3 min

Microsoft has announced its new Surface Laptop. The Surface Laptop 4 retains the design of its predecessors but features new hardware. The company has also announced some new accessories for the hybrid workstation.

The Surface Laptop 4 is available with both Intel and AMD processors. In the case of Intel, these are new 11th generation processors, but when buyers opt for AMD, they get chips based on the older Zen 2 architecture. Like the previous generations, the laptop comes in two sizes: 13.5 inch and 15 inch. The smaller variant can come with an Intel Core i5-1135G7, Core i7-1185G7, AMD Ryzen 5 4680U or AMD Ryzen 7 4980U. For the 15″ version, only the i7 and Ryzen 7 are available.

The laptops can also be equipped with a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 32 GB of ram. Storage comes in capacities of 256GB, 512GB or 1TB. The screens have a 16:10 ratio and are touch-sensitive. Connections are also unchanged with a USB-A port, a USB-C port, a headphone jack and the Surface connector that can be used for both charging and docking.

Microsoft promises that the batteries last a lot longer than their predecessors thanks to the new processors. For the 13.5″ version, it is 17 hours for the Intel variant and 19 hours for the AMD version. This compares to 16.7 and 17.5 hours respectively for the 15″ version. The laptops will be available from 27 April with a starting price of 1129 euros for the 13.5″ version with Ryzen 5 processor. The i5 variant starts at 1449 euros.

Accessories

In addition to the new laptop, Microsoft has announced some accessories for remote workers. The Surface Headphones 2+ for business is a luxury wireless headphone with noise cancellation, volume dials and eight built-in microphones. The headset comes with a dongle that certifies it for use with Microsoft Teams. The headphones will be released in early August for a suggested retail price of 329.99 euros.

For customers with less deep pockets, Microsoft has announced the Modern USB & Wireless Headsets. This is a headset for use in meetings, equipped with a physical button to record a call or mute the microphone. An indicator light shows whether the microphone is muted or not. The headset will be available from August for 56.99 or 104.99 euros for the USB or wireless version respectively.

Microsoft has also announced the Modern USB-C Speaker. This is a speaker that should deliver a better microphone and better sound than the built-in hardware of laptops, for use in meetings. It has the same control features as the Modern Headset and will be available from August for 104.99 euros.

Finally, there is the Modern Webcam. It is equipped with a 1080p camera with a 78-degree field of view. With the HDR function, the camera should be able to deal with uneven light, and the physical camera shutter offers extra privacy. It can also automatically remove spots in your face and adjust its white balance for changes in lighting conditions.

Tip: Review: Microsoft Surface Laptop 3