Microsoft has announced it's releasing an upgraded new Surface Pro X along with a cheaper, lighter Surface Laptop Go on October 13.
A range of new accessories is also being released ahead of the holiday period as part of a product range developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, as more people than ever have been working and studying at home.
Surface Laptop Go
The Go is described by Microsoft as "the lightest and most affordable Surface Laptop ever" for the "student at home or the professional on the go [to] make an impression".
It'll weigh just 2.45lbs (1.1kg), but feature a 12.4-inch touchscreen and full size keyboard.
Under the hood, it'll be powered by a 10th generation Intel i5 processor with options for either 4 or 8GB LPDDR4x RAM.
The Surface Laptop Go will start at NZ$1149 in New Zealand.
Surface Pro X (2020)
The upcoming Surface Pro X offers Microsoft's new SQ2, the second generation of its ARM-powered custom CPU developed with Qualcomm.
Microsoft calls the SQ2 "the fastest processor in its class".
The tablet/laptop boasts a longer battery life of 15 hours and a fast recharge feature, along with what the company says is "blazing-fast Gigabit LTE connectivity".
It'll be Microsoft's thinnest Surface Pro yet with smaller bezels that deliver a "virtually edge-to-edge" 13-inch touchscreen that displays 2880 x 1920 pixels. Customers can also choose a new platinum finish and keyboard colours.
There are options for 8 or 16GB LPDDR4x RAM and a solid-state drive (SSD) that's easily removable with 128, 256 and 512GB options.
However, the Surface Pro X still won't feature a headphone jack or Thunderbolt 3 ports, which reviews criticised it for lacking in 2019.
The lack of apps that work with ARM has also been cited as a problem, but Microsoft says there is an "increasing number of key app partners [which] are embracing Windows on ARM and taking advantage of the power and performance benefits of Microsoft SQ1 and Microsoft SQ2".
Microsoft, like Apple and various PC manufacturers, is part of a growing trend of using ARM processors in its laptops.
Pre-orders for the new Surface products opened on Thursday.
