Microsoft has launched its new AI-enhanced Surface Pro, moving away from traditional model numbering to introduce the 'Copilot Plus PCs'. Brett Ostrum, a corporate vice president at Microsoft, emphasized the device's superior performance compared to its predecessors during a launch event.
The Pro is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X processors, featuring options like the Elite and Plus versions, boasting a speed improvement of up to 90% over previous models. Additionally, it offers optional 5G and enhanced battery life, promising up to 14 hours of video playback. There's also an available OLED screen upgrade, Wi-Fi 7 support, and the new Surface Pro Flex Keyboard, which comes in four colors and includes advanced camera features.
Starting at $999, this model includes an LCD display, Snapdragon X Plus processor, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. Higher specifications can take the price up to $2,100. The Flex Keyboard, priced at $450, includes a Slim Pen and offers improved durability and functionality, attached or detached from the Pro. With this release, Microsoft aims to balance the perennial issues of performance and usability in Windows on Arm devices.
Microsoft introduced a new category of computers called Copilot Plus. These devices feature the Arm-based Snapdragon X Elite and Plus processors from Qualcomm, and will eventually include Intel and AMD chips. The processors come with neural processing units (NPUs) designed to power new AI features in Windows 11, making them 58 percent faster than the M3 MacBook Air. Major brands like Lenovo, Dell, Acer, Asus, and HP will launch Copilot Plus devices.
A key AI feature in Copilot Plus PCs is Recall, which logs all activities on your device. This allows users to search and retrieve content they've interacted with, such as conversations in Discord or specific PowerPoint slides.
Copilot is expanding within Windows 11, providing suggestions in the Settings menu, editing files in File Explorer, and writing responses to notifications. It will utilize OpenAI’s new GPT-4o model to answer questions based on the user's screen content.
The latest Surface Pro, featuring Snapdragon X Elite and Plus chips, is up to 90 percent faster than its predecessor. It now offers an OLED display option and comes in four colors: blue, beige, black, and platinum. Starting at $999.99, it’s compatible with the new Surface Pro Flex Keyboard.
The new Surface Laptop also includes the AI-ready Snapdragon X Elite and Plus chips, with a refreshed design featuring thinner bezels and a haptic touchpad. It boasts over 80 percent faster performance than its previous generation and up to 22 hours of local video playback. Available in 13.8- and 15-inch display options, it starts at $999.99 and comes in blue, beige, black, and platinum.
Microsoft is partnering with Adobe and other companies to optimize their apps for Copilot Plus PCs. Native Arm64 versions of Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Firefly, and Express are available today, with Illustrator and Premiere Pro coming this summer. Other apps like DaVinci Resolve, CapCut, Cephable, LiquidText, and Djay Pro will also benefit from AI features.
At the Microsoft Surface event, key highlights included the introduction of Copilot Plus PCs with advanced AI capabilities, new AI features like Recall, and expanded Copilot integrations in Windows 11. The event also showcased the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models, both featuring Snapdragon X Elite and Plus chips, and announced partnerships with software companies to optimize apps for these AI-ready devices.
In addressing a slower Surface device, it's vital to consider various tweaks and optimizations specific to the system settings and installed applications to regain optimal performance.
The Surface Pro 9 stands out as the fastest in the lineup, featuring top-tier processors such as the 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1245U and i7-1265U. It is available in models starting from 256GB of storage, harnessing the capabilities of the Intel® Evo™ platform for enhanced performance.
The Surface Pro 10 is integrated with advanced AI support through the Microsoft Copilot key. It augments user productivity by accommodating diverse input methods including touch, voice commands, and the Surface Slim Pen for writing prompts. Note that the pen is an additional purchase and certain features might require a separate software license.
The Copilot feature for Windows is available at no additional cost. Users with the latest version of Windows can access these features freely.
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