14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft’s hardware plans include several new Surface models projected to launch in the next couple of years, and according to a new report, the low-cost device that’s believed to be in the works could be the first one to see daylight.
Codenamed Libra, this cheaper Surface might be on the table for a summer release, according to a report from ZDNet. The device is expected to feature a smaller screen and be positioned as a successor to the Surface 3.
In addition, Microsoft is readying a Surface Pro 6, which is actually the next-generation Surface Pro, though the name that the company is planning to use is not known at this point. On the other hand, what we do know is that the device is internally called Carmel, and in this case, it could be introduced in mid-2019 with a major redesign. No specifics are available on this redesign, but USB-C is one of the features that could be embraced by Microsoft with this release.
Surface Pro and Surface Laptop hardware upgrades
The company will also unveil the Surface Hub 2 next year, while the next-generation HoloLens will go live in the first quarter of 2019. It is codenamed Sydney and “will be lighter, have better field of view, and be cheaper,” according to the cited source.
Interestingly, Microsoft is also working on a refresh of the Surface Pro and the Surface Laptop, but in this case, the new models would be all about hardware upgrades. Intel’s 8th-generation chips are expected to be used on these devices, and the unveiling could happen in the fall.
And last but not least, it’s believed that Microsoft plans to launch new Surface-branded accessories, like a headset similar to Jabra Evolve. A new Surface dock is also being worked on, with the target release date set to late 2019.
It remains to be seen how much of this hardware strategy will continue unchanged, as launch dates could be easily pushed back should any issue be discovered, but as it turns out, Microsoft is very committed to going forward with the Surface lineup.