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This might be a big year for the Surface after all

Fionna Agomuoh
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The Surface Pro 9 with the Type Cover keyboard lifted up.
Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

After a disappointing and concerning 2023, the Surface line of laptops might end up having an interesting year in 2024 after all.

According to the latest reports, there may already be a potential lineup for Microsoft Surface products set for 2024, with the first devices likely set to ship in April and June.

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WalkingCat, a popular leaker on X (formerly Twitter), claims that the brand has updated versions of the Surface Pro and Surface Laptops expected to be unveiled around March 21 before being made available for purchase in April. There is no word on whether these models will be announced with an event or via a press release, but based on what’s coming, we can make some assumptions.

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Surface Event = 3/21 ?? 🤔

— WalkingCat (@_h0x0d_) January 17, 2024

The name sequence for the devices also remains up in the air, with Windows Central suggesting the models could be tagged the Surface Pro 9+ and Surface Laptop 5+. Since the devices are set for such an early-year launch, they are expected to run more current software, in particular, Windows 11 Moment 5. They will be coupled with commercial versions of its 14th-gen Intel chips.

Other prospective features on these models include an antireflective display, a new NFC reader, and support for Windows Studio Effects, according to the publication.

Microsoft is then expected to highlight the potential Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 in June, with features aimed at preparing the device to host the next version of Windows. The PCs will both feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip and be classified as true AI PCs, as per Microsoft’s standards.

The Qualcomm chip includes a next-gen neural processing unit (NPU), which is set to power AI features for the PCs at launch and to support future OS updates, including Windows Germanium, which is the code name for Windows 12. According to Born’s Tech and Windows World blog, it won’t be available to manufacturers until early April, meaning the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 will also launch with Windows 11.

The similarly consumer-focused PCs have had rumors circulating about them since last year, with the Surface Pro 10 expected to feature an HDR display with 2160 x 1440 or 2880 x 1920 resolution options and an antiglare coating, rounded corners, and an updated Type Cover with a dedicated Windows Copilot button, according to Windows Central.

The back of the Surface Pro 9, with the kickstand pulled out.
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Surface Laptop 6 is expected to come in 13.8-inch and 15-inch display models, with rounded corners and thin bezels, two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, a Surface Connect charging port, a haptic touchpad, and a keyboard with a button dedicated to Windows Copilot, the publication added.

Microsoft might have even more products to showcase later in the year as the next OS platform, presumably named Windows 12, is expected to be announced somewhere around that time. Many sources expect a June launch and suggest the brand could tease the software during the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 unveiling.

There is also word of a Surface Laptop Go 4 refresh and a consumer-centered Surface Go 4 model, which could launch in October, possibly making it eligible to run the new Windows system. However, not much else is known about those devices just yet.

Either way, Microsoft is clearly carefully prepping the launch of these new Surface devices, and even aligning them with big updates to Windows. These are the first examples of how Microsoft will be handling the brand in this new post-Panos Panay era.

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Fionna Agomuoh
Fionna Agomuoh
Computing Writer
Fionna Agomuoh is a technology journalist with over a decade of experience writing about various consumer electronics topics…
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