New Surface laptop and desktop PCs mark 10 years of the Surface brand

(Image credit: Microsoft)

To celebrate 10 years of its Surface products, Microsoft has launched a trio of new Surface computers: Surface Pro 9, Surface Laptop 5 and Surface Studio 2+

Surface Pro 9

The Surface Pro is arguably the most innovative product in Microsoft's extensive Surface product line-up. Where other 2-in-1 laptops can often be little more than a laptop with a screen that can hinge back through 360 degrees to form a thick 'tablet', Surface Pro has always been designed to more closely resemble a tablet form factor. The device can then be converted into a genuine laptop alternative with the addition of a slim keyboard attachment, while a multi-angle kickstand props up the display.

The Surface Pro 9 is outwardly similar to its predecessors, with premium aluminium casing and a choice of color finishes. The 13-inch PixelSense display is available with a 120Hz refresh rate, along with an under-screen HD camera and Omnisonic speakers. Microsoft's custom G6 chip is said to improve pen input fidelity with tactile signals, which combined with the new Ink Focus in Microsoft OneNote, or the upcoming GoodNotes app, using the pen input should feel more like using a conventional pen on paper. Power comes from either 12th-gen Intel Core processors, or the more mobile-orientated Microsoft SQ 3 powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon.

It's been four whole years since the Surface Studio 2 was revealed, so its replacement is long overdue. One reason why development has been slow is the Surface Studio has very little competition, as it's unlike pretty much any other desktop computer. Its centerpiece is a beautiful and expansive 28-inch 3:2 display with not only touch sensitivity, but also pen input, which helped make the Surface Studio a dream machine for graphic artists.

The display is mounted on a 'Zero Gravity Hinge' that allows it to be positioned at any angle from vertical, right down to near-horizontal for an almost lay-flat drawing mode. The base of the hinge houses the computing components, and its here where Surface Studio 2+ differs most from the old 'Studio 2. An updated Intel Core i7 H Series processor delivers up to 50% faster CPU performance, while the inclusion of GeForce RTX 3060 discrete graphics is said to double the graphics performance. The display, cameras, Studio Mics and ports are also improved, and you now get Thunderbolt 4 as standard.

Furthermore, Microsoft is set to launch a new graphic design app as part of its Microsoft 365 package. 'Microsoft Designer' is an AI-driven app that utilises DALL∙E 2 intelligence to harness the power of cloud-based AI, along with your own content and ideas, to automatically generate a variety of unique images and designs. The technology is also set to be incorporated into Microsoft Bing search and the Edge web browser.

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Ben is the Imaging Labs manager, responsible for all the testing on Digital Camera World and across the entire photography portfolio at Future. Whether he's in the lab testing the sharpness of new lenses, the resolution of the latest image sensors, the zoom range of monster bridge cameras or even the latest camera phones, Ben is our go-to guy for technical insight. He's also the team's man-at-arms when it comes to camera bags, filters, memory cards, and all manner of camera accessories – his lab is a bit like the Batcave of photography! With years of experience trialling and testing kit, he's a human encyclopedia of benchmarks when it comes to recommending the best buys.

Surface Pro 9

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Surface Studio 2+

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