Microsoft’s Surface showcase has been and gone - and there have been no signs of life for the Surface Pro 10 nor its little tablet sibling the Surface Go 4.
Sorry folks, but Microsoft's event was rather lackluster for anyone looking to check out some new hardware, with not a tablet in sight. Instead, Microsoft revealed the Surface Laptop Go 3 and Surface Laptop Studio 2. We're going to leave the rest of this article as is until new information surfaces (pun intended).
The Surface Pro 8 helped to breathe new life into a series that was mostly content with very little change across the board (possibly barring the Surface Pro X), and the Surface Pro 9 continued on with some strong spec updates and a slightly updated aesthetic design. That said, there are high hopes that the Pro 10 will innovate even further, or at least be a clear and strong improvement over its predecessors, becoming one of the best 2-in-1 laptops.
There isn't much we know so far, except the fact that unlike the Pro 9, it'll most likely only have a single configuration, a 13th-Gen Intel CPU, or it'll have both the Intel and ARM versions with the latter delayed until 2024. There also seems to be a report spreading about an 11-inch version of the Pro 10 launching with the 13-inch, which would serve to compete with Apple's own iPad variants.
Now that it's over, you can see our blow-by-blow of the event by checking out our Microsoft Surface Event 2023 liveblog.
Microsoft Surface Pro 10: cut to the chase
- What is it? The new Microsoft Surface Pro tablet
- When is it out? Rumored sometime in late September or October 2023
- What will it cost? Most likely starting at $1,299
Microsoft Surface Pro 10: Release date and price
Microsoft is well-known for its rigid annual release schedule when it comes to the Surface Pro series, which is usually the third quarter of every year since 2013. Naturally, the only time this was broken was in 2020 thanks to the pandemic's long-reaching impact on the supply chain and labor causing manufacturing delays.
The main Surface Pro 9 model was released in October 2022 along with the Surface Pro 9 5G and, judging from rumors and a special September Microsoft event for journalists in New York City that's coming up, we could see it as early as September 21. If not, then it'll most likely be sometime around October 12 after the Microsoft event debuts.
As for pricing, there's no official word and rumors are sparse at best. The most we can do is judge based on previous trends, which have seen the price go up with every release. The base Surface Pro 9 model started at $999.99 / £1,099 / AU$1,649 and the 5G version was $1,299.99 / £1,299 / AU$2,599 (with more RAM). Most likely the base version of the Pro 10 will start at $1,299.99.
Microsoft Surface Pro 10: Design
The 13-inch Pro 10 will most likely sport the same 2880 x 1920 resolution and PixelSense Flow touch display with a 3:2 aspect ratio as the Pro 9 did, just like the Pro 9 carried that over from the Pro 8. It'll most likely have the same smooth and rounded edges, along with the kickstand and attachable Type Cover keyboard that's always sold separately.
But what's way more interesting is a report from Windows Central that alleges the Surface Pro 10 will feature two models, the standard 13-inch version and an 11-inch. It's similar to what Apple is doing with its own iPad Pro, which could mean that Microsoft is trying to compete directly with its tablet rival.
According to that same report, the 11-inch Surface Pro 10 will be codenamed Luxor and is similar to the Surface Go except with thinner bezels. It will also be more powerful and have a superior 120Hz display.
Windows 11 got an update back in 2022 with a new tablet mode for devices 11 inches and under. One of the new features makes the taskbar minimize from view when an app is open, while the other auto opens the app to full screen to better emulate Android and iOS tablets. There are plans for even more tablet optimization updates into 2024, which would also explain why Microsoft wants to ship out an 11-inch device.
Microsoft Surface Pro 10: Performance
Currently, there are no hard reports on what to expect when it comes to specs and performance for the Surface Pro 10. Amidst some conflicting rumors, there aren't even any confirmations of whether the Pro 10 will use both ARM and Intel variants again as with the Pro 9, though we can assume it'll be packing at least a 13th-generation Intel chip.
Unfortunately, the next-gen Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors that would have been perfect for the Pro 10 aren't coming out until December 2023 or sometime in 2024, far too late for the next Surface Pro. This also backs the idea of an Intel-only configuration or a delayed ARM version, since we still have no confirmation of an ARM variant as of now.
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