Microsoft is gearing up for a “special event” in New York City, set to debut new Surface devices and AI-powered features across its ecosystem. This event comes right after the unexpected resignation of Panos Panay, the former head of Windows and Surface.
Here’s what you need to know about this event:
Event details
The event is scheduled for Thursday, September 21st, marking the first in-person Surface event since the pandemic.
While Panos Panay won’t be presenting, we can expect to hear from Yusuf Mehdi, head of consumer marketing, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
New Surface devices
Microsoft is rumoured to unveil three new Surface devices. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is among them, featuring Intel’s 13th Gen processors, Nvidia’s RTX 4060, a microSD card slot, and a USB-A port. It retains the familiar design with a versatile display that transforms from a laptop to a tablet.
Notably, it’s rumoured to ship with 64GB of RAM and is expected to be available starting October 3rd.
The Surface Go 4 and Surface Laptop Go 3 are also anticipated, likely maintaining the design of their predecessors but with upgraded internals and Intel’s 12th Gen CPUs.
Windows AI features
Microsoft will unveil AI-powered features for Windows, including Windows Copilot, an AI “personal assistant.” This update is set to ship by the end of September, enhancing Windows 11 with various improvements.
Expect more AI integration in Windows apps, such as the Snipping Tool and Photos app, offering new functionalities like text copying from screenshots and background blur for photos.
Apps like Paint and Photos are rumoured to get AI enhancements for generating images from text prompts and identifying objects or people in photos.
Surface AI features
Microsoft has been integrating AI into its Surface lineup with features like Windows Studio Effects, which debuted on the Arm-powered Surface Pro X.
These features rely on dedicated neural processing units (NPUs), which may be included in the upcoming Surface Laptop Studio 2.
AMD’s Ryzen 7000 mobile processors and Intel’s Meteor Lake chips are expected to support AI capabilities, potentially shaping future AI experiences on Windows.
Office and Bing AI features
The event won’t be limited to Surface and Windows, as Microsoft is likely to share more about Copilot plans for Microsoft 365 and Office apps.
Copilot in Office apps aims to streamline document summarization, email generation, and Excel analysis using AI, competing with Google Workspace, Zoom, and Slack’s AI-powered features.
There may also be updates regarding Bing Chat Enterprise, including its exit from preview and additional features for both consumer and enterprise versions.
Microsoft’s “special event” promises exciting new Surface devices and a deep dive into AI-powered features across Windows, Office, Bing, and more, setting the stage for a future where AI revolutionises how we interact with Microsoft’s products and services.
