Surface Hub is dead: Microsoft pulls the plug on its 50-inch and 85-inch collaborative touch displays

Microsoft has killed its Surface Hub line of collaborative PCs. According to sources familiar with the matter, the company has ended production on its latest generation Surface Hub 3, and that the company has scrapped any plans to deliver a Surface Hub 4 in the future.

I'm told that although production has ended, Microsoft and third-party retailers still have stock available to sell through, but once that's gone, that will be the end of it. Of course, Surface Hub is a device that was only ever sold to commercial customers, and were often purchased in bulk by enterprises looking to fill meeting rooms with large collaboration displays.

Surface Hub 3 was available in both 50- and 85-inch sizes, starting at $8,000 for the smaller model and $20,000 for the larger model. The device was unique in that the display and compute components were separate, meaning the entire computer could be upgraded without replacing the display.

Microsoft only ever took advantage of this design once. The Surface Hub 2 and Surface Hub 3 share the same displays, with the Hub 3 compute cartridge being made available to buy standalone for Surface Hub 2 customers who wanted to upgrade to a Surface Hub 3 without paying for a new display.

Surface Hub 2S Hands-On: Cutting-Edge Collaboration - YouTube

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The Surface Hub 3 could also rotate, supporting both portrait and landscape orientations. Unfortunately, it seems these alluring features weren't enough to keep the product line alive, as the company has now ended development on any future models.

For customers who own a Surface Hub 3, the product will remain supported with OS and firmware updates until the end of 2030, so the devices won't become unusable anytime soon. With that said, if you were interested in grabbing a Surface Hub for your home office or small business, you might want to act fast.

The death of Surface Hub joins the many other experimental and unique Surface form factors that have been left behind in the last couple of years. In 2023, Microsoft killed its dual-screen Surface Duo smartphone, which was quickly followed by its 32-inch Surface Studio AiO and 14-inch Surface Laptop Studio.

These days, the Surface portfolio is focused primarily on Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, with variations of both product lines reaching different price points. Gone are the days of wacky form factors, with Microsoft now focused on delivering laptops and tablets that rival Apple and appeal to commercial customers.

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