Hands-on first impressions of Microsoft’s Surface Duo 2, Surface Laptop Studio, and more
I spent some time with Microsoft’s latest Surface hardware — here’s what I love and what I think was missing.
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Microsoft held its nowannual hardware eventthis week. It unveiled one of its most extensive updates to the Surface line since 2015 — Surface Duo 2, Surface Pro 8, Surface Go 3, updates to Surface Pro X, and the star of the show, Surface Laptop Studio.
Media got a bit of a hands-on with the new devices this week, and I was able to talk to the people who worked on the products about what’s new, how they did things, and lots of other little interesting tidbits. While we’ll all undoubtedly learn more in the coming weeks — especially with full reviews likely around release time — here’s a good primer of things that were not in the press release.
Surface Duo 2: A whole new device
Microsoft’s original Surface Duo is intriguing and frustrating, as our Senior Windows Editor Zac Bowden recentlyopined.
Surface Duo 2is a whole new beast, a fact thatthe announcement revealed. It has been redesigned from the ground up with 2021-era smartphone features in mind instead of the original concept behind Surface Duo, which was a pocketable Surface with Windows.
The hardware feels much more substantial now and not nearly as delicate as the first version, which I think required the bumper case to feel secure in your hand. I didn’t feel that way with Surface Duo 2, likely because it’s slightly thicker now (5.5mm opened instead of 4.8mm). But the hinge is also redesigned. It’s a bit stiffer and feels … better. It’s hard to describe.
Check out the 20-image gallery below:
Microsoft wasn’t shy about showing off the new cameras. From what we have heard, the company outsourced some of the computational algorithms for the camera to a Japanese company which is why it can do well in low-light situations. We’ll have to test it, of course, but so far, it easily looks to be upper mid-tier in 2021.
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Fun things I learned:
Look, we need to properly test Surface Duo 2 to know how good it is. Still, between NFC, the new cameras, the processor, new screen materials, 90Hz refresh, curved inner display, and support for Surface Slim Pen, I (along with other present media) was impressed.
Cons:It’s still crazy expensive and has an uphill battle to win converts. But this is a massive step in the right direction.
The Surface Duo 2 is set to improve upon its predecessor in a whole host of meaningful ways. If you’ve been waiting for the ideal Duo experience, it might finally be here.
Surface Laptop Studio: “The most powerful Surface ever”
As we told you, Microsoft did make a bring-it-forward design for an all-new device:Surface Laptop Studio, which wasjust announced.
In my review of theHP Elite Folio, I said that design is the way 2-in-1 laptops should go — not the 360-hinge stuff. Microsoft thought the same as this is a very similar design, but it is executed entirely differently from HP.
At first glance?It’s like you merged Surface Pro 8 with Surface Laptop 4 and then added a weird bottom to it. It’s both familiar and different, redefining what a laptopcouldbe, which I love.
Some takeaways:
Surface Laptop Studio looks like a killer laptop. The display is excellent, and the camera, GPU, and that design make it unique right now.
Cons?Microsoft is still not using anti-reflective displays. 🤦♂️ I’d also lament no LTE, but that’s a very niche complaint.
The Surface Laptop Studio is taking the old 2-in-1 mindset in an interesting new direction. If you have $1,600 lying around, it’s an exciting option.
Surface Pro 8: The sleeper hit
Surface Pro 8isexactlywhat we anticipated, and frankly, wanted, from Microsoft: Take the design cues from Surface Pro X and put them into Surface Pro 8. Now add Thunderbolt 4.
And that’s what Microsoftdid with today’s announcement.
Surface Pro 8 gets a 120Hz refresh (defaults at 60Hz), thinner bezels, support for Surface Slim Pen 2, two Thunderbolt 4 ports (no more Type-A), and LTE options forallmodels.
Some quick impressions:
The Surface Pro line was basically perfect, but Microsoft sorely needed to update critical aspects. They did that with Surface Pro 8. It can connect to an eGPU now, the display looks much better, you get better performance, and many more minor tweaks make this Pro so good. I think this will be a massive winner in reviews.
Cons:No anti-reflective display, again. All models now have fans in them, which is interesting.
If you want the looks of Surface Pro X alongside Thunderbolt 4 and an assortment of other useful additions, the Surface Pro 8 is here for you.
Surface Slim Pen 2: Blew my mind
It’s kind of hard to get excited about a pen — or is it? The haptics inSurface Slim Pen 2changes everything, in my opinion.
The pen now has virtually no lag and requires almost no pressure to activate. But the haptics! You can make the pen feel like a pencil on paper. It truly tricks your brain into thinking you are using an analog device.
I’mveryexcited about Surface Slim Pen 2. It takes the concept of digital inking to a whole new level. It’s so seamless to use but makes a huge difference in usage, whether for taking notes, drawing, or photo editing.
Cons:You’ll need new Surface hardware to make use of that haptic ability.
Digital inking has new ceilings to break, if the Surface Slim Pen 2 has anything to say about it. So long as you have a Surface Pro 8 or Surface Laptop Studio, you’ll get the best possible Slim Pen 2 experience.
Wrapping up
This was a great Microsoft Surface event. It delivered both what the market demands and what Surface fans have been clamoring for (Thunderboooooolt).
I didn’t mentionSurface Go 3or Surface Pro X as those are pretty minor upgrades. Granted, thosenew processors for Surface Go 3are welcomed, as there is no such thing as being too fast. We’ll have to see how much of a difference it makes.
Surface Pro X just gets a Wi-Fi-only option (seeannouncement), which drops the entry price to $899. That’s welcomed but disappointing for those who wanted a version 3. That said, we hear that Qualcomm is set to announce its Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 in December on a new Cortex base. That means we should get a “major” upgrade for Surface Pro X later in 2022.
I’m not sure which was my favorite of today’s news. Surface Duo 2 is the most interesting because it hasso much to prove this time. Can it do it? It’s evident Microsoft is aware of that pressure. This version really seems like the one to get if you can afford it.
Surface Pro 8 is a slam dunk. I can’t see how it doesn’t sell exceptionally well and get excellent reviews. Surface Laptop Studio, I think, is also a hit along with that new Slim Pen 2 for both devices.
I’m glad Microsoft is going with this pull-it-forward design for Surface Laptop Studio. Same goes for taking the lead on haptic trackpads. That’s the future of convertibles.
We will, of course, have much more coverage of all these devices in the coming weeks.
Let me know what you liked the most and what you found the most disappointing!
Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer,podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.
