Microsoft is gearing up for its “year of the AI PC” with two new Surface devices that won’t be sold directly to consumers. Both the Surface Pro 10 for Business and the Surface Laptop 6 for Business feature Intel’s latest Core Ultra processors, Microsoft’s new Copilot, and a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) to bring some current and upcoming features to Windows 11. AI-powered features can be accelerated. They are “the first Surface AIPCs designed just for business.”
Both of these new Surface devices haven’t been redesigned on the outside, so the Surface Pro 10 for Business will look largely like the Intel version of the Surface Pro 9. Surface Laptop 6 for Business has an additional USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port. and an optional smart card reader, but the screen bezels and overall design are the same as the Surface Laptop 5. Both will begin shipping to commercial customers on April 9.
Surface Pro 10 for Business
Microsoft usually lags behind in adopting the latest Intel chips for Surface devices, but this time, the company is one of the first out the door to ship Intel’s new Core Ultra processors.
On the Surface Pro 10 for Business, there’s a choice between Core Ultra 5 135U and Core Ultra 7 165U options, with a base spec of 8GB of memory fully configurable up to 64GB of RAM. Is. The base spec that will retail for $1,199 will also include a 256GB Gen4 SSD. The Surface Pro 10 for Business will include two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports for charging and Microsoft’s Surface Connect port. Microsoft is promising up to 19 hours of battery life with these new Intel chips.
Microsoft has improved the 13-inch display on the Surface Pro 10 for Business with a new anti-reflective coating and 33 percent more brightness. Despite rumors that Microsoft will unveil the Surface Pro 10 with OLED today to be false, the Surface Pro 10 for Business will ship with an LCD display.
I asked Microsoft about the rumored Surface Pro 10 with an OLED display. “We’re not announcing that product at this time,” Nancy Gaskell, general manager of the Surface business, said in an interview. the edge. It certainly sounds like the product exists, so I asked if it did, and Gaskell says, “We’re not confirming any of the rumors at this point, that the Surface Pro 10 for Business will have an anti-reflective display. Comes with.”
Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell me that the company will announce a consumer-focused version of the Surface Pro 10 with an OLED display at its May 20 hardware and AI event.
In addition to the display, the front-facing camera on the Surface Pro 10 for business is also much better. It has a 114-degree field of view and even captures footage in 1440p resolution. “This will be the first camera on the PC market today with an ultra-wide field of view,” says Gaskell. Thanks to the NPU chip inside, you’ll also have access to Windows Studio effects with background blur and automatic framing during video calls. Will get.
Microsoft is also shipping an NFC reader on the Surface Pro 10 for Business, allowing businesses to easily use devices like YubiKey NFC security keys for authentication. Microsoft is also planning a 5G option for the Surface Pro 10 for business. “This is the first time Intel is bringing 5G to the Surface Pro,” explains Gaskill. “We had Surface Pro 8 LTE and Surface Pro 7 Plus LTE, but we brought 5G with Qualcomm earlier in our Surface Pro 9.”
Last but not least, Microsoft is revamping the Surface Pro keyboard with a bold new set of keys with a larger font, better backlighting, and the new Copilot to launch its AI-powered feature in Windows 11. Key included.
Surface Laptop 6 for Business
According to Gaskell, the Surface Laptop 6 has been “redesigned from the inside out” for business. Microsoft has chosen Intel’s Core Ultra H-series chips for the Laptop 6 for Business, designed to deliver desktop-grade performance. Businesses will be able to choose between the Core Ultra 5 135H and Core Ultra 7 165H, with 8GB of RAM on the base $1,199 model that can be configured up to 64GB, and storage that starts with a 256GB Gen4 SSD up to 1TB.
The 15-inch model will include two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports for the first time, along with a regular USB-A, a headphone jack, and Microsoft’s Surface Connect port for charging. The smaller 13.5-inch model will have just one USB-C Thunderbolt 4 along with a headphone jack and a Surface Connect port.
Microsoft hasn’t made any major changes to the display on the Surface Laptop 6 for business, but it has added an anti-reflective coating. The front-facing camera has also been upgraded to a 1080p one, but there’s no wide angle like the Surface Pro 10 for business. You’ll get access to Windows Studio effects with background blur and automatic framing during video calls, though.
Microsoft claims that the Surface Laptop 6 for Business will be twice as fast as the Laptop 5 thanks to Ultra H-series processors. There’s also an optional smart card reader in select markets, and Microsoft’s new Copilot key to access the AI-powered Copilot assistant in Windows 11.
Microsoft will sell both of these devices exclusively to businesses through its own channels and authorized resellers, so they’re not designed for consumers to just pick up at a place like Best Buy. You can still technically buy them from Microsoft’s Business Store online, or through resellers. “Just because these products are built for business doesn’t mean we’re not building products for consumers going forward,” says Gaskell. “We’re committed to that, but we’re announcing those that are specifically designed for commercial.”
Both devices are also Microsoft’s “easiest-to-use Surface devices ever,” according to Gaskell. Microsoft has placed QR codes on both internal components, and the Surface Pro 10 for Business has internal markings to make it easier to identify patch and driver types for specific components.
Microsoft isn’t yet ready to talk about the many AI features it’s adding to Windows later this year, but these two new devices will be ready for them. Microsoft now plans to hold a special Windows and Surface AI event on May 20, where Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will share the company’s “AI vision” for both software and hardware.
I expect to see consumer versions of the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 at the May 20 event, along with some big new AI features for Windows 11 that use NPU chips. Until then, both the Surface Pro 10 for Business and the Surface Laptop 6 for Business will start shipping on April 9, starting at $1,199.