Fall Microsoft Event: Surface Laptop 5, Pro 9, and Studio 2+

The “Techtober” train is continuing to travel, most recently on Oct. 12 with Microsoft unveiling a few new Surface devices. At a virtual event, the Surface Laptop 5, Surface Pro 9, and Surface Studio 2+ debuted alongside several new accessories.

Interestingly, Microsoft (MSFT) didn’t introduce or share any updates around its smartphone, the Surface Duo, or its audio products like the Surface Headphones. Rather they focused on 2-in-1s, desktops, and laptops for updates this year.

Let’s unpack what you need to know about each and if you’re already sold, how to lock in an order.

The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website.

In the world of Windows laptops, Microsoft’s Surface Laptop generally sits at the higher end. It’s a flagship device with leading processors, a premium design, and boasting all the flashy features capable of Windows 11. Of course, they also offer the Laptop Go 2 as a more affordable version.

And like the previous generation, the Laptop 5 comes in two sizes: a 13.5-inch or a 15-inch, both touchscreen PixelSense displays. Additionally, they’re set in a 3:2 aspect ratio which lets you fit more on the display vertically. New for 2022 is Dolby Vision IQ, which will tune the colors to provide the best picture based on where you’re using the laptop — it makes the adjustments through an ambient light sensor. This is a pretty common feature with TVs, including the Fire TV Omni QLED.

For video calls or for maybe some movie projects on the fly, Microsoft is sticking with an HD webcam that can also authenticate for Windows Hello face unlocks and Studio Microphones built into the laptop.

Design and materials wise the Laptop 5 is sticking with an aluminum build that aims to be sleek and modern. Like a MacBook Air, there’s a company logo on the back and it comes in a few shades. You can pick from platinum, sage, matte black or sandstone for the 13.5-inch Laptop 5, while the 15-inch only comes in platinum or matte black.

Powering the Windows 11 experience on the Laptop 5’s are Intel’s latest 12th generation chips. Microsoft says these should be over 50% faster and more capable than the previous generation. These chips, either an i5 or i7, are both Evo which is the latest platform and design available from Intel.

The Surface Laptop 5 is more refinement and a processor boost, than a full redesign or a major change. If you likely have a Laptop 4, you’re alright to sit this one out most likely. The Surface Laptop 5 is up for order now starting at $999.99 and will begin shipping on Oct. 25

Just like the Surface Laptop 5, the Surface Pro 9 sticks with a working design and focuses on improving the experience with more powerful chips. And here’s the big change, you can pick from an Intel processor a Microsoft SQ3 processor by Qualcomm Snapdragon — the latter being an ARM based mobile processor that allows for 5G support.

The Microsoft SQ3 processor extends the battery life up to 19 hours, which should surpass the all-day promise from the Intel model, and a dedicated neural processing unit. This should help move-along AI features, specifically. The Pro 9 with this processor also supports 5G connectivity. The Intel-based Pro 9 just like the Laptop 5, will deliver a speed bump of over 50% generation over generation.

Both should speed up Microsoft’s 2-in-1 Windows 11 tablet, but otherwise much of the experience is similar here. The Surface Pro 9 still features an aluminum case that comes in a few new shades: platinum, graphite, sapphire, and forest. From the photos they all look pretty sharp as well and there’s still a kickstand built into the back. Regardless of colors, these feature a 13-inch PixelSense touchscreen display with Dolby Vision IQ, a 120Hz refresh rate, a 3:2 aspect ratio, and a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for extra durability.

You can pair these with a Surface Pro Keyboard for a laptop-like experience complete with a full keyboard and trackpad. Plus, the Surface slim pen 2 and regular pen are still supported here.

Microsoft’s taking pre-orders now for the Surface Pro 9, which starts at $999.99 for a 12th gen Intel Core i5 chip or $1,299 for the Microsoft SQ3 processor. Either way, they’ll begin shipping on Oct. 25

• Surface Pro 9, Intel Processor (starting at $999.99 at Amazon or Microsoft)
• Surface Pro 9, SQ3 Processor (starting at $1,299.99 at Amazon or Microsoft)

Alongside updates to the Pro 9 and Laptop 5, Microsoft also announced the Surface Studio 2+. Which is a desktop that can sit like a normal 28-inch monitor fold close to flat. It starts at $4,499.99 and comes with a pen, keyboard, and mouse as well. As the “+” in the product name hints at though, this is also a speed bump and some new capabilities for the previous Surface Studio 2.

For instance, it opts for the same 28-inch PixelSense display that can stand tall for a traditional computing experience or lay flat for use like a table. It’s ideal for creators or those who use the pen, as you can use the vibrant, sharp display like a canvas, albeit a digital one. It’s a sharp one as well with a 4500 x 3000 resolution.

Out of the box the Studio 2+ is running Windows 11 and is powered by an 11th gen Intel processor which is up to 50% faster than what was in the standard Studio 2. It also gets a dedicated graphics card via a Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU These should provide plenty of performance for everyday productivity tasks, more intense creative ones, and even some gaming. The Studio 2+ comes with 1TB of solid-state storage and 32GB of RAM as well.

Microsoft is taking preorders for the Surface Studio 2+ now and it will begin arriving to customers on Oct. 25

• Surface Studio 2+ (starting at $4,499.99 at Microsoft)

Recently, Microsoft dropped two new accessories. The first is a $249.99 Audio Dock which is a speakerphone combined with a dock on steroids. You can plug a laptop or desktop in to get an additional two USB-C ports, a USB-A port, and an HDMI port along with built-in microphones and speakers. It aims to boost productivity — and let you not get as tangled with cords — but also to improve the call experience. We’re interested to see how this stacks up with some similar speakerphones, like this one from Anker.

Similarly, there’s the Microsoft Presenter+ for $79.99. It’s a simple remote that lets you control presentations, both from home or while speaking to a larger group. As you might expect, it’s purpose built for Microsoft Teams with a hand-raise button, built in haptics for when you click a button, and a mute button.

Just like the Surface Pro 9, Laptop 5, and Studio 2+, these are both up for order and begin to ship on Oct. 25

Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing.