Windows AI, Surface, etc.

Microsoft will host a digital event titled “Advancing a New Era of Work with Copilot” on March 21. Possible product launches include a new Surface device, possibly the first to be called an AI PC. This is the second Windows hardware event and the first mainline Surface Pro launch without former chief product officer and long-time keynote speaker Panos Panay, who left Amazon last year. Here’s everything we can expect to see at the company’s first launch event of 2024.

The company describes the event as “the latest advancements in extending artificial intelligence in your environment with Copilot, Windows and Surface.” There are conflicting reports on exactly what we will see in late March.

Windows Center It is claimed that the OLED Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 will be the protagonists of this event, and their upgraded processors will achieve “huge performance and efficiency improvements” compared to the previous generation products.However, one from edge It is suggested that this month’s event will only cover the business and commercial versions of these devices, with upgrades that are much more subtle than the consumer versions. The store claims that a “larger redesign” of the consumer version will be available later this spring.

It is said that these new devices will use Intel Core Ultra or Snapdragon X Elite chips and be equipped with next-generation neural processing units (NPUs) for advanced artificial intelligence tasks. The Intel version is expected to launch in April, while the Arm-based Snapdragon version will reportedly launch a few months later in June. If reports are accurate, this will be the first time the Surface Laptop series includes an Arm-based version.

Surface Pro 10 is rumored to be switching from an LCD screen to an anti-reflective OLED screen, at least in the consumer model. The device will have a brighter screen than the Surface Pro 9 and support HDR content. Meanwhile, Surface Laptop 6 is rumored to come with thinner display bezels (rounded corners) and a tactile trackpad. Its updated port selection is said to include two USB-C and one USB-A on the left side.

The business/commercial model (which may be all we see at this month’s event) is rumored to include a built-in Common Access Card (CAC) card reader and the option of up to 64GB of RAM.

Whether at this month’s event or later, the new consumer Surface Pro and Surface Laptop are expected to kick off Microsoft’s push for AI PCs running Windows 11. According to reports, they will be one of the first companies to include a version of the Copilot device. Other rumored AI features include instant subtitles and translations, game upscaling and frame rate smoothing, upgraded Windows Studio Effects, and a feature called AI Explorer. Both devices will reportedly come with a dedicated front passenger key.

AI Explorer is rumored to include a built-in timeline that can be searched using natural language. Perhaps similar to the third-party Rewind AI app for macOS, the feature is said to record everything you do and see on your device, allowing you to filter it through Copilot. It lets you ask your assistant questions like “Help me find something about dinosaurs” and view every dinosaur-related moment in your computer’s history. (This could become a privacy nightmare if not handled properly, but hopefully Microsoft will provide security guarantees like encryption and full on-device processing.)

The feature will also allegedly “understand context, help launch projects or workflows, and even suggest tasks based on what’s currently on the screen.” Other rumored features include telling Copilot to remove screens from third-party apps in the Photos app Image background capability.

According to reports, these AI features are not expected to be exclusive to Surface devices and are expected to be available in the Windows 11 Annual Feature Update (version 24H2) this fall. Windows Center noted that it’s unclear whether Microsoft will discuss these features at the March event.

Engadget will have full coverage of Microsoft’s announcement on March 21 at noon ET.