The new Surface Laptop 5, Surface Pro 9, and Surface Studio 2 Plus were shown to the public. The new accessories and software were shown.

You can read about the headline announcements if you missed the live event. You can find out more about the devices on our site.

A seated user in a floral bodysuit holds a closed Surface Laptop 5 in their lap with the Microsoft logo visible.
The logo remains unchanged.
Image: Microsoft

The Surface Laptop 5 is Intel-only

October 25th is when the Surface Laptop 5 will be on sale. The Surface Laptop 4 began at that price. A big part of the Laptop 4 was the chip inside, which was specifically designed for the Surface line. The model we received for review was a better performer than the Intel chips. It gave us some of the best battery life we've seen from a laptop.

The disappointing turn of events is that Microsoft has eliminated the option for the laptop. The Laptop 5 is Intel only and has Core i5 and Core i7 options.

There are two changes to the laptop. The green option is only available on selected models. You generally want to see support for Thunderbolt 4 on Intel models at the $1,000 price point.

The Laptop 5 has the same design as the Laptop 4. It will come in two sizes, one with a 3:2 screen and the other with a 13 inch screen.

A user types on the Surface Pro 9 in laptop mode in an upscale cafe booth.
New Surface with a new Arm chip.
Image: Microsoft

The Surface Pro 9 gets fancy colors

The Surface Pro 9 will be available on October 25th. The starting price for Arm models is $1,299.

The keyboard cover was the primary way to modify the Surface Pro line. The tablets come in a bunch of different colors, but the gray one hasn't changed much. The aluminum is now available in multiple colors, which will allow you to commit to your preferred hue.

There are a number of options to choose from. In honor of the Surface line's 10th anniversary, Microsoft has collaborated with Liberty to create a limited edition floral design that will be available in a limited number of units.

The Surface Pro 9 will have an Arm option and an Intel option. The Arm models will be powered by two different chips. There will be a new neural processing unit and 5G support in the SQ3. The latter will allow features like video background and portrait blur to be handled by the Pro'sCPU and graphics card. This unit is capable of more than 15 trillion calculations per second, according to Microsoft.

The Pro 9 has a 13 inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

A user draws with a stylus on the Surface Studio 2 Plus at a standig desk.
Look familiar?
Image: Microsoft

The Surface Studio 2 Plus has more ports

Microsoft has refreshed its product. I remember, remember? The PC is a 28-inch model from last year. The company has added three new ports to the back of the machine. I will accept it.

The inside chips have been updated. The 2 Plus is powered by Intel and Nvidia. The chips will lead to up to 50 percent faster performance, according to Microsoft.

The device starts at $4,299.99.

Here’s Microsoft Designer in action.
Here’s Microsoft Designer in action.

Apple and Microsoft team up on Music, Photos, and TV

During the Surface event, Microsoft announced some new and refreshed integrations with Apple. An Apple Music app is now available for the first time on the Xbox platform, and next year, dedicated apps for Apple TV Plus and Apple Music will be available on Windows.

The standard Photos app on Windows can be used to keep your pictures up to date with the new iCloud Photos integration. To get this integration, all Windows users need to install the latest version of the iCloud Windows app.

Microsoft’s Adaptive Accessories finally have a release date

A selection of Microsoft Adaptive Accessories being used by two people who are sat at a desk, using a laptop.

Common issues that can prevent people from getting the most out of their PC, if they have difficulty using a traditional mouse and keyboard, are addressed by the adaptive accessories. On October 25th, Microsoft says they will be available for purchase, but didn't give us any information on pricing.

Microsoft Designer makes art with AI

A GIF showing a software user interface for Microsoft Designer. The user types in a prompt in one box and the software generates an image that matches it.

Microsoft is adding a new app to its suite. The program is powered by Openai.

The reporter has described the tool as an image search tool. An artist can describe an image or graphic they want to use and the artificial intelligence can create the image. You can blend two images or choose parts of a single image to be edited.

Those who would like to try out Microsoft Designer can sign up for a free web preview. A free version of Designer will be available once it is ready to be used.

According to Microsoft, designer will be integrated into microsoft edge where it will deliver design suggestions to enhance social media posts.

Microsoft’s new Teams accessories

Microsoft Audio Dock

Despite being less stylish than the Surface Studio 2 Plus, many people will appreciate some new hardware built to work with Microsoft Teams. The pill-shaped Audio Dock is an all-in-one speakerphone solution with a 60W passthrough PC charging, four different ports, and dual front-facing microphones. The other item is a new handheld remote control that works with Teams to make giving presentations more familiar. There isn't a release date or pricing for either.