This is what we’ve heard and what we’d want to see from Microsoft’s Surface Studio 3.
Microsoft Surface Studio 3’s future is unknown. According to Windows Central, Microsoft plans to debut the Surface Studio 3 in 20202. However, the launching of the gadget was postponed owing to the pandemic and worldwide chip scarcity. The Surface Studio 3 is expected to be released in 2022, at the earliest.
Ever since our 2016 Microsoft Surface Studio review, we’ve been fans of the Surface Studio series, and our 2018 Microsoft Surface Studio 2 review was just as positive. It’s been four years since the Surface Studio was released, which is a long time to wait for a new model with the most current technology and features.
We haven’t heard anything about the Surface Studio 3 in the last several months. Ahead, you’ll find a rundown of the most recent rumours, as well as some informed estimates regarding the device’s release date, price, and potential revisions.
It is the largest tablet, 2-in-1, and laptop in Microsoft’s Surface family, featuring a striking design that combines an all-in-one form factor with the most comfortable touchscreen for sketching ever.
The Surface Studio has earned its spot among the finest laptops for serious creatives thanks to an excellent display that supports touch, pen, and even the Surface Dial, as well as an outstanding dual-hinge design that allows the monitor to tilt to a low angle for comfortable sketching. Any professional user may benefit from its powerful hardware and outstanding performance. In addition, the entire thing is wrapped up in a stunning, sleek design that manages to be both simple and classy at the same time.
Note from the Editor: In the year 2021, there were various leaks concerning the release of new Surface devices. The Surface series has remained current thanks to devices like the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4, but there has been no word about a new desktop.
At its September 2021 Surface event, Microsoft introduced a slew of new Windows 11-ready Surface devices, including the Surface Laptop Studio, which was inspired by the Surface Studio. All the specifics can be found in our comprehensive Microsoft Surface event coverage.
Release date of the Microsoft Surface Studio 3
The Surface Studio 3 has yet to be unveiled by Microsoft, although a refresh of the desktop in 2022 is conceivable. Surface Studio 1 was released in late 2016 while Surface Studio 2 was released in November of this year. Aside from the continuing worldwide pandemic and semiconductor scarcity, Microsoft’s Surface Studio 3 was expected to be delivered in 2020.
The cost of the Microsoft Surface Studio 3
It’s difficult to predict what the price of a new Surface Studio model will be based on the lack of information about a new product or specs, thus it’s impossible to know whether the price will be increased or dropped.
The new Surface Studio 2 begins at $3,499, which is $500 more expensive than the first Surface Studio’s starting price of $2,999 in 2016. A price rise for a new Surface Studio workstation might be justified if Microsoft plans to make major enhancements or design modifications.
The premium all-in-one desktop might be made more affordable by Microsoft by lowering the price. This would be an alternative. This change seems implausible, given the extensive marketing aimed at creative professionals around the prior two desktop editions. Even if it’s impossible, the Surface brand may benefit greatly from a lower beginning price and a desktop geared at average people.
The current Surface Studio 2 begins at $3,499 and includes a Core i7 CPU, an Nvidia graphics card, and 16GB of RAM. If a new model is introduced, price is expected to remain similar to the existing Surface Studio 2. At $4,799, the most expensive option included a more powerful CPU and better graphics card, as well as greater allotments of memory and storage.
Details about the new Microsoft Surface Studio 3
This year’s Microsoft Surface Studio 3 isn’t even official yet, but we can make some informed assumptions about its potential features. Speculation about hardware and functionality is inevitable, however there are several aspects of the current model that might be enhanced in a future iteration.
Just to give you an idea, the 2018 Surface Studio 2 was equipped with an Intel Core i7-7820HQ processor, which was already in its 7th generation at the time of its release in shops in 2018. If Microsoft updates the Surface all-in-one, a CPU upgrade is assured. We only hope the new processor is one of the newest 12th-generation Intel Core processors and not an outdated CPU that has been on the market for more than a year..”
3 USB ports are available on the Microsoft Surface Studio 3.
For years, Surface users have been requesting that the USB Type-C connectors be replaced with Thunderbolt 3 (or possibly Thunderbolt 4) connections. Faster data transfer rates mean Thunderbolt 3 is much more versatile than USB-C and can be used to connect a wide variety of devices to the same computer, from high-resolution displays to external storage.
But the use of Direct Memory Access (DMA) by Thunderbolt 3 to read and write directly to RAM goes against to Microsoft’s design and security philosophy, as evidenced in previous Surface devices employing soldered RAM – purportedly because it is more secure, but also cheaper to manufacture. However, the desktop Studio 3 would be the location to see Thunderbolt 3 or 4 on any Surface device.
Display for the Microsoft Surface Studio 3
A better display is another improvement that is quite probable. With 4500 x 3000 resolution, a unique 3:2 aspect ratio, and factory colour calibration, the first and second-generation Studio all-in-ones had some of the greatest displays ever provided. If you’re looking for something that’s better than 4K but doesn’t have HDR compatibility, then the Surface Studio’s 28-inch screens are a touch less intriguing than the 6K Pro XDR display on Apple’s Macbook Pro.
Surface Studio 3’s design has been revamped.
However, there are rumours that the next Surface Studio may not be an all-in-one at all, and that it will instead use an independent Surface monitor with the same touch capabilities and zero-gravity hinge, but without the PC hardware built in. This is based on a Microsoft patent from 2016, which has sparked speculation. The all-in-one design of previous Surface Studio versions may be replaced with something more akin to the greatest mini PCs, which have a high-end display combined with a tiny desktop.
The Surface Hub S2, Microsoft’s group-oriented display for meetings and collaboration, might serve as an inspiration for this modular design. All-in-one design is maintained, but the internal hardware may be upgraded through a separate cartridge-like device that contains the PC components. This allows you to slot in new hardware without having to remove the whole unit.
Microphones for the Microsoft Surface Studio 3
Another sure bet is better microphones, which will make video chat and voice interaction simpler. directional micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) microphones, which reduce noise and echo better than regular microphones, according to a 2019 article from MSPowerUser.com.
What we’d want to see in Microsoft’s Surface Studio 3
A new iteration of Microsoft’s all-in-one desktop would be great, but what we’d most want to see on the Surface Studio 3 are simple: a USB-C port. There is a shift to newer hardware and a little lower cost. Despite the previous models’ great ergonomics and still-impressive 4K+ screen, both the price and CPU choices of the previous generation concerned us.
The Surface Studio’s advantages may be made available to a broader audience if the display and PC were separated, but this would be a radical shift in Microsoft’s product line, resulting in a less spectacular tiny PC combined with a superb monitor. As much as I’d love it if Microsoft offered a Surface display with the Studio’s ergonomics and input capabilities, doing so would basically reduce the most inventive Windows all in one to a lovely monitor.