The Microsoft Surface lineup for 2022 is here and we have three new devices this year including the new Surface Pro 9, Surface Laptop 5, and the Surface Studio 2+. Upgrades include 12th gen Intel CPUs, Microsoft’s own SQ3 SOC, new colors, Thunderbolt 4, and more.
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Microsoft Surface Lineup for 2022 – Everything New!
The new Surface Pro 9 seems to have received the most updates this year while the Surface Laptop 5 and Surface Studio 2+ seem like incremental updates. There is no updated Surface Laptop Studio either and I have no idea when or if there’s going to be one anytime soon, but maybe we can expect something from the Surface Go lineup in 2023.
Surface Pro 9
The Surface Pro devices have been the most popular in the entire Surface lineup, so it’s no surprise that Microsoft has put the most effort into the new Surface Pro 9. The actual device aka the tablet portion now comes in four different colors while the Keyboard, still covered in Alcantara, comes in five different colors alongside a “Liberty” Special Edition. It also gets a Wi-Fi variant and a 5G variant just like the iPads, but there’s a catch.
You get to choose from either Intel 12th gen CPUs (i5-1235U or i7-1255U) or Microsoft’s own ARM-based SQ 3 SOC (based on Qualcomm 8CX Gen 3). However, you’ll only get 5G if you choose the SQ 3 variant as the Intel ones are Wi-Fi only. Also, while the Intel variants are available in all four colors, the SQ 3 variant is only available in the Platinum color.
That’s not all. For RAM you have 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB LPDDR5 options on the Intel variants while the SQ 3 variant gets 8GB and 16GB LPDDR4X options.
As far as Storage is concerned, you’re getting 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB SSD options on both variants with the Intel ones getting an additional 1TB option. The Intel variants also come with Dolby Vision IQ support which is missing on the ARM (SQ 3) variant.
Another big difference between the two variants is the availability of Thunderbolt 4. Because Intel and Apple are the only ones allowed to use Thunderbolt, the USB Type-C ports on the SQ 3 variant do not support Thunderbolt 4 and these are USB 3.2. The ones on the Intel variants do support Thunderbolt 4 and they are USB 4.0 ports instead.
The rest is mostly the same featuring a 13-inch (2880×1920, 3:2) IPS Touch Display with 120Hz Refresh Rate and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection, a 10MP Rear-facing Camera (supports 1080P & 4K), a 1080P Front-facing Camera, Stereo Speakers with Dolby Atmos, Windows 11 Home, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1.
As you may expect, the ARM (5G) variant is rated for a longer 19 hours of battery life while the Intel (Wi-Fi) variant gets slightly less at around 15.5 hours. Both variants also have Windows Hello Face Recognition for faster logins and a built-in background blur system with some other AI-based video conference features are also present for the Camera in the 5G variant.
Both variants have a weight of 1.94 lbs and in case you’re interested, the Surface Pro Liberty Keyboard with Slim Pen 2 will also be sold separately, but in limited quantities.
Also Read: Mac Accessories and AirPods Can Switch To USB Type-C By 2024
Surface Laptop 5
Compared to its predecessors, the new Surface Laptop 5 didn’t change a lot. However, the biggest highlight of this year is the new Intel 12th gen CPUs as you no longer get AMD Ryzen CPUs like the Surface Laptop 4. Bringing AMD to the Surface Laptop was a major bust for Microsoft for some reason, and so they went full Intel this year.
It still has two variants including one with a 13.5-inch ( 2256×1504, 3:2) and one with a larger 15-inch (2496×1664, 3:2) IPS LCD Touchscreen. Both variants come with a metal finish on the keyboard deck with the 13.5-inch variant coming with an optional Alcantara finish.
There isn’t a special edition variant of this one, but you do get the new Sage Green color which is undoubtedly my favorite of the bunch. But, do remember that the Alcantara variants (13.5″) ship with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 display protection while the Metal variants ship with Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
Microsoft went with the same 12th gen Intel Core i5-1235U and i7-1255U CPUs for the 13.5-inch model, but for the 15-inch variant, you can only get the i7-1255U. Sadly, the company decided to skip over the dedicated GPU again, so these still can’t handle intensive graphics tasks. However, you do get 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB LPDDR5 RAM options alongside 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB SSD storage in both variants.
Thank you, Microsoft, for kicking out the 128GB storage option as that makes no sense for any Windows device in 2022. I hope the next Surface Pro also starts at 256GB instead of 128GB. Both variants also get Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos support alongside a 720P webcam with an IR sensor for Windows Hello. I’d have loved to see a 1080P webcam here, but maybe next year that’ll get upgraded as well.
You also get Surface Pen support, but of course, you’ll have to buy that separately. On the connectivity side, the Surface Laptop 5 comes with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 and you also get Thunderbolt 4 (USB 4.0) support. The 13.5-inch model is rated for 18 hours of use and weighs 2.86 lbs while the bigger 15-inch model falls an hour short at 17 hours and weighs 3.44 lbs which makes it a great on-the-go laptop.
Also Read: Intel Unison Will Allow iPhone and Android Users to Share Files, Make Calls, and More on Windows 11
Surface Studio 2+
I was excited when the first Surface studio came out because it seemed refreshing and somewhat useful. But, the Surface Studio 2 launched after that was a very minor upgrade over its predecessor and now with the Surface Studio 2+, the situation hasn’t changed that much.
It still has a 28-inch (4500×3000, 3:2) IPS LCD display with support for the Surface Pen and the iconic Surface Dial. It also has Dolby Vision support and is covered by Gorilla Glass 3 for protection. You do get the Surface Pen, Surface Keyboard, and Surface Mouse in the box with this one, but if you need a Surface Dial, you’ll have to pay for it.
Microsoft decided to stick with the 11th gen H-series i7 CPUs which has to be the biggest disappointment for this product. However, while the i7-11370H isn’t something to write home about, the graphics power has been upgraded with an RTX 3060 which is a welcome addition. Pair that with 32GB of DDR4 RAM and a 1TB SSD, and maybe it makes slightly more sense.
It also upgrades its three USB Type-C ports to Thunderbolt 4 (USB 4.0) which is a huge deal for a lot of people as well. Alongside these, you’re getting Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, and support for Dolby Atmos. The 1080P webcam does come with an IR sensor for Windows Hello and it also ships with Windows 11 Pro.
Microsoft Surface 2022 Devices – Pricing and Availability
Both the Surface Pro 9 and the Surface Laptop 5 (13.5″) start at $999.99 while the Surface Laptop 5 (15″) starts at $1299.99. If you want to buy the Surface Pro Liberty Keyboard with Slim Pen 2, it is being sold separately for $299.99. Even if you don’t buy the special edition keyboard, you’ll still have to buy a regular keyboard for the Surface Pro 9 and the Surface Pen separately, as they’re not bundled in the box.
The Surface Studio 2+ is much more expensive at a starting price of $4299.99 while the maxed-out variant (mentioned above) costs $4499.99. The Surface Studio 2+ alongside the Surface Pro 9 and the Surface Laptop 5, will be available starting October 25, 2022.
