Now, that’s what I call coming full circle! This year is the 10th anniversary of Surface, and Microsoft is busy preparing for what will be busy next couple of months on both the hardware and software fronts.
Not only is the Windows 11 2022 Update set to go live in September, but Redmond is also on track to unveil some new hardware devices at a dedicated event in October. Amidst all this, we also have a little something called Ignite, which will be the company’s return to in-person events.
Although we know a fair bit about the software side of things with the upcoming first major update for the Windows 11 operating system, Microsoft’s hardware business has been under a veil of mystery.
While we don’t know much about Redmond’s upcoming Surface computers, a new report reveals some interesting details.
Details about a potential merger of the company’s two device lineups.
Zac Bowden rang up his sources inside Microsoft, who revealed that the company is all ready to merge its distinctly different Surface models into a single device family: Intel-based Surface Pro and ARM-powered Surface Pro X.
Been hearing from my sources for a while now that MS is planning to merge the Surface Pro X under the main Surface Pro line this fall, meaning the Surface Pro "9" will be available in both Intel and ARM flavors for the first time. Big milestone for WoA!
— Zac Bowden (@zacbowden) August 28, 2022
Big, if true!
Of course, Microsoft’s offering one computer with two different processors is not new. The Surface family has been available with a choice of either Intel or AMD CPUs since the Surface Laptop 3.
But this merges two different processor platforms, two radically different architectures, into one. If this happens, then the upcoming Surface Pro 9 could become the first Surface computer to be available in both x86 and ARM flavors.
Not only will this mark a significant milestone for Windows on ARM, it will also demonstrate that Microsoft is confident enough in these types of devices and is about to put its full force behind them, both int terms of hardware and software.
The future could be rather interesting if Microsoft brings its ARM machines under the umbrella of its most successful device.
While we don’t yet know when exactly Microsoft plans to hold the upcoming event, rumors and past history suggest that it may be in October.
And if this new development is anything to go by, it may be historic.
