Microsoft announces "media event" for October with expected Surface refresh in tow

By Daniel Rubino
published

Microsoft Surface logo
Microsoft Surface logo (Image credit: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

Microsoft sure likes the month of October and 2018 is no different. Microsoft has just sent out media invites for a low-key press event during the month with a focus on expected hardware refreshes to its Surface line reiterating its commitment to consumers.

As to expectations of what this event will entail there have been reports of a Surface Laptop and Surface Pro refresh, both getting latest Intel "Whiskey Lake" processors and finally moving to a Type-C port in place of the outdated mini DisplayPort.

Microsoft's invite to the press for its October event.

Microsoft's invite to the press for its October event.

A Microsoft Surface Studio 2 is also not off the table. Announced two years ago the Surface Studio impressed many with its bold design, but the processor hardware was underwhelming. Keeping the same design but putting some beefier specs inside – and even making a lower cost entry-level version – is a possibility.

As to the big speculation – a "Surface phone" (aka Andromeda) – we are not expecting any such hardware and we are very confident we can rule out any such announcement during this event in October.

Windows Central will be on the ground October 2 in New York City to cover the announcement. It is not likely to be broadcast live.

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been here covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Microsoft Surface, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics and ran the projectors at movie theaters, which has done absolutely nothing for his career.

217 Comments
  • That will be boring if it is phone-less event
  • You're boring.
  • I choose bezel-less Zenbooks 2018 over any surface laptops, pro and books
  • That's fine
  • The bezels are perfect for one handed use while moving, anything less would pose pal rejection issues.
  • The bezels are perfect for one handed use while moving, anything less would pose pal rejection issues.
  • Why would less bezels like me more than my friends?
  • 😂😂😂😂😂😂
    That is hilarious
  • Lol 😏
  • What are you doing with the other hand?
  • ZenBook design is boring as hell. Just slim down the bezel? Boring...
  • Lol, you're on the wrong site then...
  • And you enjoy returning broken asus crap and not getting warranty all the time too? I would not waste a penny on Asus garbage anymore. been there and done that with three vivotabs, all developed touch screen issues, all were tossed because Asus did not honor their warranty on them. I owned them for 4 months. JUNK.
  • No, he's right..... We want something we can use the majority of the time. That's a mobile device..
    .......
    I would like to see new Surface devices because they are necessary, but I would LOVE to see something exciting for damn once.
  • "we" Come on, man. You're not a committee. You mean you want this. It's not everyone's priority.
  • Maybe he was referring to all the people that want a more mobile Windows experience. There are dozens of us Dan! DOZENS!! Haha
  • Well actually daniel, when I read the streams of correspondence on windows central there is usually a thread calling for mobile. Really, what does ms need beyond hearing aids? It appears that more than one person calls for mobile, be it andromeda or a phone, and re-skinning android phones with Launcher seemingly does not fit the bill.
  • Maybe he means "we" like in the "we are not amused" sense?
  • I agree with rodneyej thus making the use of "we" perfectly fine here.
  • No, I'm pretty sure he's right on this one...
  • It may not be everyone's priority but it is pretty high on the list for more than a few I'd guess. I, for one, would love to get off of the Google ecosystem completely. No way I'm going to Apple so that just leaves me hoping Microsoft will step up. How do they reiterate their commitment to consumers without a phone(ish) device? #joinsthecommittee
  • I am NOT a committee!
    Sorry...couldn't resist...
  • Yup, Microsoft is becoming a really boring company these days. YES "we" want something exciting. It is human nature to want excitement in our lives. There's nothing exciting about a new processer on a laptop every other year. Something like that doesn't even require a media event because it isn't news, it's the bare minimum. Has any exciting new product come out since Balmer left?
  • @oolong Steve Ballmer left in 2014 just before the Nokia D & S acquisition was closed. Since then we had the Surface Book (2015), Surface Studio + Surface Dial (2016). Just three examples of new products since Ballmer left. Did Microsoft drop the ball again in the mobile space under Satya Nadella? Absolutely, but to say No exciting products came out since Ballmer left would be absolutely false.
  • I miss Balmer and how exciting these media events used to be a few years ago.
  • Why is he boring ! When you are ditched after years of loyalty to windows phone you always hope that they will be loyal to windows fans by doing again a decent phone
  • Yeah, I don’t expect a "Surface phone" (aka Andromeda) hardware at this event. But, Microsoft should at least finally confirm it’s real and coming in 2019. They’ve played this game too long. Apple announced the Apple Watch like six months before it was released. Microsoft needs to do something similar to get developers excited.
  • They aren't gonna do that. You know they aren't gonna do that.
  • Yep, agree, Nutty Nadella canned it already. Hope I'm wrong but Nadella has form.
  • Or at least they can announce all the Surface Andy rumors were completely false and nothing is in horizon so we can change bandwagon to Samsung with their Galaxy X apparently coming out in November...
  • It's not coming out in Nov. It's not even coming out this year
  • If it comes out this year, it'll be in November; otherwise in January 2019 at CES...
  • Completely agree, Samsung said it's coming this year. At Samsung Developer Conference in November they will show something.
    I don't completely exclude Microsoft could announce Andromeda at this event with a 2019 release date...there's been a lot of news around foldable phones lately with Huawey and other companies fighting for who will be the first to release it.
  • I'll bet it doesn't launch this year
  • I'm with you on this; it's time they showed their colours. Announce it or denounce it...
  • Coming out and launching is two different things. It WON'T be out this year. No "if" about it
  • I recently purchased a Galaxy Note 9 after my L950XL broke. To tell you the truth, it has provided me with the most satisfying experience ever since I started using the smartphones. Besides its remarkable Video, Audio, AI camera, the S Pen and Dex are the ones that impress me the most. Especially the Dex Pad, it puts MS' Continuum effort in shame. MS started with a concept, but Samsung actually made it work - nicely. It would take a lot now to lure me back to Windows mobile if there is one. Andromeda probably could, but it has to have robust phone features.
  • Glad you finally have been enlightened. Ppl really are depriving themselves a good modern phone experience in chase of a good modern phone experience
  • I've had an android phone with the last year and a half, since my 950XL broke. Frustrating and overall worse experience all around, except for the few times I had access to an app that was otherwise missing.
  • next time buy a decent android phone not a $100 one, then talk about experience.
  • Exactly. There's nothing a 950xl can do that a note 9 cannot
  • Correct. And dozens more that the Note 9 can do and the 950 XL can't. And it's not only about the Note 9. Take for example many others: GS8,GS9,Note 8, LG G6,G7,V30, Huawei P20,Mate 10 Pro, Google Pixel, Sony etc. Comparing the old retired, unfinished and buggy windows 10 mobile to either android or ios is useless...
  • I bought last year the Note 8. I remember my old 950XL with a smile, but the Note is miles ahead. I just want more battery like the one in the Note 9.
  • Happens all the time. Under Nadella MS has become a "gunna" company. It's gunna do this then it's gunna do that and then it actually does .... zilch .... and other componies eat them up.
  • THERE IS NO PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Get over it... There will Never (ever) be a phone or even Andromeda for that matter without an app ecosystem. That ecosystem was supposed to preexist in the Windows 10. The store apps are a complete joke. UWP is dead.
  • UWP is not dead, but PWA app ecosystem would be Andromeda's future. Appscope ( https://appsco.pe/ )
  • It would be and should be both UWP and PWA.
  • useless...while some apps can be very well turned into PWAs, many of them will not play well in that form, and I doubt devs would give a damn optimizing them for windows leaving this app ecosystem again in a mediocre state with half baked junk.
    UWP is dead...no one seems to give a damn about it, not even MS.
  • Under Nadella ms has focused on business, ignoring consumers so my guess is that the biggest October reveal will be that the Store is closing at Christmas 2018.
  • I agree it will be boring
  • like all MS events.
  • Oof. I'd be quite unhappy if they refreshed the Pro, I just got mine. Got tired of waiting, with all rumours about 2019. Would be much nicer to have it with USB-C and 4 actual cores indeed. But if they do it now, it definitely won't have that rumoured wireless charging... Refreshed Studio would be about time though. It's form is incredible, but it's getting really outdated. I'd love one (eventually).
  • Tech will always get better, if you need something now, get it now! If you can wait until next year, take it back. Not saying this will happen but if they announce a refresh, don't expect the version you want to drop until 2019. If it drops earlier great, if it drops later, you've planned for it. But if you keep waiting, you'll always wait
  • I second Mister Burns. The only major complaint I have about my Surface Pro, besides the fact that I didn't get the 8GB model, is that the i5 could be faster. (This is putting aside the screen design or manufacturing error that makes the bottom of the screen brighter than the rest.) Otherwise, I'm happy with the device and I don't care for USB-C. Given a refresh and knowing what I know about the 2017 version, I might actually take the 2017 version at its clearance price (as you'd imagine) and not get the upgraded version.
  • Studio should definitely be next in line for a refresh since it's the oldest of all the current lineup. It's been about a year and a half since the Pro and Laptop launched which was how long the Pro 4 was out before them so new models for those make sense. The thing I'd love to see but I'm not sure if they'll do it is an external monitor based on the Studio.
  • There has to be at least 1 major hardware to justify an event. Otherwise they would have just done a press release if they are just refreshing internals.
  • You really have no idea how this stuff works, sorry.
  • Is there any chance of teaser of Andromeda like surface hub 2
  • With Microsoft's history I doubt it. They don't play that way.
  • Would very much love that but it probably not coming until it's ready.
  • nevertheless it is dumb to do a whole event if there wont be any major announcements. just do a god damn press release. i dont want to listen to panos talk about the same stuff again. hopefully there will be something more than what you're talking abut in the article. microsoft just doesnt get me excited about anything they announce nowadays.
  • Then sh up and don't care?
  • Then go watch TV? How is your issue here our problem or Microsoft's? It's not.
  • thats my opinion. since when do you decide how i should feel about microsoft. this is how i feel and i will say it. you have become so pathetic man.. get your head out of microsoft rear and see how idiotic decisions they have been making recently.. i used to get excited about new lumia, windows phone 7 then 8 and even 10. i was a fan of zune, the band and cortana but they have killed all those.. not cause people didnt like it but they couldnt deliver a good experience..
  • Every time someone says anything negative about MS, they react in the same manner...don't bother.
  • The event is not for you. As stated in the article. Microsoft likes to hold events like this in Oct. Some press events are major events with lots of fanfare. This event is a low key event to discuss some nice updates to the Surface line-up. If Microsoft does decide to release a smaller device they will have a press conference for the device. I would not hold my breath.
  • You shouldent be rude to your readers ,sorry
  • These young guys haven't learned yet. Everyone learns at some point. Be patient with him.
  • These Youngblood are new.
    Danny Rubes is just hazing 'em.
  • He regularly sh*ts on the readers on the podcast as well.
  • Eli, because a lot of them are dense.
  • Richard Champness is right, Dan, with all due respect, you're kind of treading into ****** bag territory here. Not everyone is as savvy with the inner workings or "secret plans" at Microsoft and the Tech Industry in general, but they shouldn't be discouraged from participating in the conversation. Instead of taking a dump on comments that irritate you, you could help them to better understand what's going on here and draw them a parallel to how Apple makes a big show about incremental improvements and how Microsoft is essentially taking their hardware business model and attempting to use that template to continue growing their business and customer base. Otherwise, just "go watch TV" instead of reading through these comments and replying all pompous. Yes I am Canadian for everyone wondering.
  • There's only one cool part of Canada, otherwise it's like admitting you're from Minnesota
  • Lol omg
  • Rather be from the uncool part of Canada than be an American.
  • Canadians are still North Americans.
  • *sigh* yeah and Brazil is America too. It was pretty clear they meant USA in that context.
  • Not the same country, not the same values bucko
  • But Steve, don't you know that anywhere outside the goold old usa is a third world country? The ms treatment of the rest of us is surely proof positive.
  • I get most every ms service. I'm not talking bout that. I am talking as a human.
  • Better being from Minnesota than a place that has healthcare that routinely kills you because of how backed up the system is