Hands-on first impressions of Microsoft's Surface Duo 2, Surface Laptop Studio, and more

Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central

Microsoft held its now annual hardware effect this week. It unveiled one of its near all-encompassing updates to the Surface line since 2022 — Surface Duo 2, Surface Pro viii, Surface Go three, updates to Surface Pro X, and the star of the show, Surface Laptop Studio.

Media got a scrap of a hands-on with the new devices this week, and I was able to talk to the people who worked on the products about what'southward new, how they did things, and lots of other petty interesting tidbits. While we'll all undoubtedly acquire more in the coming weeks — specially with full reviews likely around release time — here'southward a good primer of things that were non in the press release.

Surface Duo 2: A whole new device

Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Key

Microsoft'south original Surface Duo is intriguing and frustrating, as our Senior Windows Editor Zac Bowden recently opined.

Surface Duo ii is a whole new beast, a fact that the announcement revealed. It has been redesigned from the ground upwards with 2022-era smartphone features in mind instead of the original concept backside Surface Duo, which was a pocketable Surface with Windows.

The hardware feels much more substantial at present and not most as delicate as the first version, which I think required the bumper instance to feel secure in your hand. I didn't feel that style with Surface Duo 2, likely considering it's slightly thicker now (5.5mm opened instead of 4.8mm). Merely the hinge is too redesigned. It's a chip stiffer and feels … amend. Information technology's hard to describe.

Check out the xx-image gallery below:

Microsoft wasn't shy about showing off the new cameras. From what we accept heard, the company outsourced some of the computational algorithms for the photographic camera to a Japanese company which is why it can practice well in low-light situations. We'll accept to test it, of course, only then far, it easily looks to be upper mid-tier in 2022.

Fun things I learned:

• The snap-on case is similar a hard trounce with some texture (not a safe TPU like the bumper). It felt fantastic.
• Y'all don't need that case to stick the Surface Slim Pen to the front cover; you but need it to charge the pen wirelessly.
• The Slim pen really sticks to Surface Duo 2 difficult, which is what I was hoping for. It'due south like a safety fridge magnet strong, so y'all'll take to really pull it to get it off. That means, yeah, it should be fine in your pocket.
• Acme bezels are still a bit thick but razor-thin on the sides, and the curved inner brandish is a beautiful effect.
• Microsoft Start (its new News app) now spans, thank God.
• Gameloft optimized three games for on-screen controls, including Asphalt nine. Microsoft is pushing gaming on this thing with Game Pass (they demoed Sea of Thieves on it).
• On the correct is your live prototype, on the left is your camera roll.
• The new camera app spans and is really lovely. Editing is as well dual-screen with tons of features, sliders, inking abilities, and more. It's well thought out and purposeful.
• Yes, Microsoft reinforced the entire chassis, then the Type-C port should not cleft. And with Gorilla Glass Invictus and that hardcover, Surface Duo 2 feels very sturdy.
• Using Surface Duo 2 one-handed is fiiiiiiine. Yes, information technology'due south not entirely flat (information technology wasn't either on Surface Duo 1 with the bumper), merely it felt perfectly OK. Microsoft insists information technology'due south very potent, durable. The cover never hits the camera lenses, either. Fifty-fifty with the Surface Slim Pen, cover instance, and reverse folded, it'south thick, but it was like shooting fish in a barrel to handle.
• Microsoft Launcher is updated. The news/widget feed resembles Windows xi at present. The notification panel has sliders for volume and brightness, so you can adjust them in any posture where the buttons may be blocked. Information technology's also wider now and looks much better.
• The new blackness colorway looks first-class.
• Screen rotation is very fast, as is the device's overall functioning thanks to that Snapdragon 888.
• Information technology has a new digitizer, then touch on input/response should be amend this fourth dimension.
• Android 12 should come much quicker than Android eleven for Surface Duo i.
• The Glance Bar is very cool to see in activeness.

Await, we need to properly examination Surface Duo 2 to know how adept it is. Still, betwixt NFC, the new cameras, the processor, new screen materials, 90Hz refresh, curved inner display, and back up for Surface Slim Pen, I (along with other present media) was impressed.

Cons: It'south withal crazy expensive and has an uphill battle to win converts. But this is a massive step in the right management.

Surface Duo 2

The Surface Duo 2 is set to better upon its predecessor in a whole host of meaningful ways. If y'all've been waiting for the ideal Duo experience, it might finally be here.

Surface Laptop Studio: "The near powerful Surface e'er"

Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central

As we told you, Microsoft did make a bring-it-forward design for an all-new device: Surface Laptop Studio, which was just announced.

In my review of the HP Elite Folio, I said that design is the way 2-in-1 laptops should go — not the 360-hinge stuff. Microsoft idea the same as this is a very similar design, merely it is executed entirely differently from HP.

At commencement glance? It's like you lot merged Surface Pro 8 with Surface Laptop four so added a weird lesser to it. It'due south both familiar and different, redefining what a laptop could be, which I honey.

Some takeaways:

• The hinge design is not the same as the patent from this summer, but maybe they'll exercise that in a few years.
• Microsoft uses textile on the within to hide the wires. Information technology doesn't stretch, is super strong, and goes into the display when you switch postures. Even the cables backside the display motion as you switch postures. It's then overly mind-blowingly complicated on the inside just make clean and elementary on the outside: Pure Microsoft "hinge-applied science!"
• Why non … vi- or 8-core CPU, or AMD, or higher resolution display, or …? No good answers besides balancing price, device and audience intention, thermals, and attaining good battery life.
• The display is default 60Hz. Users can manually put it to 120Hz. A subsequently update will enable Dynamic Refresh Rate in Windows 11.
• Haptic trackpad! I've been pushing this tech hard in 2022, and Microsoft delivered. Microsoft made this one itself, although there may exist more than to this story: Stay tuned. Information technology felt nifty, and it fifty-fifty has an adjustable slider for intensity. Loved information technology.
• RIP Surface Book every bit Surface Laptop Studio replaces information technology.

Surface Laptop Studio looks like a killer laptop. The display is excellent, and the camera, GPU, and that design brand it unique right now.

Cons? Microsoft is nonetheless not using anti-reflective displays. 🤦‍♂️ I'd also complaining no LTE, only that'south a very niche complaint.

Surface Laptop Studio

The Surface Laptop Studio is taking the old 2-in-i mindset in an interesting new direction. If you have $1,600 lying around, information technology's an exciting option.

Surface Pro eight: The sleeper hit

Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central

Surface Pro 8 is exactly what we predictable, and frankly, wanted, from Microsoft: Take the design cues from Surface Pro X and put them into Surface Pro 8. Now add together Thunderbolt 4.

And that's what Microsoft did with today'due south announcement.

Surface Pro 8 gets a 120Hz refresh (defaults at 60Hz), thinner bezels, back up for Surface Slim Pen ii, two Thunderbolt four ports (no more Type-A), and LTE options for all models.

Some quick impressions:

• It looks exactly like Surface Pro X. You lot can merely tell the deviation with the vents on the rear.
• Going from 12.3-inch to thirteen.0 may non sound like a lot, only it makes a huge usability difference.
• New 10MP camera on the rear with 4K video! Interesting.
• Forepart-facing camera can now "confront-lock" onto you lot, and then if you lot move or take a drink of java, your face is e'er in focus. Subtle, but a nice characteristic.
• Dolby Vision (HDR for video) and Dolby Atoms audio back up! Very happy about that.
• The chassis has a more aggressive tapper now; it looks and feels keen.
• Uses the same Surface Type Encompass as Surface Pro Ten.

The Surface Pro line was basically perfect, simply Microsoft sorely needed to update disquisitional aspects. They did that with Surface Pro 8. It can connect to an eGPU at present, the display looks much better, you get better performance, and many more minor tweaks brand this Pro so skilful. I call back this will be a massive winner in reviews.

Cons: No anti-reflective brandish, again. All models now accept fans in them, which is interesting.

Surface Pro 8

If y'all desire the looks of Surface Pro X alongside Thunderbolt 4 and an assortment of other useful additions, the Surface Pro eight is here for you.

Surface Slim Pen 2: Blew my listen

Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Primal

It's kind of hard to go excited about a pen — or is it? The haptics in Surface Slim Pen ii changes everything, in my opinion.

The pen at present has virtually no lag and requires about no pressure to activate. Simply the haptics! You tin can make the pen feel like a pencil on paper. It truly tricks your brain into thinking you are using an analog device.

• Just for Surface Pro 8 and Surface Laptop Studio.
• Likewise cartoon, there is haptics for all sorts of things like resizing. Where there are touchpoints, the Surface Slim Pen two gives feedback, letting you lot know you can drag and resize a box. It makes things and so much faster and more natural for photo editing piece of work.

I'g very excited about Surface Slim Pen 2. It takes the concept of digital inking to a whole new level. It's so seamless to use simply makes a huge divergence in usage, whether for taking notes, cartoon, or photo editing.

Cons: Yous'll need new Surface hardware to make utilise of that haptic power.

Surface Slim Pen ii

Digital inking has new ceilings to pause, if the Surface Slim Pen 2 has annihilation to say about it. Then long equally you accept a Surface Pro 8 or Surface Laptop Studio, you'll get the all-time possible Slim Pen 2 experience.

Wrapping up

Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central

This was a great Microsoft Surface upshot. It delivered both what the market demands and what Surface fans have been clamoring for (Thunderboooooolt).

I didn't mention Surface Go 3 or Surface Pro X as those are pretty minor upgrades. Granted, those new processors for Surface Get 3 are welcomed, every bit in that location is no such affair as being too fast. We'll have to see how much of a departure information technology makes.

Surface Pro Ten merely gets a Wi-Fi-just pick (see announcement), which drops the entry price to $899. That's welcomed but disappointing for those who wanted a version iii. That said, we hear that Qualcomm is ready to announce its Snapdragon 8cx Gen three in Dec on a new Cortex base. That means nosotros should get a "major" upgrade for Surface Pro X later in 2022.

I'k not certain which was my favorite of today'south news. Surface Duo 2 is the most interesting because it has then much to prove this time. Can it practice it? Information technology'due south evident Microsoft is aware of that pressure level. This version actually seems like the one to get if yous can afford it.

Surface Pro 8 is a slam douse. I can't see how it doesn't sell uncommonly well and become excellent reviews. Surface Laptop Studio, I remember, is also a striking along with that new Slim Pen ii for both devices.

I'm glad Microsoft is going with this pull-it-forrard design for Surface Laptop Studio. Same goes for taking the atomic number 82 on haptic trackpads. That's the future of convertibles.

We will, of form, have much more coverage of all these devices in the coming weeks.

Let me know what you liked the virtually and what you found the nearly disappointing!

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