What you need to know
- Images of the next Surface Pro and Laptop have leaked as they pass through certification in Korea.
- The images suggest that the devices will share the same external designs as their predecessors.
Microsoft is expected to launch new versions of its Surface Pro and Surface Laptop early next year, and today images of those products have appeared online as they pass through certification in Korea. These images confirm that the devices won't be featuring any new designs, instead opting to keep the external chassis' the same as the previous generation.
The listings were spotted by Cozyplanes on Twitter, who also noted that the certification listings confirm the model number of each: 1950 for the Surface Laptop and 1960 for the Surface Pro. Because of how minor these updates are, I do wonder if Microsoft will opt to just call these the "new Surface Pro" and "new Surface Laptop" similar to what it did with the 2020 Surface Pro X.
According to my own sources, the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop will launch in mid-January and feature Intel 11th-generation processors with Intel Iris Xe graphics. The Surface Laptop will have AMD options again, but I don't know which specific CPU options will be offered just yet.
I understand that this launch will be a quiet one, with little fanfare outside of the initial announcement. The Surface Pro 8 is also expected to feature an LTE option for customers who need it, I'm told. I'm also hearing that Microsoft is hoping to start rolling out the Surface Duo in more markets shortly after the new Surface Pro launches.
So it's looking like Microsoft's early 2021 hardware lineup with consist of a new Surface Pro, Surface Laptop, and the Surface Duo rolling out to more markets. I'm not expecting to see a new Surface Studio anytime soon, but I have heard that a new black option for the Surface Go 2 might show up in January too.
In the meantime, what are your thoughts on the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop? Let us know in the comments.