Microsoft watcher Brad Sams has revealed in his new book several upcoming Surface products that are rumored to be in the works internally. I have heard from several sources in the past that Microsoft is working on a table-top speaker, powered by Cortana, that will focus on keeping you productive in meetings at work or around the house. Sams' new book, called Beneath A Surface, further confirms these plans, noting that an "ambient computing device" is something Microsoft is prototyping internally.
In addition, Beneath A Surface reveals that Microsoft is also working on bringing a modular Surface Studio to the market in the 2020 timeframe. A modular Surface Studio would allow for users to have different configurations of the device, including a hub module that allows the studio to be used as a monitor. This is something that fans have been asking for ever since Microsoft introduced the original Surface Studio in 2016. Take that same design, add the ability to pull out the built-in computer, and use it as a monitor. That could finally be happening in 2020.
Sams' book also suggests that Microsoft is looking into building Surface products with AMD chips inside, as Intel continues to drop the ball when it comes to moving to its new 10nm processors. We could see an AMD powered Surface Laptop as soon as next fall, which would line up alongside the unveiling of Microsoft's foldable tablet, Andromeda. The book also mentions that Andromeda might be larger than expected, something ZDNet's Mary-Jo Foley reported hearing back in the summer.
Making Andromeda larger would remove it from being a pocketable device, turning it into even more of a spiritual courier successor than it already was. Andromeda was originally going to be Microsoft's next mobile device, a handset that when folded would fit in your pocket and take calls and texts. If these new rumors are true, Andromeda won't be that product by the time it ships.
Beneath A Surface is on sale now, and is packed with internal insight into the world of Surface. What are your thoughts on the these rumored Surface devices? Let us know in the comments.
Updated December 1 2018: Clarified Surface Studio rumors.
