Microsoft is launching a new generation of Surface devices that aims to offer something for everyone.
In new blog post from Chief Product Officer, Panos Panay, and Microsoft CVP of Devices, Robin Seiler, Microsoft today announced the Surface Book 3 and Surface Go 2, as well as refreshed Surface Headphones. The company is also finally releasing the Surface Earbuds.
Headlining the announcements are the Surface Book 3, the company’s latest high-performance two-in-one laptop with a detachable display, and the Surface Go 2, a lower-cost two-in-one tablet that’s designed like a smaller Surface Pro.
Beyond that, Microsoft is branching out with its lineup of audio accessories. The company unveiled the Surface Headphones 2, an updated pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones, and confirmed a price and release date for the Surface Earbuds, the set of AirPods-esque true wireless earbuds it first unveiled in October.
The Surface Book 3 promises “up to 50% more performance” over the Surface Book 2 released 2.5 years ago. Battery life lasts up to 17.5 hours, a minor bump compared to its predecessors’ 17 hours. Starting at $2,149 CAD, both 13-inch and 15-inch flavors are available for preorder now and start shipping on May 21. Both the 13.5-inch and 15-inch Surface Book 3s are based on Intel’s recent “Ice Lake” 10th-gen chips, both well-regarded mobile processors with integrated graphics
Microsoft’s followup to the original Surface Go squeezes a slightly larger, higher-resolution 10.5-inch screen inside the same ultralight Windows tablet hardware. The key to the upgraded Surface Go 2, though, is probably the processor: an 8th-gen Intel Core m3 chip improves the overall performance by a whopping 64 percent, according to Microsoft. The Surface Go 2 is priced beginning at $529 CAD, and will ship May 12 in versions for consumers and for businesses.
With the Surface Headphones 2, Microsoft is delivering improved sound quality and battery life when compared to the predecessor. Surface Headphones 2 now offers 13 levels of ambient noise control and delivers 20 hours of great sound with ANC enabled on a single charge. You can listen to almost an hour of music with just a 5-minute charge. Surface Headphones 2 are priced at $349 CAD and will be available starting May 12.
Finally, while the Surface Earbuds are not new, but they are finally shipping. The Surface Earbuds feature voice control and touch controls, letting users play Spotify from your Android phone with a triple tap on either earbud. Most interestingly, the Surface Earbuds work with any virtual assistant, not just Cortana. Surface Earbuds are priced at $259 CAD and will be available starting May 12.
