Microsoft Surface launch date predictions and rumors

Just thought I'd make a thread to shows the Surface product launch cadence. We can use this thread for launch rumors as well.

The Surface Wikipedia page has a handy graph showing when the various Surface Products were released. Looks like we're overdue for the Surface Pro 8, and due for a new Pro X (not counting the SQ2 update - fair?), a Surface Laptop 4, and Surface Studio 3. So far I've only seen rumors for the SP8 and the SL4, any other rumors that I missed? Is a Studio 3 even in the works?

 

, WC mentioned that Duo 2 and Surface Laptop Go 2 have a decent chance to be released this year.
What we want to see from Surface in 2021 | Windows Central
(quite a bit of different Surface devices out there , I wonder if they also going to axe or delay something? I mean besides Neo going to be delayed)

 

From what we are hearing in our corner of the world.

Surface Laptop 13 inch. Solely a spec bump with 11th gen core I and (maybe Ryzen version as well) Very soon.

Surface Laptop 15, discontinued.

Surface Pro 8 and Surface Pro X2 not until 2022 at the earliest and the X2 possibly not at all

Possible smaller Surface Studio ~24 inch ish display. unknown time frame

Some "new" product, possibly a reworked Neo running Android instead of Windows, mid year at the earliest.

Totally 100% rumor based so take as such

BTW: Multiple folks in our chain believe that the Pro 7+ with I5 and LTE is there to placate potential Pro X buyers..

 

, interesting if they would axe the 15 inch Surface Laptop. I know it has some fans but it would also pave the way for a more unique 15 inch device.

A Neo with DuoOS might make sense actually. Or even both Windows and Android versions later on like Lenovo did with that e-ink keyboard Yoga.

 

In terms of optics, that does not seem like a smooth move for the future of Windows 10X. For all the hubbub about Neo to go from it being a ultimate presentation of Windows 10X to it suddenly not having it at all and only a dual-screened Android tablet, there is great potential for it to get perceived as a definite negative. I would take it as a distinct lack of confidence in the device itself as well as an internal inability to get 10X to live up to the hype. Honestly, I see such a move doing more harm than good to both the Windows and Surface brands. Honestly, without Windows 10X, I would rather see them shelf the thing altogether. If they are unable to make Neo the Windows 10X tablet of all tablets, instead of releasing Neo, I say let it fester forever in development hell.

 

Placate how? As in "We know the Pro X isn't for most people, so we decided to give you an update 7 with LTE?"

 

No - more like Pro X is a dead end and this will bridge you to the next great thing...

 

I sort of agree with you but....

If you take the glass is half full idea, they could call it a further endorsement of their android efforts. If if does appear, I'd bet it wont be called a neo regardless.

And to further churn the rumor pot, MS has made a few recent contributions to the Android 11 repository that look to be for a single screen device

PS: It could be a story similar to the Pro X in another way as well eg. they sunk a huge amount of money in to the hardware design and possibly another plan b option.

 

@JoeS the people according to our contacts that have been the majority of buyers for both the Pro X or the Go 2 with LTE (because they consider it a must have) and haven't been happy (and been very vocal about it) with either option. Display size and performance in the case of the Go 2 and compatibility issues with the Pro X

 

The things optics is, it's a matter that goes beyond the initial launch.

See when the iPad first launched, it was actually a rather clunky device with barely any tailored software; a very questionable value proposition indeed, that was rightly criticized as being just an 'oversized iPhone'.

But Apple stuck with it, working toward a long-term vision. They iterated the design continuously, and nurtured a development community over years, to produce the productive, mobile PC platform iPad is today.

So the Neo doesn't need to be the be-all-and-end-all of tablets—it just needs to be supported beyond launch.

That is the fundamental ingredient missing from all MS devices: not engineering, not design, not even OS/software capability...They just need to commit to a platform, and support the damn thing!