Microsoft will reportedly debut new Qualcomm-powered Surface devices in May

Microsoft Corp. will hold a hardware event in May where it’s expected to debut consumer versions of its enterprise-focused Surface Pro tablet and Surface Laptop.

The Verge reported the plan today, citing people familiar with the matter. A media invitation distributed by Microsoft stated that the event will see Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella detail the company’s “AI vision across hardware and software.” The product debut is set to take place on May 20, the day before the company holds its annual Build developer conference.

The upcoming consumer versions of the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop are both expected to ship with Qualcomm Inc.’s Snapdragon X Elite processor. Introduced last year, the chip promises to provide up to 50% faster multi-thread performance than Apple Inc.’s M2. Benchmark tests conducted by Qualcomm indicate that the X Elite is also faster than several comparable Intel Corp. processors.

The chip is powered by a 12-core central processing unit based on Arm Holdings plc blueprints. The CPU was designed by Nuvia, a chipmaker that Qualcomm acquired in 2021 for $1.4 billion. It can reach peak speeds of 3.8 GHz when all 12 of its cores are active and 4.3 GHz in single-core mode.

Qualcomm’s engineers combined the CPU with an integrated graphics processing unit and an artificial intelligence accelerator. The latter module has a maximum performance of 45 TOPs, with one TOP being equal to a trillion computations per second. Qualcomm says the built-in AI accelerator allows the X Elite to run large language models with up to 13 billion parameters.

The consumer-focused Surface Pro and Surface Tablet are also expected to introduce other enhancements.

The Surface Pro will reportedly receive a new display based on OLED technology. A traditional LED screen comprises two layers: one containing pixels and another that produces light for those pixels. OLED displays, in turn, comprise only a single layer of self-illuminating pixels, which reduces their power and space requirements.

The new Surface Laptop, in turn, is expected to ship with a revamped chassis design that features thinner bezels. Microsoft has reportedly also equipped the machine with a haptic touchpad, two USB-C ports and one USB-A port. 

Both the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop are expected to feature a Copilot key. Located next to the space bar, it will allow consumers to quickly launch Microsoft’s chatbot of the same name. If Copilot is not enabled on a device, pressing the key brings up Windows’ built-in search bar, which is expected to receive an AI update that will make it easier for users to find files.

Image: Microsoft

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