I’m thrilled to share that the rumours were true – the Surface Laptop 4 is finally here! For this latest iteration, Microsoft has pumped up the processing power and battery life and sprinkled in a few other upgrades to keep Surface customers happy.
First – take note! New specs and limited Surface Laptop 3 supplies will drive demand.
Surface Laptop 4 couldn’t be released sooner. With the Surface Laptop 3 running out the door, and many customers unwilling to consider an alternative to the Surface Laptop, we’re predicting plenty of pent-up demand for this new model – with the improved specs no doubt adding to the frenzy.
So, a word to the wise – if your organisation is looking to upgrade to the new Surface Laptop 4, you’ll need to get your pre-orders in quick to reserve stock for when these devices start shipping in early May.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at what’s new in the Surface Laptop 4.
The Surface Laptop 3 boasted 11.5 hours of usage – enough to power anyone through their workday plus some. Microsoft has gone one step further with the Surface Laptop 4, extending battery life to up to 19 hours to give users enough power for a full day of video calls whilst simultaneously working with essential apps1.
If this isn’t enough, the Surface Laptop 4 comes with fast charging to get you up to 80% charge in less than an hour.
Microsoft has certainly upped the ante on performance with its latest Surface Laptop 4 – offering a choice of processors that are up to 70% faster than its predecessor.
The ultra-slim Laptop 4 delivers more multitasking speed with 11th Gen Intel® Core™ or AMD Ryzen™ Microsoft Surface Edition processors. Both processors are also now available across the 13.5-inch and 15-inch versions.
Striking the perfect balance between portability, speed and performance, the custom AMD Ryzen processor has up to 8 CPU cores to deliver uniquely powerful performance and speed without compromising on battery life.
Built for exceptional performance, connectivity and entertainment, the new Quad Core 11th Gen Intel® Core™ processors and Intel® Iris Xe graphics makes editing photos and videos a breeze. It also boasts intelligent performance that adapts to you for faster responsiveness across apps.
Microsoft and AMD have combined their brilliant engineering prowess in the Surface Laptop 4 to deliver the first AMD Secured-Core PC (SCPC). This partnership gives the AMD model comprehensive security out-of-the-box with tightly integrated hardware, software, firmware, and identity protection layers.
The SCPC protects users from firmware vulnerabilities, shields the operating system from attacks, prevents unauthorised access to devices and data, and ensures that identity and domain credentials are protected – so it’s built to handle today’s more sophisticated attacks.
See more and do more with an interactive touchscreen and wide 3:2 screen ratio to help users work more efficiently. All this is still wrapped up in the same sleek, ultra-thin design Surface Laptop customers have come to expect.
The most exciting update here is the inclusion of the latest Omnisonic Speakers by Dolby Atmos®, delivering a more cinematic experience.
Just like the Laptop 3, the Surface Laptop 4 also comes with those handy collaboration capabilities such as front-facing Windows Hello face authentication camera and 720p HD camera plus dual far-field studio mics.
Microsoft hasn’t altered much of the Laptop 4’s chassis over the previous version – it still has an all-aluminium aesthetic in the shape of a clamshell laptop that’s easy to slip into a bag.
The 15-inch colours remain unchanged with a matt black or platinum option.
However, the 13.5-inch existing colour options of sandstone, matt black and platinum are joined by an eye-catching new ice blue. The 13.5-inch also has two durable keyboard finishes to choose from – warm Alcantara® material or cool metal.
To add to the excitement, Microsoft has developed new accessories to support changing remote and hybrid workstyles to help deliver better video conferencing and collaboration experiences.
Most notable is the release of the new Surface Headphones 2+ for Business. Complete with lightweight earcups for all-day comfort, intuitive controls and long-lasting battery – the Surface Headphones 2+ offers an immersive, high-quality conferencing experience with distraction-free focus.
In addition, Microsoft announced the upcoming release of a brand-new accessory range, that is certified for Microsoft Teams. These include:
Naturally, all new accessories work with Microsoft Teams and Teams Rooms devices, and can be easily integrated into your broader Microsoft ecosystem with universal plug and play to make collaboration a breeze.
With such huge success and demand for the Surface Laptop 3, Microsoft have ensured critical features have remained the same in the Surface Laptop 4 including:
As Microsoft’s largest partner in Australia, Data#3 is constantly improving device fulfilment and implementation for customers.
We can help you end the frustrations typically associated with your device management and offer training and adoption services to upskill your people on their new devices to ensure the greatest return from your investment.
Contact a Data#3 Surface Device Specialist today for more information on the right device for your organisation or to order the new Surface Laptop 4.
1. Surface Laptop 4 battery life: Up to 19 hours on Surface Laptop 4 13.5” AMD Ryzen™ 5 Microsoft Surface Edition; up to 17.5 hours on Surface Laptop 4 15” AMD Ryzen™ 7 Microsoft Surface Edition; up to 17 hours on Surface Laptop 4 13.5” Intel® Core™ i5; up to 16.5 hours on Surface Laptop 4 15” Intel® Core™ i7. Testing conducted by Microsoft in February 2021 using preproduction software and preproduction configurations of Surface Laptop 4. Testing consisted of full battery discharge with a mixture of active use and modern standby. The active use portion consists of (1) a web browsing test accessing 8 popular websites over multiple open tabs, (2) a productivity test utilising Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook, and (3) a portion of time with the device in use with idle applications. All settings were default except screen brightness was set to 150nits with Auto-Brightness disabled. Wi-Fi was connected to a network. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.
