The Microsoft Surface has long held a unique position in the tablet market. While people debate whether or not Apple ever intended on the iPad replacing laptops (I don’t recall them ever saying that), Microsoft was very clear from the beginning about what Surface was. “The Tablet That Can Replace Your Laptop” was the marketing slogan for the breakthrough Surface Pro 3. Since it runs full Windows, I don’t think many people would dispute that claim, even if they choose a traditional laptop form factor. Like the tablet market as a whole, the Surface’s fortunes have not been great the past few years. Microsoft is not predicting they’ll get any better in the short term. Without a hardware refresh in 2023 to look forward to, I had some thoughts on what improvements could be next for Surface Pro.

Software

Running a mature laptop OS means that we’re unlikely to see software changes that transform the Surface experience the way that Stage Manager did for iPad Pro in 2022. Windows PCs continue to get OS updates for years and years. This gives a Surface device a potential longevity that can far exceed the competition. Longevity is a double edged sword though, as incentives to upgrade can be few and far between. This has no doubt contributed to the recent sales declines for Surface. Microsoft is leaning into the AI boom by adding a number of AI powered features to Windows. So far, there’s nothing that takes any special advantage of Surface, but that could absolutely change over time. Having a world facing camera is a key tablet advantage over a laptop. Combining that camera with newer AR models could unlock since interesting possibilities down the road.

Hardware

• The current Surface design is so good that it’s hard to imagine improvements that will really move the needle. The Surface Pro 9 added the additional colors of Sapphire and Forest. I didnt love either of those colors, but it’s nice to see a company realize that Pro products don’t have to be grey or silver (ahem…Apple). Switching out the additional colors seems like an easy win in 2024. The top and bottom bezels could also be reduced in size slightly.
• Surface Pro currently has two Thunderbolt/modern usb ports, but I think the endgame should be to have two on each side. I imagine that it’s expensive and requires a lot more bandwidth than is maybe available in a tablet form factor, but it would be a great productivity and qualify of life boost. Thunderbolt has really helped complete the laptop replacement story by making the tablet compatible with a variety for docks and desk setups. If you haven’t considered making a Thunderbolt dock part of your desk setup, I would strongly encourage looking into it.
• The Surface Pro recently moved to a 120hz display, which was a needed improvement. As the iPad Pro is poised to move to OLED, Microsoft should keep pace and offer an OLED Surface Pro (or at least mini-LED.

Conclusion

I’m kind of okay if we don’t see a mind blowing hardware revision for a while. Laptops are boring. Surface can be boring. For productive tools, boring is good! Continuing to iterate on performance while avoiding gimmicks has kind of been the Surface’s thing. It has remained a very focused and purposeful product that has always known what it was. The class leading tablet that “can replace your laptop”.

Side Note

Earlier this year, there were rumors of an 11 inch Surface Pro that would compete with the 11 inch iPad Pro. Windows Central later reported that this model has unfortunately been canceled around the time Panos Panay quit. This is a real bummer. It would have been a killer device. My employer uses Microsoft 365, and I was really looking forward to having a small, windows based companion device with a little more oomph than a Surface Go.