One of Microsoftâs most consequential hardware events in years is about to take place. Itâs not Microsoft Build â the companyâs developer conference â which kicks off on Tuesday. Instead, Microsoft is holding a small event today, May 20th, to talk about its next Surface devices. It starts at 1PM ET, and you can follow along with us live right here.
Technology
What to expect from Microsoft’s Surface event today
Microsoft is holding a press-only event to discuss its AI and Surface device plans on May 20th, ahead of its Microsoft Build 2024 conference.
At the event, weâre expecting Microsoft to announce new versions of the Surface Pro 10 and the Surface Laptop 6, both running on Qualcommâs Snapdragon X Elite processors. Itâs Microsoftâs latest attempt to switch to Arm â and one that the company believes is finally going to stick. The change should deliver far better battery life; and if early rumors are true, Qualcommâs chip should be powerful enough to keep up with the Intel processors itâs replacing.
These devices are also expected to include dedicated AI hardware accelerators called NPUs to better support coming Windows 11 AI features. One of those rumored features, AI Explorer, is supposed to keep track of everything you do on your Windows 11 machine, then let you prompt the AI about what youâve been up to. Microsoft is reportedly building dozens of language models into the system so that these chips can run AI features locally.
Beyond the new processors, the hardware could get some improvements over the Surface models introduced earlier this spring for business customers. The Surface Pro 10 might come with an optional OLED screen and 16GB of RAM, at least according to Geekbench scores that Windows Report spotted in April. The Surface Laptop 6 could also see a 16GB RAM default and could get a facelift that the business version didnât, including thinner bezels, rounded corners, and a haptic touchpad.
Todayâs Surface event may also be the start of a bigger push from Microsoft. A lot more âAI PCâ laptops that use Qualcommâs new chip are rumored to be on the way. Around the event, weâll also probably hear about other Snapdragon X-equipped machines from the likes of Asus, Dell, and Lenovo. Microsoft is apparently very confident that new Arm chips will put Windows machines back in the game against Appleâs powerful yet battery-efficient computers.
The event wonât be broadcast â only journalists are allowed to attend â so keep an eye on The Verge for live coverage of todayâs news when the event kicks off at 10AM PT / 1PM ET.