3 Things To Expect From Next Week’s Windows And Surface Event

Microsoft’s first big event of 2024 is right around the corner. On March 21, we’re getting a digital presentation focused on “Copilot, Windows and Surface”, meaning you can expect new devices and software news. Thankfully, with Microsoft events, we generally have a pretty good idea of what’s coming, so we’re here to break it down for you.

New features in Windows 11 version 24H2

A look at would have been Windows 12

The first thing you can expect to see at the March 21 event will be a handful of news on the upcoming Windows 11 2024 Update. It’s likely Microsoft will touch on some of the features we already know about thanks to the Windows Insider Program, where a lot of features are already available to try in preview.

Among those features, we’re likely going to see some AI-focused capabilities showcased, like voice clarity and built-in upscaling for games. We’ve also heard about a new version of the Paint app with new capabilities that leverage the NPU on 2024 laptops with Intel Core Ultra processors and the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chipset. The current Paint app already has a Cocreator feature that relies on the cloud to generate content for your images, but it comes at a cost, and you only have a few free credits. It’s possible that this new app could use the NPU to remove the need to use the cloud, and thus remove the costs associated with it.

The “AI Explorer”

The headlining feature of the Windows 11 2024 Update

This could have been part of the section above, but it’s worth a section of its own, especially because it’s one of the features we haven’t had a chance to see for ourselves, meaning it will likely be one of the big reveals at this event. The AI Explorer has been described as a sort of advanced Copilot that permeates the entire Windows operating system.

One of the core features of the AI Explorer is the ability to create a timeline of everything you do on your computer and understand what you’re looking at. It can remember what you looked at, so when you ask Copilot to show you something, it can bring up any document or page you looked at that contained the words you asked for.

There are likely other aspects to this advanced Copilot we don’t know about yet, so you can expect to learn more about it, possibly followed by a preview of these new capabilities in the Windows Insider Program. AI will certainly be a big focus of the event.

New Surface PCs for business

Now ready for AI

It’s been a year and a half since Microsoft introduced the Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5, and it’s high time for an update, which we’re expecting to see at on March 21. The next Surface Pro will be one of the headlining pieces of hardware, being Microsoft’s most successful PC. We’re expecting devices to come in both Intel and Qualcomm variants, but it’s likely we’ll only see the Intel versions announced at this event, since the Qualcomm version is coming later in June, alongside other laptops featuring the Snapdragon X Elite. The Intel versions will be aimed primarily at business users, with the Qualcomm versions being the consumer-focused models.

Aside from that, reports also indicate that the new Surface Pro will include an NFC reader and a new wide-angle webcam that will take advantage of the AI capabilities of the new processors. It will also come with an upgraded screen with HDR support, and up to 64GB of RAM.

Additionally, a new Surface Laptop is also expected to make its debut alongside the Surface Pro for business, with the same Intel processors (a Qualcomm model will launch later) plus a new configuration option with 64GB of RAM. The Surface Laptop 6 will also feature a new Copilot key, and Microsoft will also be adding it to the Type Cover for the Surface Pro.

Both devices are expected to launch in April.

What about the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6?

While we’re expecting to see new Surface devices at the March 21 event, these are likely going to be business-focused only, and it’s possible they won’t be called Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6. Instead, they may just be called the Surface Pro for business and Surface Laptop for business.

Instead, the Surface Pro 10 and Laptop 6 are expected to debut a few months later featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, as mentioned above. On top of the Qualcomm processors, the Surface Pro 10 will include the enhancements from the business model above, as well as a new OLED display. Meanwhile, the Surface Laptop 6 is expected to feature a brand-new design, with thinner bezels around the display and rounded corners. It also features a new, larger touchpad, plus a new port selection.

These devices should all be announced at a later date, though, so don’t expect to see them at the March 21 event.