Microsoft launches Surface Pro 9, Surface Laptop 5, Studio 2+: Here's what's new

Microsoft has updated the Surface lineup. The new Surface devices include the 2-in-1 tablet PC Surface Pro 9, Surface Laptop 5, and Surface Studio 2+ desktop PC. 

Surface Pro 9 retains the trademark 2-in-1 design which includes a metal kickstand and detachable keyboard. It also has a 13.3-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate and Surface Pen support, similar to its predecessor the Surface Pro 8.

Microsoft isn't one of the top PC vendors in terms of unit shipment but offers a wide range of devices catering to different user segments under the Surface brand. What sets the new Surface apart is the new hardware. The Surface Pro 9 has three variants. The 5G version runs on Qualcomm’s SQ3 processor, while the non-5 G variants run on the latest Intel 12th generation core i5 and i7 processors. The devices offer up to 1TB of SSD storage, support WiFi 6E standard, and up to 19 hours of battery backup (5G version). 

The 5G variant also has a new Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for running machine learning (ML) algorithms. Microsoft claims that the new Surface Pro 9 offers up to 50% better performance than its predecessor. 

The Surface Pro 9 starts at $999 while the 5G variant starts at $1,299.

Surface Laptop 5 also offers minor hardware upgrades with no design changes. Microsoft has used the 12th gen Core i5 and i7 Intel processors and there is no AMD variant this time. The rest of the features are more or less the same. The Surface Laptop 5 also starts at $999.

The Surface Studio 2+ has also received a hardware upgrade but instead of the 12th gen Intel Core i7 processor, it uses the previous 11th gen processor. It is still a big leap considering that this Studio segment is being upgraded after four years. Its predecessor Studio 2 was launched with Intel’s 7th gen Core i7 processor. 

Surface Studio 2+ has a 28-inch display with 4500 x 3000p resolution, 32GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU (6GB GDDR6) and 1TB SSD. It has a single variant priced at $4,299.  

Though the launch of new Surface devices expands the options for users, the demand for laptops has slumped since last few quarters. According to a Gartner report, published on Tuesday, the global PC market witnessed its steepest decline in the last two decades in the September quarter after shipment of PCs fell 19.5% year-on-year (YoY) to reach a total of 68 million units. 

The return to work and the opening of schools have impacted demand, especially for laptops. Demand for desktops has remained robust in enterprises, but the volume is much smaller.