Microsoft has introduced two new Surface devices with Windows 11, both set to be launched in October around the same time as the new operating system. For the same month, the company also has announced a new edition of its two-screen folding smartphone, the Surface Duo 2.
The Surface 8 Pro tablet, which can be used as a notebook with an optional keyboard cover, has grown from 12.3 to 13 inches compared to its predecessor and is said to offer more computing power with eleventh-generation Intel Core i processors and has more efficiency.
According to Microsoft, it offers up to 16 hours of battery life – one hour longer than the Surface 7 Pro. The almost borderless touchscreen on the Surface 8 Pro can display high-contrast images (Dolby Vision).
The 5-MP front camera backed up by two far-field microphones should enable video calls in high quality, a welcome feature for anyone continuing to work remotely after lockdown.
The 10 MP main camera can also record 4K videos. For the first time on a Surface device, there are also Thunderbolt 4 ports–- and not just one but two.
The second new Surface device with Windows 11 is the Surface Go 3 tablet. It’s being marketed as an everyday device that’s also perfect for the classroom.
The tablet, which can also be turned into a notebook using a keyboard sleeve, retains its 10.5-inch format but gets new Intel processors (Pentium Gold or Core-i3) and Wi-Fi 6.
There also is an update for Microsoft’s folding smartphone, which has two displays connected with a 360-degree hinge and runs Android as its operating system – but with a Windows-specific interface and many Microsoft apps from Outlook to Office.
On the Surface Duo 2, the two displays grow slightly from 5.4 to 5.6 inches, resulting in a diagonal of 8.3 inches. Thanks to the Snapdragon 888 processor, the smartphone is also 5G-capable. And while the predecessor still had to take photos and videos with only one camera, the Duo comes with a triple camera system.
The Duo allows two different apps to be used side by side or you use it like a tablet and the app shows across the entire display surface of the two screens. The Surface Duo 2 will be available October 21.
