Two new enterprise-focused Microsoft Surface devices unveiled by the tech giant mark its first big push into the rapidly accelerating AI PC market.
The Surface Pro 10 for business and Surface Pro 6 are the latest entries in Microsoft's Surface line, described as “AI-powered PCs designed for a new era of work.”
Microsoft described the two laptops as its first Surface AI PCs built exclusively for businesses, and they will ship to business customers starting April 9.
The design of either laptop will change drastically and will look largely the same as its previous versions, with the most significant changes under the hood.
Both will feature Intel's latest Core Ultra processors, the new Copilot key, and a neural processing unit (NPU) to accelerate AI workloads.
Microsoft claimed that the new Intel platform will help extend the devices' battery life, promising up to 19 hours of battery life on the Surface Pro 10 for Business.
The company has typically lagged behind the rest of the PC market in adopting the latest Intel chips, but with the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6, both “for business,” it will be one of the first to ship Intel's cutting-edge processors. Intel. .
The Surface Pro 10 for Business will offer customers the Core Ultra 5 135U or Core Ultra 7 165U, and the option to choose between 8GB and 64GB of RAM.
Microsoft announced that it will ship Surface Pro 10 for Business with an NFC reader so organizations can easily incorporate devices like YubiKey NFC security keys for authentication.
The company also added that it would bring 5G to the device, the first time Microsoft has done so on an Intel platform.
The device has a small hardware tweak, now including two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, as well as Microsoft's Surface Connect port.
The base model will ship with a 256GB Gen4 SSD for $1,199.
Microsoft Surface launch could be a game-changer for AI adoption
Bobby Hellard is ITPro's Reviews Editor and has worked at CloudPro and ChannelPro since 2018. During his time at ITPro, Bobby has covered stories for major technology companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook, and regularly attends events leaders in the industry. such as AWS Re:Invent and Google Cloud Next.
With the addition of neural processing units (NPUs) and dedicated buttons to launch Microsoft Copilot, AI will be firmly in the hands of the average worker from now on. And a new range of Surface devices with both features is a clear sign of that trend in progress.
The demand for generative AI has brought us to this point and no matter how fearful regulators are of its misuse or broader impact, the fact that it is now changing the way we make and use hardware highlights its inevitable integration into our lives and businesses.
Microsoft's work with generative AI is already paying off, as the company has seemingly positioned itself front and center in this race. The tech giant's close relationship with OpenAI has allowed it to capitalize on the generative AI boom sparked by the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022.
Surface devices have been equipped with NPUs since 2019 and the benefits of these AI chips become more impressive every year. But with Copilot we have a very visual representation of those capabilities.
Manufacturers like Dell and Lenovo have already integrated Copilot buttons into their business-focused hardware, and more will likely follow throughout this year and next.
The era of AI PCs is upon us
A wave of computers designed with AI in mind is expected to flood the market in 2024, and Canalys estimates that the new class of device will boost total PC shipments in 2024.
The consulting firm predicted that AI-enabled PCs will spark renewed growth in the market, with PC shipments expected to reach 267 million units in 2024, an increase of 8% from 2023.
Canalys also predicted that by 2027, 60% of PCs will be “AI capable,” arguing that the generative explosion of AI will precipitate a significant transformation in terms of both hardware and software.
A similar analysis from Gartner said AI PC shipments will increase in 2024 and will account for nearly 25% of all PCs by the end of the year. It predicted that 54.5 million AI-enabled PCs will be shipped by the end of 2024.
This market acceleration has been brewing for several months. In late 2023, Intel CEO Pal Gelsinger declared that AI-enabled PCs will be the “star of the show” in 2024 and beyond.
