Highlights:

  • The Snapdragon X Elite CPU from Qualcomm Inc. is anticipated to be included in the next Surface Pro and Surface Laptop consumer models.
  • It is anticipated that the next Surface Laptop will come with a redesigned chassis with fewer bezels.

Microsoft Corp.’s hardware event is scheduled in May where it is anticipated to unveil consumer versions of company’s enterprise-oriented Surface Laptop and Surface Pro tablet.

The plan was released recently, citing sources with knowledge of the situation. Microsoft sent out a media invitation stating that Satya Nadella, the company’s CEO, will be discussing the company’s “AI vision across hardware and software” during the event. On May 20, the day before the company’s yearly Build developer conference, the product will make its debut.

The Snapdragon X Elite CPU from Qualcomm Inc. is anticipated to be included in the next Surface Pro and Surface Laptop consumer models. The processor debuted last year and is expected to outperform Apple Inc.’s M2 by up to 50% in multi-thread performance. Qualcomm benchmark testing also shows that the X Elite outperforms a number of similar Intel Corp. processors in terms of speed.

A 12-core central processing unit built on Arm Holdings plc designs powers the chip. The CPU was created by Nuvia, a chip manufacturer that Qualcomm paid USD 1.4 billion to purchase in 2021. Peak frequencies when all 12 of its cores are engaged are 3.8 GHz, and when it is in single-core mode, the speed is 4.3 GHz.

Qualcomm’s developers coupled the CPU with an AI accelerator and an integrated graphics processing unit. The latter module can execute 45 TOPs at its maximum speed, where a TOP is equivalent to a trillion calculations per second. According to Qualcomm, large language models with up to 13 billion parameters may be executed on the X Elite due to the integrated AI accelerator.

Additional improvements are anticipated for the Surface Pro and Surface Tablet, which are geared toward consumers.

As per anticipation, the Surface Pro will get an upgraded OLED display. A conventional LED screen comprises two layers: one that holds the pixels and another that illuminates them. On the other hand, OLED displays need less power and space because they just have one layer of self-illuminating pixels.

Conversely, the next Surface Laptop is anticipated to come with a redesigned chassis with fewer bezels. According to reports, Microsoft also included a haptic touchpad, two USB-C connectors, and one USB-A port on the device.

It is anticipated that the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop will come equipped with a Copilot key. It will enable users to rapidly activate Microsoft’s eponymous chatbot. It is situated next to the space bar. Pressing the key activates Windows’ built-in search bar, which is anticipated to get an AI update that would simplify locating files if Copilot is not active on their device.