What you need to know
- Microsoft has announced a new form factor laptop dubbed "Surface Laptop Studio".
- It's a replacement for the Surface Book and features a new 2-in-1 design.
- It also has 120Hz display and a new Precision Haptic touchpad.
- Pricing starts at $1,599 and begins shipping next month.
Microsoft has unveiled its next-generation Surface laptop today, featuring a brand-new 2-in-1 design not yet seen on a Surface device before. Dubbed the "Surface Laptop Studio," this new laptop features a 14.4-inch display attached to a unique hinge that allows the display to be pulled forward and laid flat over the keyboard deck for drawing and inking.
The company says that the Surface Laptop Studio is being positioned as a replacement and successor to the Surface Book line, which likely means we won't be seeing another Surface Book with a detachable display again.
The Surface Laptop Studio features an 11th-Gen Intel Core i5-11300H or i7-11380H, which are a little more powerful than the Intel 11th-Gen chips found in the Surface Laptop 4 and Surface Pro 8. The device can be configured with either 16GB or 32GB of RAM, up to 1TB storage, and can even wirelessly charge the new Surface Slim Pen 2, which is sold separately.
The new 14.4-inch display also has a high-refresh rate of 120hz, which will make using Windows 11 feel super smooth with all its new animations. Curiously, the new 14.4-inch display isn't as high of a resolution as that found on the Surface Book line. The device has two USB-C ports, both of which are Thunderbolt 4 enabled, a headphone jack, and the Surface Connect port for those who prefer Microsoft's magnetic charging port.
| Category | Surface Laptop Studio |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 11 HomeWindows 11 ProWindows 10 Pro |
| Processor | 11th Gen IntelCore i5-11300HCore i7-11370H |
| RAM | 16GB, 32GBLPDDR4x |
| Graphics | Iris Xe (i5)NVIDIA RTX 3050 Ti Laptop (i7)NVIDIA RTX A2000 Laptop (i7, commercial) |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB SSDUpgradeable |
| Display | 14.4 inches2400x1600201 PPI3:2 aspect ratioDolby VisionUp to 120HzTouch |
| Ports | Two Thunderbolt 43.5mm audioSurface Connect |
| Audio | Four Omnisonic speakersDolby AtmosTwo far-field mics |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Camera | Front-facing 1080pIR camera |
| Keyboard | Backlit |
| Touchpad | PrecisionHaptic |
| Pen | Surface Slim Pen 2(Not included) |
| Security | IR cameraFirmware TMP (consumer)Hardware TPM 2.0 (commercial)BitLocker (commercial) |
| Battery | Up to 19 hours (i5)Up to 18 hours (i7) |
| Dimensions | 12.7 x 9.0 x 0.7 inches(322.6mm x 228.6mm x 17.8mm) |
| Weight | i5: 3.83 pounds (1.7kg)i7: 4.0 pounds (1.8kg) |
Also new to the Surface Laptop Studio is a new "Precision Haptic" touchpad, which means the touchpad itself is static and no longer moves when clicked. Instead, special haptic engines underneath the touchpad vibrate to make it feel as if you're clicking down, similar to Apple's MacBook touchpads.
In the GPU department, Surface Laptop Studio is rocking Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics in the i5 model, and a more powerful NVIDIA RTX 3050 Ti in the i7 variants. Commercial customers can also configure the Surface Laptop Studio with an RTX A2000 if necessary.
Microsoft touts up to 19 hours of battery life, a huge jump from its other Surface products, though real-world testing will likely see that number come down a bit. Pricing for the Surface Laptop Studio begins at $1,599 and is expected to start shipping on October 5 in the United States and Canada, with pre-orders open now.
| SKU | Price |
|---|---|
| Intel Core i5, 16GB RAM, 128GB Storage, Iris Xe | $1,599.99 |
| Intel Core i5, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage, Iris Xe | $1,799.99 |
| Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti | $2,099.99 |
| Intel Core i7, 32GB RAM, 1TB Storage, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti | $2,699.99 |
| Intel Core i7, 32GB RAM, 2TB Storage, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti | $3,099.99 |
Surface Laptop Studio will ship in 47 additional markets in early 2022, though Microsoft is yet to specify which markets specifically. For now, what are your thoughts on Surface Laptop Studio? Let us know in the comments.
The 2-in-1 gets weirder
Microsoft's new Surface Laptop Studio delivers an interesting take on the 2-in-1 form factor. Instead of being a tablet with a detachable keyboard, the display is no longer detachable and can instead be pulled forward and laid flat over the keyboard. It also has a new Precision Haptic touchpad, a 120Hz 14-inch display, and powerful Intel and NVIDIA chips.
