Microsoft Schedules a Surface Event for September

Microsoft alerted influencers that it will hold its next Surface event, virtually, on Wednesday, September 22, 2021.

“Microsoft invites you to tune in for the Microsoft Fall 2021 Event webcast on September 22, 2021, where the company will talk about devices and Windows 11,” the invite explains.

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift!

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Despite the invite, anyone will be able to view the event on the Microsoft Events website.

As to the actual announcements, we’ve seen several leaks for the Surface Duo 2, which should feature a more modern processor, a newer Android version, and a pronounced camera bump with improved photography functionality. And I’ve seen one rumor about a next-generation Surface Go with a reasonably decent Core i3 processor that should blow away previous models.

Finally, it’s worth pointing out that the image above, which came with the invite, is that of a Surface Pro, though it’s not clear if it’s an Intel- or Qualcomm-based device. Like many Surface Pro fans, I’d love to see Microsoft adopt the Pro X form factor in its more mainstream Pro offerings, so fingers crossed on that one.

Beyond that, virtually every Surface PC is in desperate need of an upgrade and, among other things, Microsoft is several years behind in providing Thunderbolt functionality across its lineup. (Since Thunderbolt became a must-have feature, the technology has moved from Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 4.) It’s unclear, however, if Surface will adopt that technology.

Share post

Please check our Community Guidelines before commenting

Conversation 21 comments

  • digiguy

    Premium Member
    01 September, 2021 - 11:46 am

    <p>Given how thin this thing looks it’s either a redesigned pro or a new pro x (I doubt it’s a new pro x since there is no new Qualcomm chip for now and probably not until next year, with their new acquisition)</p><p>I guess this also means no more USB A on the pro, but at this point it’s fair…. </p>

  • spoonman

    01 September, 2021 - 11:47 am

    <p>Yay! Screen just cracked the other week on my SP4 and it should be upgraded anyway. Looking forward to seeing what they reveal.</p>

  • lvthunder

    Premium Member
    01 September, 2021 - 12:08 pm

    <p>I wonder if they are going to do a Surface Studio 3 at this event since they had to do a carveout to make Surface Studio 2 work with Windows 11.</p>

    • michael

      Premium Member
      02 September, 2021 - 2:02 pm

      <p>Do we know if surface studio one will work with Windows 11? We have both versions in our office.</p>

  • wpcoe

    Premium Member
    01 September, 2021 - 12:15 pm

    <p>New Surface products will (probably) be announced on September 22, but Windows 11 is not released until on October 5. Will the new Surface devices not be released until (at least) October 5 so they have Win 11 out of the gate?</p><p><br></p><p>I’m eagerly awaiting the Surface Pro 8. Based on MS Surface history (i.e. being a generation or so behind some cutting edges) I wouldn’t be surprised to see Thunderbolt 3 on it.</p>

  • harmjr

    Premium Member
    01 September, 2021 - 12:43 pm

    <p>Wonder if they will still be using last year’s processor. Bet they will make these new devices not work with Windows 12 when it rolls out. </p><p><br></p><p>Its time to rethink is Surface still premium?</p><p>Yes I am a pissed off Fanboy. </p>

    • Daishi

      Premium Member
      01 September, 2021 - 11:33 pm

      <p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Wonder if they will still be using last year’s processor.</em></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This is actually the thing that caught my attention from this announcement. The timing seems to strongly suggest that Microsoft are about to unveil a whole collection of new Surfaces running on 11th gen Intel parts just weeks before Intel start releasing their 12th gen replacements. So, in all probability, we will have yet another round of devices that will spend the majority of their existences using older chips than all the competing products on the market.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Especially given that the changes coming with Alder Lake seem like they would be exactly what the Surface line would benefit from, it’s hard to see any explanation for this except that they are deliberately crippling their own products.</span></p>

  • will

    Premium Member
    01 September, 2021 - 12:49 pm

    <p>Both the Surface X (big updates) and the Surface Book (may be called something else as has been mentioned) should/will get updates &lt;redacted&gt; &lt;redacted&gt; 🙂 </p><p><br></p><p>The one item that might be EOL is the Surface Studio line 🙁 </p>

  • RobertJasiek

    01 September, 2021 - 1:24 pm

    <p>As always, I hope for a Surface Pro or Go to finally compete with – shall I say: excel – iPad hardware. However, I am certain that Microsofts fails again to provide a strongly reduced display reflectance, long battery life and replaceable battery.</p>

  • jgraebner

    Premium Member
    01 September, 2021 - 2:02 pm

    <p>The Surface Go upgrade is probably just to the current generation equivalent of the m3 processor in the higher end SG2. Intel has rebranded the m3 to i3.</p>

  • crunchyfrog

    01 September, 2021 - 3:48 pm

    <p>Hopefully the entire Surface Pro line gets refreshed and not just one or two of them. Frankly the Surface Pro line except for SPX is getting long in the tooth and still retains too many glitches. I returned my SP7 because if still harbors the sleep/wake problem that goes all of the way back to SP4.</p><p><br></p><p>The only Surface devices I use now are Surface Pro X (Love it) and my Surface GO 2, although I may sell the latter since I rarely use it now.</p>

  • StevenLayton

    01 September, 2021 - 3:48 pm

    <p>A bit like Mulder, I want to believe.</p>

  • cseafous

    Premium Member
    01 September, 2021 - 4:31 pm

    <p>I am with you on the form factor and the Thunderbolt ports in the Surface Pro. I also want LTE. I think a thicker version of the DUO with an internal camera would have been a better than a camera bump. That would have provided more space for a bigger battery too.</p>

  • Chris_Kez

    Premium Member
    01 September, 2021 - 6:13 pm

    <p>As a Surface Pro user with one foot out the door I am fully prepared to be underwhelmed.</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      02 September, 2021 - 10:39 am

      <p>This is probably the most realistic/pragmatic approach. But emotions often get in the way.</p>

  • derylmccarty

    Premium Member
    01 September, 2021 - 6:27 pm

    <p>I am with crunchyfrog. I have owned ’em all and have settled on the LT4 (plugged into a monitor and a Dock 2) and Pro X as my go-to machines for every day and more importantly for a doctoral program that is now 2/3 complete. The Pro X especially with its 8.5×11 feel is perfect for reading OneNote pdf articles and books and highlighting them – along with marginalia that occasionally even agrees with the authors (though mostly the comments consist of four-letter words that describe upbringing, parentage, and anatomically improbable activities.) The slim pen is THE pen of choice. My Duo is a pretty good workhorse as well, though as a phone it leaves me cold sometimes. As a reader or app machine, it is just fine, better than fine. And unlike most of you, I take maybe 2 pictures a year, so am ambivalent about the new versions with a medium-duty camera. Still and all, I plan to be a day 1 adopter of the Duo 2 (does that make it a Two-Two or even a tutu??)</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

  • flying_maverick

    Premium Member
    02 September, 2021 - 1:06 am

    <p>I’m eager to see what they bring. I’m looking forward to a Surface Laptop 5 and the new Surface Book 4 or whatever it will be called.</p><p><br></p><p>I wish we would see the Surface Neo, perhaps in 2022?</p>

  • codymesh

    02 September, 2021 - 1:23 am

    <p>it’s an exciting time for processors but unfortunately Surface is usually one or even two generations behind.</p>

  • straker135

    Premium Member
    02 September, 2021 - 4:57 am

    <p>The device shown is a Pro-X, the profile exactly matches mine, unless the Pro-8 is getting the same form factor, which would require better thermals from a more efficient processor/graphics package. I don’t think that an 11th Gen i5 or i7 would quite get into that unvented (from what I can see on the Microsoft website image in full resolution) very slim case. I agree with <strong>digiguy</strong> that there is no Qualcomm processor bump that I am aware ready to upgrade the Pro-X in any meaningful way. </p><p><br></p><p>I am prepared to be surprised, mostly by what the Surface ‘Book’ 4 will look like in the flesh. The patent filing images look inelegant and clunky, as they usually do. </p><p><br></p><p>I am interested in principle in the Duo 2 but, processor, battery, how will it lie flat without feeling unstable when tapping on the camera side screen. How will we take photos with that camera without opening the phone at least to 90 degrees? How will Android run on it and have any improvements been made to app fit and finish using the two screens? So many questions. Price is going to be a killer, though if you are in the position of it being claimable as a work expense that may not be a deal breaker. except it will be for most ‘normal people’ as Brad and Paul call them. Having said that I don’t think the duo is aimed at normal people.</p>

  • innitrichie

    02 September, 2021 - 9:02 am

    <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This could be the perfect event for me.</span></p><p><br></p><p>I’m hoping Microsoft will announce a range of new PCs, laptops, and tablets that have enhanced compatibility with all the security advancements in Windows 11. I am desperate to replace all my current PC’s with hardware certified to be 100% Windows 11 compatible hardware.</p>

  • Brazbit

    02 September, 2021 - 12:27 pm

    <p>If I were Microsoft I would have held off a few more days until November. With Windows 11 on the schedule if anything goes wrong the headlines write themselves about <em><u>Microsoft’s September ’11 Event</u></em>.</p>

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Thurrott © 2024 Thurrott LLC