Report: Microsoft’s Next Surface Event Could Be Held in March

Microsoft is reportedly planning to reveal new Surface devices at the beginning of the Spring season. On Twitter/X, Microsoft watcher WalkingCat first mentioned the possibility of a Surface event on March 21, and the information has since been corroborated by Zac Bowden from Windows Central.

According to Bowden, Microsoft may release its next Surface devices in two waves: The first wave in April may bring updated versions of the current Surface Pro and Surface Laptop for commercial customers.

“While I don’t know the name of these devices for certain, I wouldn’t be surprised if they end up shipping as the Surface Pro 9+ and Surface Laptop 5+,” Bowden explained. The incremental updates in these new devices may include Intel’s new 14th gen chips, an anti-reflective display, a new NFC reader, and support for Windows Studio Effects.

The new Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 may come in a second wave in June. As Bowden previously reported, the two new Surface devices will introduce updated designs and offer the choice between 14th-gen Intel CPUs and Qualcomm X Series chips. Both options will offer a neural processing unit (NPU) enabling new AI features.

“It’s unlikely that Microsoft will talk about the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 in March, though it may tease them,” Bowden said today. “I suspect we’ll hear more about those devices, along with the next version of Windows, closer to June.”

If Microsoft didn’t refresh its Surface Pro and Surface Laptop lines last year, the new models coming later this Spring are expected to use the same “AI PC” moniker we saw PC manufacturers start to use over the past couple of weeks. CES this year was filled with “AI PC” announcements, and generative AI will likely be an integral part of the next Windows update coming in fall 2024.