14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft proved this week that hardware remains a priority for the company, with the Surface brand continuously expanding to includes more new products, like the Surface Headphones.
And while the firm keeps improving the existing models, expanding the Surface lineup with devices that go beyond their traditional form factor has become the defining culture for the brand.
As a result, future Microsoft products could embrace the same idea too, so in addition to headphones, we could also see a USB-C webcam and even a modular PC wearing the Surface badge.
In an interview with The Verge, Surface head Panos Panay suggested that a USB-C-based camera could indeed be launched under the Surface brand, pointing to the Surface Hub 2 camera as a starting point for such a project.
“Look at the camera on Surface Hub 2, note it’s a USB-C-based camera, and the idea that we can bring a high fidelity camera to an experience, you can probably guess that’s going to happen,” Panay said.
“Is it completing an experience or bringing the next level of an experience to something that you wanted, even if it’s not Surface? I’ve been looking at all of that. While I won’t announce a new product, I think that’s important. I really think the completing of experience is our design from Microsoft that’s hardware and software.”
A modular PC? Maybe
At the same time, Microsoft is exploring the world of modular PCs, again based on the approach that the company uses for the Surface Hub 2, which supports upgrades thanks to modular components.
“Probably, you look at it and you see what’s the evolution and how do we make it better for our customers. Yeah, there’s still so much more to do, and while I won’t tell you what it is you can put stories together,” Panay answered when asked whether the Surface Hub 2 approach could make it to the Surface Studio at some point in the future.
Of course, there are no specifics as to when these devices could get the go-ahead, but with Microsoft considering such projects already, there’s a good chance the Surface brand would be further expanded in the coming years. Everyone hopes that this expanded lineup would also include a Surface Phone, but that’s a completely different story.