Design overhaul or not, the upcoming Surface Laptop 4 might just help Microsoft set a precedent when high-end business notebooks are concerned. Besides, if you have had the opportunity to look closely at the Surface Laptop 3, the purported machine is expected to make a few heads roll with its innovation and top-of-the-line specifications.
Our Stance on the Surface Laptop 4
While we are pretty excited regarding the launch, here are our key takeaways that are guaranteed to show up.
Specifications: Better than Ever
The moment Microsoft announced the Surface Laptop 4; we presumed that massive changes were afoot. Seems Microsoft has plans of giving into our expectations with the newest pride of Intel Tiger Lake processors. As per the leaks, inferences, and the existence of G7-series processors in the Surface Laptop 3, we can be sure that the Surface Laptop 4 will make way for the Intel i5-1145G7 and the i7-1185G7 chipsets.
Each of these Intel-powered variants will be able to minor drawbacks associated with the preceding notebook, which ran into few issues while running 4K videos at 60fps. The 11th gen graphics-optimized processors are expected to speed up the media exports whilst minimizing the performance issues that our experts identified with the Surface Laptop 3.
That’s not it as, like the previous model, even the Surface Laptop 4 is expected to come up with Ryzen-powered variants. As per speculations, Microsoft is planning to use Ryzen 5 4680U and the Ryzen 7 4980U as the AMD-tagged processors of choice. Moreover, the company seems to have skipped the latest Ryzen 5000 line-up and persisted with a dated variant, citing lesser prevalence and purchase numbers.
Enough about the processors, right!
Unlike the Surface Laptop 3, the upcoming device plans on persisting with 32 gigs of RAM, albeit for the variant with the best specifications i.e. the variant featuring the Intel Core i7 processor. However, the storage maxes out at 1TB, and that too for the top-model. The Ryzen models aren’t as lucky as even the Surface Laptop 4 variant with Ryzen 7 maxes out at 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage space.
At present, the experts at Unslider are scavenging day-in-day-out for reliable insights on the Surface Laptop 4. However, based on the current crop of released specifications, we might just be looking at a minimally redesigned notebook featuring pretty prominent inclusions, when specifications are concerned.
We are also expecting the SSD to be speedier but the RAID-versions are a bit too much to expect.
While only the primary specifications have been leaked, for now, we are also expecting a bump in the quality of casual gaming and graphics, courtesy of the new Iris Plus 950 Graphics. However, the AMD-based models are also expected to stack in a new integrated GPU, but specifications are far from being concrete.
At present, the 2.7GHz, i7 variant is undergoing detailed tests. Based on insider reports, the graphics and physics score pertaining to the Surface Laptop 4 i7-variant is easily outwitting the ones projected by the MacBook Air 2020.
Besides, there will be two size-based variants to choose from, including the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 4 and the 15-inch model with additional firepower.
Design: Still Skeptical!
As far as the design or redesign is concerned, there are several opinions concerning this new piece of innovation. While certain reviewers are satisfied with what the Surface Laptop 3 had to offer and are advocating zero overhauls, we believe that Microsoft should take this with a grain of salt.
Although the design cues associated with the Surface Laptop 3 look pretty good, the likes of XPS 13 from Dell and the new HP Spectre have raised user expectations with thinner bezels and better aspect ratios. Therefore, we are expecting the Surface Laptop 4 to flaunt slimmer bezels to start with and an aspect ratio of at least 3:2, considering the current set of competitors in the market.
Even though we aren’t expecting major changes, we are hopeful regarding the inclusion of the Thunderbolt 3 port, something that was oddly amiss in the preceding model. Besides, we are also looking at the aluminum-clad finishing, precisely making the new device look more premium.
Then again, we are expecting the Surface Laptop 4 to persist with the impeccable keyboard as seen with the previous models. The stellar unit with a key travel of 1.3mm is bound to stay. Plus, we are also expecting top-firing speakers that would keep attenuation to a minimum.
Lastly, a swappable SSD would be a major market mover, considering the need for customizability.
Release Date: Confirmed???
While none of the websites have officially announced the launch date, we are expecting the same to arrive by the 20th of April. While we still need to vet the statement across diverse sources, an early launch might just be on the cards to accommodate the upcoming Surface Pro 8, which is expected by the coming fall.
Outlook and Final Thoughts
The Surface Laptop 4 is expected to further Microsoft’s legacy of designing brilliant and feature-packed laptops. While the 11th gen processors are expected to add to the firepower, the Surface Pro 4 might just be your go-to creative laptop, owing to the inclusion of a better graphics co-processor and graphics-optimized chipsets.
Besides, as the laptop trends are adherent to better aspect ratios, each of the new variants pertaining to the Surface Laptop 4 is expected to flaunt 3:2 and an overall resolution of 2496×1664 pixels, although for the 15-inch version.
Moreover, based on the details released by WinFuture regarding the Surface Laptop 4, you can expect the device to be on the lighter side with the 15-inch Intel variant weighing less than 3.5 pounds. Then again, there are no speculations regarding the pricing of the models and we shall disclose the same to our readers, if and when available.
Overall, apart from the primary specs sheet makeover, we are looking at narrower bezels, Thunderbolt 3, or even TB 4 connectivity followed by a larger trackpad for seamless maneuvering.
Keep watching this space for additional details, which we shall keep adding, along the way!
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