Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled the Surface Book 2 laptop that the company claims is the "most powerful Surface Book yet". The newest Surface Book 2 comes two years after the launch of the original Surface Book, and was unveiled alongside the launch of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. The company says the Surface Book 2 is powerful enough to support next-gen computing that will incorporate mixed reality, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and immersive gaming.
The Redmond-based giant backs the power of the Surface Book 2 by adding 8th Gen Intel Core processors and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 and 1060 discrete graphics options. Microsoft claims that the Surface Book 2 is five times more powerful that the original and twice as powerful as Apple's latest MacBook Pro.
Microsoft Surface Book 2 design and specifications
The Surface Book 2 is offered in two sizes: a 13.5-inch variant with PixelSense Display and screen resolution of 3000x2000, and a 15-inch option with PixelSense Display and 3240x2160 pixels screen resolution. They screens are of course detachable so that you can use it as a tablet. Both variants have an aspect ratio of 3:2 and Microsoft claims 17 hours of video playback, which is 70 per cent more than the MacBook Pro.
In terms of design, the Surface Book 2 looks similar to the original. It keeps the dynamic fulcrum hinge that expands when it is opened. Both the screen variants are detachable and the left side can hold the Surface Pen. As a tablet alone, Microsoft promises up to 5 hours of battery life. The laptop comes in a magnesium casing and in Silver colour option.
The company also says that despite the powerful innards, the Surface Book 2 is designed for ease of mobility with the 13.5-inch model weighing in at roughly 1.5kg, and the 15-inch option at around 1.9kg. The PixelSense Display adds multi-touch, Surface Pen and Surface Dial on-screen support as well. As for connectivity, the Surface Book 2 features two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, one USB Type-C port, a full-size SD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Both the variants support Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1 LE, Xbox Wireless built-in (for 15-inch models), among other things. There's also a 5-megapixel front camera with 1080p video support, and an 8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p video and autofocus.
There are seven different variants for the Surface Book 2 with various configurations. The 13.5-inch display is offered in a choice of 256GB SSD with Intel Core i5 processor; 256GB SSD with Intel Core i7; 512GB SSD with Intel Core i7; and 1TB SSD with Intel Core i7. The 15-inch display model comes in a choice of 256GB SSD with Intel Core i7; 512GB SSD with Intel Core i7; and 1TB SSD with Intel Core i7.
Surface Book 2 with the power of Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
Microsoft also rolled out the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update which brings support for mixed reality, a redesigned Photos app with filters and 3D effects, the ability to pin top people to the taskbar for one-click access, Cortana support for voice-activated power commands, and improved protection against ransomware attacks.
"The Photos app will give you new ways to personalize and share your visual stories. And a range of new experiences allows you to create and interact with 3D objects. Use them in PowerPoint, Word, Excel, or the Mixed Reality Viewer app to view 3D in the real world," Microsoft's Panos Panay said in a blog post .
The Surface Book 2 will of course get the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update when it starts shipping on November 16. The 13-inch model starts at $1.499, while the 15-inch model is priced starting at $2,499.