It's that time of year again! Microsoft is rumored to be gearing up to release new Surface hardware, so I've rounded up everything we're expecting to see get announced this spring. It sounds like this spring will be a minor refresh for existing product lines, with no new form factor products or major hardware redesigns expected.
This spring, word on the rumor mill is that Microsoft will unveil updates to its Surface Laptop and Surface Headphones product lines. These updates will feature minor spec bumps, with no significant changes to the external hardware design or feature set. Microsoft is also set to announce a handful of new accessories, most of which will be aimed at commercial customers.
So, here's everything we know:
Surface Laptop 4
Microsoft is expected to unveil the next iteration of its Surface Laptop, featuring Intel 11th-Gen or AMD Ryzen 4000 processors on the inside. For the first time, Microsoft will offer AMD chips in the 13.5-inch model, and the line-up will start at $999 for the 13.5-inch variant with AMD Ryzen 5, 8GB RAM, and 256GB storage.
We understand that Microsoft will be replacing the Cobalt Blue color option found on the Surface Laptop 3 with the new Ice Blue color scheme that was first introduced with the Surface Laptop Go. Alcantara will still be an option for those who want it on the 13.5-inch model, but the 15-inch remains metal-only.
Users will be able to configure the Surface Laptop 4 with up to 32GB RAM as well. The overall design and feature set of the Surface Laptop 4 is expected to remain the same as its predecessor, however. Will the new Surface Laptop replace the Laptop 3 as our pick for best Surface PC? We'll have to wait and see.
Surface Headphones 2+
In addition to a new Surface Laptop, we know that Microsoft is also planning to unveil a minor update to the Surface Headphones 2, likely dubbed "Surface Headphones 2+." This release will be aimed at commercial customers only just like the Surface Pro 7+, and are said to be "Teams Certified" unlike previous models.
According to Brad Sams, the Teams certification comes in the form of a dongle accessory that allows the headset to connect to a PC without Bluetooth. Additionally, word on the rumor mill also suggests that Microsoft will begin selling the earmuffs separately for customers who need to buy replacements.
I do know not to expect any major changes to the hardware. Overall audio quality, design, and feature set is expected to remain the same, though I'm told the Surface Headphones 2+ will only be offered in black.
Accessories
Petri has reported that Microsoft is planning to unveil a new webcam this spring, and I'm hearing this will show up alongside the Surface Laptop 4 and Surface Headphones 2+. In addition, I'm told that the Microsoft Classroom Pen 2 will start shipping to commercial customers this month.
Release date
When will Microsoft unveil this new hardware? It's hard to say, but I've been told to expect an announcement to take place in mid-April, with hardware starting to ship to customers a week or two thereafter.
So that's everything we know about Microsoft's spring Surface hardware refresh. Of course, Microsoft can cancel or change its plans at any time. For now, what are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments.
To see what else we expect this year, make sure to check out our 2021 Surface predictions list for things coming later this fall.
