Skip to main content

Microsoft ‘special event’ set for September – Surfaces and AI announcements likely

Microsoft has announced it will be holding what it describes as a “special event” in New York City on Thursday, September 21, though at the current time, it’s giving little away on what it’s about.

The expectation is that the tech giant will unveil some new products, though at this point it’s only possible to speculate. In that case, updates to its Surface hardware could certainly be incoming, including for its flagship Surface Laptop Studio, which launched two years ago and is therefore due for a refresh.

Also possible is an update to the company’s work around artificial intelligence following the integration of OpenAI’s chatbot technology into a number of its products — the Bing search engine and Edge browser among them — earlier this year.

Microsoft might also reveal details of an update to its Windows 11 operating system, though this could link to news of its work to incorporate more AI.

Truth be told, the company’s event next month could feature one or more of the above — or be about something entirely different.

Microsoft’s hardware events more often than not took place in September, but last year it shifted it to October. With that in mind, if the event is gear-focused, the company looks to be returning to its old slot earlier in the fall.

Microsoft’s will be one of a flurry of tech events taking place in the coming months. Apple, for example, is expected to unveil the iPhone 15 in September, while Google is likely to take the wraps off new Pixel devices in the next few months, too. What we do know for sure is that Amazon has an event planned for Wednesday, September 20, when it will likely unveil new gear.

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Everything Microsoft didn’t announce at its 2023 Surface event
Microsoft showing off the new Surface laptop Go 3 at its September event.

Microsoft unveiled several new products during its 2023 Surface event. We got lots of updates about Windows Copilot and other AI-driven software upgrades, as well as plenty of hardware, including the Surface Laptop Studio 2 and the Surface Laptop Go 3.

While a lot of our early predictions came true during the Microsoft September event, there are still a few things that were noticeably missing from this year's lineup. Here's what Microsoft could have announced, but didn't.
Surface Pro 10

Read more
Should you buy the Surface Laptop Studio or wait for the Surface Laptop Studio 2?
The Surface Laptop Studio 2 on a white table.

Announced during the Microsoft September event, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 joins a growing family of Surface devices. Equipped with all the same flexibility we'd expect from the best 2-in-1 laptops, the Studio 2 may look very similar to the previous version, but it's a lot more different than it seems at a glance.

How does the new version compare to Microsoft's original Laptop Studio? Below, we'll take you on a deep dive into these two devices and help you make your pick if you're trying to choose between them. Make sure to read our Surface Laptop Studio 2 review, as well.
Pricing and availability

Read more
Surface Laptop Go 3 specs: what’s the best configuration?
Surface Laptop Go 3 at Microsoft debut event.

The Surface Laptop Go 3 is a fast, but affordable new laptop from Microsoft's latest line of Surface devices. Announced at Microsoft's September 2023 Surface event, it offers a speedy modern processor, plenty of SSD storage space, and a range of color options for the chassis. You can get the complete Surface package for $799, but you can configure it with more of less components to make it best suited for your needs.

Those extras do affect the cost, though, begging the question: Which is the best Surface Laptop Go 3 configuration? We've delved through the spec and retail listings to find out.

Read more