Microsoft's Surface Laptop 6 and Pro 10 devices could be its first AI PCs
Rumor has it that Microsoft is going to release the next version of Windows in 2024. Named Windows 12 right now, as Microsoft has yet to announce the final name of the new operating system, it is said to focus massively on artificial intelligence.
While it is doubtful if it will require specialized chips for AI processing, it is certain that its AI operations will benefit from such chips.
Windows Central claims that the upcoming Surface devices will be Microsoft's first AI PCs. The next version of Windows won't be out at the time of release, but the devices come with a neural processing unit (NPU) that is designed to do the heavy lifting when it comes to AI operations.
The two new devices, reportedly the Surface Laptop 6 and the Surface Pro 10, will come as Intel and Arm-based options according to the report. According to the site, the Arm versions of the Surface devices will be powered by a custom Qualcomm Snapdragon X Series chip. These chips, internally called CADMUS, are designed specifically for the next version of Windows according to the report.
The ARM-powered Surface devices will be on an eye-to-eye level with Apple Silicon reportedly. This means "similar battery life, performance, and security".
The next Surface Laptop is getting a design refresh according to the report. It reportedly sports a thinner bezel, rounded display corners and additional ports.
The Surface Pro 10 reportedly features a better display that is brighter and with HDR support. Windows Central claims that Microsoft is testing a variant that has a lower resolution, 2160x1440 instead of the 2880x1920 that the previous Surface Pro 9 featured. This appears to be in consideration for the less expensive versions of the Surface Pro 10 only according to Windows Central's unmentioned sources.
Closing Words
Microsoft's two Surface devices won't be the last products that come with dedicated NPU chips onboard. Since these will be rather new in 2024, it still seems doubtful that Microsoft would bet its entire Windows dominance on NPU and make it a system requirement.
It is possible that Windows 12 could just be a new variant of Windows 11, one optimized for AI. It can't be long before Microsoft is making an announcement about the next version of Windows.
Microsoft has more Surface laptops and devices in the pipeline according to the report, but that was to be expected.
Whether that is going to help the underperforming Surface device section at Microsoft remains to be seen.
All of this has to be taken with a grain of salt, as Microsoft has not confirmed any of this at this stage.
Now You: do you care if your next PC will have a dedicated NPU chip?
Yes I care and no, it won’t have one.
I’m content to sit back and lag behind while others do the free beta testing of new hardware and software.
I expect that some coders will be early adopters. None of the customers of our computer shop have been impressed by Copilot. Every one that asked questions related to their professions, or hobbies, was pleased with the chat session. Answers to questions ranged from completely wrong or far more verbose than desired. Plus, it seems slower than a simple search. Still, I’m looking forward to how AI Windows will impact productivity. This will be interesting.