After the wave of launches of products and accessories from the Surface line in October last year, Microsoft is preparing to announce a new series of equipment this year, and a rumor released by journalist Zac Bowden of Windows Central points out that the company is working on a new Surface Pro with an 11-inch screen and the first Surface Go with an ARM chip.
The new strategy for the Surface Pro lineup could line up with what we’ve been seeing from companies like Apple and Samsung for many years now. In addition to the classic 13-inch model, Microsoft may present a new, more compact version with an 11-inch screen and the same design.
According to Bowden, “The 11-inch Surface Pro is codenamed Luxor and will be similar in shape and size to the Surface Go, but with (screen with) thinner edges like its bigger brother”, in addition to inheriting the screen with a refresh rate of 120 Hz.
As for the new 4th generation Surface Go, it is revealed that the model is codenamed so much and it will be the first with an ARM processor thanks to the use of the Snapdragon 7c or similar chip, resulting in lower power consumption and longer battery life. “The new processor could also allow Microsoft to launch a Surface Go with 5G for the first time,” says Bowden, although he himself points out that there is no evidence to support this theory for now.
Despite the ARM model, it is possible that Microsoft will continue to offer the Surface Go 4 with Intel x86 architecture processors, which deliver higher power consumption and shorter battery life, but have extensive support for executable files (.exe) in Windows 11 to anyone looking for greater compatibility with desktop programs.
More changes to Windows on tablets
In early May, Microsoft released a test update for Windows 11 that prepares important changes for the use of the operating system on tablets, including a minimized taskbar to expand the useful area of the display, more fluid animations for navigation and gestures, applications open full-screen on tablets 11 inches or smaller, plus on-screen keyboard improvements and more.
But the news should continue in the next versions of Windows. “More tablet optimizations are on the way,” says Bowden, “including a more user-friendly File Explorer, lock screen and desktop for touch navigation,” which may explain the company’s interest in new 11-inch Surfaces.
Other news related to the Surface line should appear in the coming months as we approach the official launch of the new wave of products, again with an expected announcement in October 2023.
Source: Windows Central
