Microsoft introduced the Surface Laptop Studio 2 with upgraded chips and ports

Microsoft recently launched its high-end convertible laptop, named Surface Laptop Studio 2 with upgraded chip and port presented at its launch event in New York City. Laptop Studio 2 has kept the general design of its previous generation in terms of aesthetics. Including a 14.4-inch screen that makes it a device with more touch capabilities. It also adds useful features for professional users.

It’s one of Microsoft’s most interesting laptop designs, but the first version wasn’t powerful enough for its price. However, the new device may live up to expectations.

Features of Surface Laptop Studio 2 with upgraded chip

The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a powerful convertible laptop that starts at $1,999. This laptop uses 13th generation Intel chips, specifically the i7 H class, which provides high performance and strong processing power. It also uses Nvidia’s RTX 4050 or RTX 4060 graphics card to provide an unparalleled graphics experience.

One of the unique features of Surface Laptop Studio 2 is the presence of Intel Neural Processing Unit (NPU). This is Intel’s first NPU in a Windows PC. There were rumors that Microsoft might make the chip itself, but that doesn’t seem to be true.

You can configure this laptop with up to 2TB of storage and 64GB of RAM. This feature allows users to have a large storage space to store their files and programs.

Microsoft claims that the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is “the most powerful Surface we’ve ever made” and will offer users twice the performance of the previous device.

Additionally, the Studio 2 laptop has new connectivity options that include two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, a microSD card reader, and the Surface Slim Pen 2. This feature allows users to easily connect to various peripherals and take advantage of the pen experience on the touch screen.

Also, this new laptop has a new adjustable haptic touchpad. Microsoft calls it “the most versatile touchpad on any laptop.”

The updates are largely in line with information leaked by WinFuture last week. The information included photos showing a new microSD card slot and some new ports on the left side of the device.

Reviews of the original version of Laptop Studio

In The Verge’s review of the original Laptop Studio, the author notes the device’s strengths and weaknesses. He first praises the sleek and attractive design of the Studio Laptop, saying that it adds useful functionality without compromising the main features of the laptop. But at the same time, the author points out several weaknesses of the device.

The first disadvantage is the lack of sufficient ports to connect peripheral devices. This problem can create limitations for users who need more connectivity.

Another weakness is the performance of the device. The author says that considering the price of the studio laptop, its performance does not match the price paid.

Also, the battery of this laptop does not last long enough. This problem can be inconvenient for users who need to use the device for a long time.

Finally, the author says that Microsoft seems to have addressed these flaws directly in the next version of Laptop Studio. This shows that the company is willing to implement the necessary improvements in the device and fix the weak points.

Microsoft’s future plans

Artificial intelligence is certainly the hot topic for Microsoft these days: most of the company’s launch event was devoted to Copilot rather than hardware. However, the company released two new Surface models: the Surface Go 3, which is designed with easier access to all the cool AI features, and the more powerful Studio 2 laptop, which is focused on developers.

However, the future of Microsoft’s hardware is in a quandary, as devices chief Panos Panayi announced on Monday that he is leaving the company after nearly two decades. Panay has led both Windows and Surface in recent years and has been one of the people pushing hard for the company’s vision of multipurpose devices. (Panay was even supposed to be the star of today’s event, but dropped out after announcing his departure. Surface product team leader Brett Ostrom made the announcements instead.) Youssef Mehdi, the new head of Windows and Surface, may be talking about the future. Microsoft has different ideas.