Microsoft Surface Book 2 Held Off, Microsoft Surface Laptop Unveiled Instead
The Microsoft Surface Book 2 did not make an appearance at Microsoft's latest event, but users who were expecting to see something did not leave empty-handed.
The Redmond giant unveiled the Microsoft Surface Laptop, a 13.5-inch machine used to debut Microsoft's new Windows 10 S software and the tech titan's answer to Google's Chromebooks.
As speculated in the past, Microsoft has been dabbling in this section of the computing world, which ultimately put the Microsoft Surface Book 2 at the backburner.
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With students as its key audience, the Microsoft Surface Laptop features a clamshell design, which, interestingly, appears to be the subject of an earlier leak mistaken to refer to the Microsoft Surface Book 2.
"We talk to a lot of [students] ... they're asking for a laptop, they're asking for a Surface laptop. So we built a laptop, and it's beautiful," Microsoft devices chief Panos Panay said onstage as he unveiled the device.
The Surface device features a 13.5-inch PixelSense display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, which Panay described as "the thinnest LCD touch model ever created and put into a laptop." It also comes with Surface Pen support so users can draw on it much like other Surface devices.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop also comes with the same premium keyboard on the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 complete with 1.5 mm travel for the backlit keys.
On the inside is an Intel Core i5 with 4 GB random-access memory (RAM)/128 GB solid state drive (SSD) storage and 8 GB/256 GB configurations. There is also a model powered by a more powerful i7 processor. It is offered in a 8 GB/256 GB and 16 GB/512 GB variants.
Microsoft touts the Surface Laptop will last 14.5 hours, which Panay emphasizes is "more battery life than any MacBook Air on the market today." To keep the device cool, the company installed integrated vapor chambers into the aluminum finish.
With a starting price of $999, the Microsoft Surface Laptop will come with four colors — platinum, burgundy, cobalt blue and graphite gold.
It is unclear what the release of the device means for the Microsoft Surface Book 2, which is now expected to see the light of day later this year.
