Just a year ago, at Microsoft’s event in September 2021, the company unveiled a new addition to its laptop lineup: the Surface Laptop Studio.
It came to replace the Surface Book range and offer 3-in-1 functionality thanks to a new Dynamic Hinge. It can be used as a normal 14.4″ laptop, pull the screen forward or put it down in “study mode”.
As we explain in our exam, all these modes are very practical, although there is still room for improvement. Although the original went on sale a few months ago, it doesn’t look like its successor will arrive in 2022. Here’s everything you need to know.
When will the Surface Laptop Studio 2 go on sale?
So far, there’s only been one generation of Surface Laptop Studio, so it’s hard to predict when the next one will arrive. You have to look at how the release schedule of the Surface Book, which replaced the Laptop Studio, was:
- Surface Book: October 2015
- Surface Book 2: November 2017
- Surface Book 3: May 2020
This suggests that there will be more than two years to wait between generations, although the Laptop Studio arrived 17 months after the Book 3. In any case, it would be great if the second generation arrived at the end of this year 2022, like for example in case Microsoft this October 12th.
It probably won’t arrive until 2023. Unless it’s a minor update, it’ll probably be September or October again. However, this is all pure speculation at the moment.
Devices that could arrive in 2022 would be the Surface Pro 9 and the Surface Laptop 5.
How much will the Surface Laptop Studio 2 cost?
One of the last things to be revealed about a product is usually the price, so you’ll have to wait until the Laptop Studio 2 launch to find out exactly.
Barring substantial improvements, we believe they will be more or less the same as the original model:
- Core i5, 16 GB + 256 GB: $1,799
- Core i5, 16 GB + 512 GB: $1,999
- Core i7, 16 GB + 512 GB: $2,299
- Core i7, 32 GB + 1 TB: $2,899
- Core i7, 32 GB + 2 TB: $3,299
Despite high inflation rates, the next Laptop Studio may be slightly cheaper. The price is one of the big points compared to the original model, which makes it difficult to justify its purchase.
What specs and features will the Surface Laptop Studio 2 have?
At the moment, there are no concrete rumors circulating about the specifications of the Laptop Studio 2, which further suggests that its launch is still a long way off. Still, we can get an idea of what it will be like.
The device will almost certainly come with an updated processor. The 11th Gen CPUs available in the original are now obsolete and the 13th Gen chips are expected to arrive in laptops in 2023. This will most likely be Raptor Lake’s next string.
Microsoft may be limited to Core i5 and i7 models, but it would be nice to see Core i9 in the more expensive configurations. It will likely come with a discrete graphics card, perhaps from the flagship GeForce RTX 40 line and not the more powerful GPU made by Nvidia.
The RTX 3050 Ti is only available in the Core i7 model of the original Laptop Studio. It would be nice to see it with other CPU configurations as well. There will likely still be integrated graphics, although it could be the upcoming Intel Iris Xe 2 and not the current Iris Xe.
Since Laptop Studio’s design has been generally well received, it’s unlikely there will be any major changes. It will likely remain a 14.4-inch 3-in-1 device with the same three modes.
Microsoft might choose to upgrade the screen, although it seems the company is still sticking with LCD instead of OLED. The screen already has a high resolution of 2400×1600 and a refresh rate of 120Hz that can be dynamically adjusted depending on what you’re doing. Neither thing needs improvement.
The same goes for the impressive 1080p and infrared sensor, which guarantees excellent video calls and reliable face unlock. But it would be nice to have a separate fingerprint scanner, potentially integrated into the power button.
Considering the thickness of the Laptop Studio, there must be more ports. Adding USB-A and HDMI to the existing USB-C and 3.5mm headphone jack would be a great idea. Some space could be freed up by ditching the Surface Connect port for USB-C charging.
Battery life is one of the strengths of the original device, but it would be nice if Microsoft increased the maximum capacity to 58Wh. Additionally, it now takes over two hours to fully recharge, which should be improved in the next iteration.
As you can see, a few small improvements could make the second-gen Surface Laptop Studio a much more attractive device. But nothing has been confirmed or even rumored, so we will update this article when more information is known.
