Microsoft announces Surface and Windows 11 event on September 22

Microsoft’s having a busy week. After announcing Windows 11 would roll out starting October 5, the company today sent invites to a virtual Surface event on September 22 at 11 AM ET.

Well, technically the invite said the company “will talk about devices and Windows,” which could include partner devices, but the imagine in the invite made it clear that there will be some kind of Surface news.

You’re invited.

Learn more about the #MicrosoftEvent: https://t.co/tpK3TB8Xxb

— Microsoft (@Microsoft) September 1, 2021

So far, we’re expecting at least a couple of new devices. We’ve already seen leaks of a new and improved Surface Duo 2, which appears to include much beefier cameras and the Snapdragon 888 processor. While that wouldn’t be a big deal in most cases, it matters here because the original Surface Duo was underpowered relative to the competition at release.

We’ve also heard rumors (via Windows Central) that Microsoft is planning a successor to the Surface Book 3 soon, although it might drop the Surface Book moniker for something like the Surface Laptop Pro. Rather than a fully detachable display, this device might offer a screen with two hinges, which can be pulled forward and angled flat to use in tablet mode.

By the looks of a patent, the design seems reminiscent of laptops like the Acer ConceptD Ezel series. This would allow it to still be great for people who often use a stylus; in my experience, people bought the Surface Book more for the combination of power and stylus support rather than the detachable screen specifically.

The advantage of going for a non-detachable screen is that the company could possibly fit a more powerful processor in there. The existing Surface Books pulls off a neat trick by fitting the processor in the display, but this leads to limited thermal capacity, forcing Microsoft to use Intel’s U-series chips for ultrabooks rather than the H-series generally found in more powerful laptops, especially 15-inch models. But the double-hinged display would still make it much more flexible than most H-series laptops.

Though the rumor mill has been quieter about new Surface tablets, the event email clearly teases something that appears to be a new Surface Pro. Meanwhile, I’m still holding out hope Microsoft will revive the Surface Neo.

We’ll find out more in a few weeks. Stay tuned to TNW for more.