Microsoft’s Surface line consists of some of the best laptops you can buy — the versatile Surface Pro 8 has long been our best 2-in-1 pick, and the more traditional Surface Laptop 4 is one of our favorite notebooks from the last few years. Perhaps that’s why the company has stuck to what’s working with the Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5: two attractive (if iterative) upgrades to two of the finest PCs out there.
The latest Surface notebooks bring more power to the table as well as fresh color options that should help them stand out in a sea of silver. But who should actually upgrade? Here’s a closer look at the Surface Pro 8 and Laptop 5 as well as Microsoft’s revamped Surface Studio 2+ all-in-one desktop.
Where to preorder the Surface Pro 9, Surface Laptop 5 and Surface Studio 2+
Microsoft’s new Surface lineup is available for preorder today from microsoft.com, and is set to launch at most major retailers on Oct. 25. In addition to the $999.99 Surface Pro 9, $999.99 Surface Laptop 5 and $4,499.99 Surface Studio 2+, Microsoft is also launching a range of new accessibility-minded accessories as well as a $249.99 Microsoft Audio Dock that serves as a speaker, microphone and USB-C hub all in one.
Surface Pro 9
At a quick glance, it’s hard to tell what’s new about the Surface Pro 9, the latest version of Microsoft’s long-running (and excellent) 2-in-1 laptop. It’s still a sleek tablet that can attach to a Type Cover keyboard to instantly become a full-on Windows 11 laptop, complete with the thinner bezels and refined design of last year’s Surface Pro 8. However, when you look a bit closer, you’ll find some nice refinements inside and out.
The most noticeable change to the Surface Pro 9 are the new color options, which now include a cool blue Sapphire and a green Forrest option alongside the usual silver and black. This brings a much-welcomed pop of color to the Surface Pro line — while there have always been vibrant Type Cover keyboards available, the actual Surface tablets themselves have typically come in a basic black or silver. Every new color has a matching Type Cover keyboard available, so you can mix and match or create a nice uniform look.
Also unique to the Surface Pro 9 is the new choice of processors available under the hood. Those who just want sheer power can opt for the latest 12th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 chips, which we’ve found to deliver a pretty notable gain over previous generations. If working on the go is a bigger priority, you can outfit your Surface Pro 9 with a Microsoft SQ 3 processor, which will allow you to enjoy fast 5G connectivity for whenever you’re away from a Wi-Fi network.
These upgrades should enhance what’s otherwise a pretty standard Surface Pro, one that packs the usual 13-inch, 2880 x 1920 PixelSense display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate for fluid sketching and scrolling. The Pro 9 promises up to 15.5 hours of battery use on the Intel model (or up to 19 on the 5G model), and features two Thunderbolt 4 ports for your accessories and external displays. As always, you’ll have to buy a Type Cover keyboard and stylus separately — the Pro 9 is designed for the Surface Slim Pen 2 but should support other Surface Pens as well.
Surface Laptop 5
The Surface Laptop 5 is another “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” device, but like the Pro 9, it features a few important tweaks that should make it an even better Windows laptop. It features largely the same design as the Surface Laptop 4 — which we consider one of the best-looking laptops out there — but introduces a new Sage color option (think forest green). I’m sad to see the beautiful Ice Blue option from last generation gone, but the Laptop 5 (which also comes in Sandstone, Matte Black and Platinum) looks to retain its predecessor’s uniquely attractive, minimalist design.
The Laptop 5 is very much your typical annual refresh, this time sporting the latest 12th Gen Intel Core i5 and i7 processors that Microsoft says should make the laptop up to 50% faster than the previous-gen model. The system’s lone USB-C port has finally been upgraded to Thunderbolt 4, which brings it up to speed with most modern laptops and allows for even better connectivity with external 4K displays and high-end storage drives. I also appreciate that the latest Surface Laptop retains its USB-A port, which allows it to play nicely with older accessories.
You’ll once again get your choice of a 13.5-inch or 15-inch model, depending on how big of a screen you want. Note that the 13.5-inch variation comes in all four colors (including a soft Alcantara finish for the Platinum option), while the 15-inch model only comes in Platinum and Matte Black.
The Surface Laptop 4 stood out to us in a big way, thanks to its elegant design, superb keyboard and uniquely tall display, the latter of which gives you more room for scrolling than a comparable 13-inch laptop like a Dell XPS 13 or MacBook Pro. We’re eager to see how its improved performance and ports hold up to the competition — particularly the new MacBook Air M2 — when it lands in our laps this fall.
Surface Studio 2+
Rounding out the new Surface lineup is the Surface Studio 2+, a long-awaited refresh to Microsoft’s all-in-one desktop computer that first launched back in 2016. The Surface Studio stands out from other all-in-ones (like the iMac), thanks to its Zero Gravity Hinge, which can be folded all the way down to easily become a canvas for digital drawing and sketching — a feature that was later adapted for last year’s excellent Surface Laptop Studio.
More power is the name of the game for the Studio 2+, which sports an updated Intel Core H-35 processor that promises up to 50% better speeds than the previous model. You’ll also get discrete Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics, which should deliver much better performance for demanding visual tasks like 3D rendering (and a better gaming experience once work is over.
The Studio 2+ also benefits from a range of quality-of-life upgrades, from quality-of-life basics like Thunderbolt 4 connectivity to small improvements to the 28-inch PixelSense display and Dolby Atmos stereo speakers.
The takeaway
This year’s Surface lineup is more of an evolution than a revolution, and for some users, that’ll be a great thing. The Surface Pro 9 and Laptop 5 look like improved versions of two of the best laptops we’ve ever tested, and if you’re in dire need of a new 2-in-1 or traditional laptop, they’ll likely be your best options out there. However, folks who own a Pro 8 or Laptop 4 can likely hold off for now. The Studio 2+ also looks promising, though its exorbitant price tag will likely limit it to serious creative artists who need both lots of graphics power and a large pen-friendly canvas. We look forward to testing out all of the new Surface products to see which ones will actually be worth your money, so stay tuned for our full reviews.
