Skip to main content

The Surface Studio 3 might not be dead after all

Microsoft might still be working on a next-generation Surface Studio all-in-one PC. The device is apparently coming in 2022, alongside refreshes of other Surface products, according to Windows Central’s Zac Bowden.

With the release of the Surface Laptop Studio, which was aimed at creators, many thought the Surface Studio lineup might be dead. It was last refreshed by Microsoft in 2018 with the Surface Studio 2. However, it has now been revealed that the pandemic, as well as global chip shortages, forced Microsoft to postpone a Surface Studio 3 beyond 2020 as it had originally intended. Now, the device is “finally on the docket,” for the new year, per Bowden’s sources.

Microsoft Surface Studio 2 sitting on a table.
Dan Baker/Digital Trends

It’s unclear what Microsoft could be going for with the Surface Studio 3 and if it could get a big redesign. Judging from the past, a CPU refresh and GPU refresh might be the better option. Twelfth-generation Intel processors and Nvidia’s RTX 30-series graphics might be a good fit.

That would constitute a huge improvement over the GTX series graphics and the Core i7-7820HQ in Studio 2 which is now three years old. Microsoft’s partners, meanwhile, have released cool all-in-one systems like the HP Envy 32 and the Dell Inspiron 27 7000. A refresh of the Studio is long overdue.

Other than a follow-up to the Surface Studio 2, Microsoft is also working on refreshes of existing Surface devices. That includes the Laptop Go, which might get Intel’s 11th generation processors, a new Surface Pro with Intel’s 12th-gen processors, and a Surface Pro X with a new Microsoft SQ3 chip. Even the main Surface Laptop line will be upgraded according to Bowden. AMD Rembrandt and Intel’s 12th generation chips could end up in these devices.

As for the Surface Duo 3, it seems as though Microsoft might be putting that on hold. Bowden believes plans could change, but Microsoft is planning a 2023 release for the Duo 3, focusing on software issues with the Duo 2 and original Surface Duo instead.

And Windows 11? Bowden’s sources tell him that the next update for Windows 11 could come in the summer of 2022. Giving developers access to make third-party widgets, a wider dark mode, and bringing back missing functions in the Taskbar are all things Microsoft is focusing on.

Even ARM-based computers are a big area of focus for the company in 2022. A new devkit with a flagship processor based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8cx Gen3 could be coming in the new year.

Editors' Recommendations

Arif Bacchus
Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…
Apple may abandon the Mac Studio just 12 months after it launched
A person works at a station equipped with the all new Mac Studio and Studio Display.

Apple’s Mac Studio is less than a year old, but it could already be heading for the chopping block. That’s according to a new report from Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, who claims Apple might not bother updating the computer for the foreseeable future -- or could give up on it entirely.

In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman stated his belief that a new version of the Mac Studio was unlikely to appear “in the near future.” That’s because the Mac Studio and an upcoming Mac Pro could be “similar in functionality,” making the former somewhat redundant.

Read more
Turns out DirectStorage isn’t killing frame rates in Forspoken after all
Frey is handcuffed and guarded in Forspoken.

Yesterday, we published that DirectStorage might be killing your frame rate in Forspoken. This claim was based on some early testing from the PC Games Hardware YouTube channel, which claimed upwards of a 10% drop in frame rate when using DirectStorage. As some new testing has proven, that's has turned out to not be true.

It's a classic case of assuming on my part, and you know what they say about that. Although generally a reliable German source for PC hardware coverage, the YouTube channel didn't take into account loading screens when running its benchmarks. Naturally, a SATA SSD took longer to load than a PCIe SSD, boosting the average frame rate for the slower drive.

Read more
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 vs. Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5i: which 2-in-1 is best?
The screen of the Surface Pro 9 on a table.

Microsoft's Surface Pro 9 represents the latest version of what's become the industry standard for detachable tablet 2-in-1s. It's also one of the best laptops, period. Meanwhile, Lenovo's IdeaPad Duet 5i is an audacious new competitor, going up against an established machine.

There's one major factor differentiating the two: the price. The IdeaPad Duet 5i is significantly less expensive (and configurable) than the Surface Pro 9. Does that give it enough of a leg to stand on?
Specs and configurations

Read more