GadgetByte Nepal

A long-awaited update to the Studio desktop lineup is finally here with the Surface Studio 2. The company announced the successor to the 2018’s Surface Studio 2 at its annual hardware event on October 12. So, here are all of the upgrades Microsoft Surface Studio 2 Plus brings to the table, as well as the expected price in Nepal.

Microsoft Surface Studio 2 Plus Overview:

Design, Display

The Surface Studio 2 Plus, for the most part, hasn’t gotten many changes. The internals has been updated in accordance with the time. And this is most likely why Microsoft is calling it ‘ 2+’ instead of Studio 3 even after 4 years.

Design

1 of 2

The Studio 2 Plus has the same appearance as the Studio 2. The thick bezels on all four sides remain, as does the 28-inch PixelSense touchscreen. The display is mounted on stands that Microsoft refers to as “Zero Gravity Hinge”. What’s great about this hinge mechanism is that you can angle it upright for desktop use or lower it completely for more comfortable use of the compatible stylus.

A squared box attached to the stands serves as a base for the Studio desktop. It also houses all of the PC components. All of the necessary ports are also located on the back end of this base.

Furthermore, the Surface Studio 2 Plus’s display has a 4500 x 3000-pixel resolution and a 3:2 aspect ratio. The color gamut includes sRGB and DCI-P3, with a contrast ratio of 1,200:1. The panel also supports Dolby Vision.

• Also Read:
  • Cloud gaming-focused Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook official with 120Hz screen
  • Meta launches Quest Pro flagship VR headset with face tracking
  • Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 refreshed with Intel 12th gen processors, DDR5 RAM

Performance

Inside, the Studio 2 Plus is powered by an 11th gen Intel Core i7-11370H CPU. 12th gen Alder Lake silicon has been on the market for almost a year now, and Intel has even announced the 13th gen processors a while ago. So it’s surprising that a brand-new 2022 machine comes equipped with a CPU that’s a generation or two old.

The RTX 3060 Laptop GPU handles graphics, and Microsoft promises twice the graphics performance of the original Surface Studio 2. There is only a 32GB DDR4 memory option and a 1TB SSD available.

Rest of the specs

In terms of connectivity, the Studio 2 Plus includes Thunderbolt 4 support on all three USB Type-C ports. This port can now be used to connect high-resolution monitors or external GPUs. Rest, there are two USB Type-A ports. To note, Microsoft has removed the SD card reader this time.

Microsoft Surface Studio 2 Plus Specifications:

• Design: Zero-gravity hinge
• Display: 28-inch PixelSense display, 3:2 aspect ratio, 1200:1 contrast ratio, Dolby Vision, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Resolution: 4500 x 3000 (192 PPI)
• Processor: 11th-generation Intel Core i7-11370H
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop (6GB GDDR6)
• RAM: 32GB DDR4
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Audio: Stereo 2.1 speakers with Dolby Atmos, Dual far-field Studio Mics
• Webcam: Front-facing 1080p Full HD camera
• Biometric: Windows Hello facial authentication
• Ports: 3 x Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 (Type-C) port, 2 x USB 3.1 Type-A, 3.5mm headphone jack, 1 x Gigabit Ethernet
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.1
• Colors: Platinum

Microsoft Surface Studio 2 Plus Price in Nepal and Availability

After that, if you want to buy Studio 2 Plus, it will set you back USD 4,299.99. This price doesn’t include accessories like the keyboard, mouse, and compatible stylus. Pre-orders begin today, and shipping begins on October 25th. We expect the price of Microsoft Surface Studio 2 Plus to be NPR 680,000, if and when it launches in Nepal.

• Meanwhile, check out our review of the Aya Neo Air.

At the annual hardware event, Microsoft unveiled its latest premium ultrabook, the Surface Laptop 5. The company has made little to no changes on the outside but internally, there have been some important upgrades. So let us look at the specifications, features, availability, and expected price of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 in Nepal.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 Overview:

Design, Display

From a visual perspective, the Surface Laptop 5 looks identical to its predecessor. The palm rest is made of metal, while the exterior chassis is still constructed of aluminum. And the laptop is available in the same 13.5-inch and 15-inch screen sizes.

Microsoft has made a minor change to the Surface Laptop 4’s available color options. While Platinum, Matte Black, and Sandstone are still available for the 13-inch model, the Ice Blue option has been replaced by a new Sage color, which is a dark shade of green.

This new color option is distinguished by an all-metallic construction. If you recall, the Ice Blue color had an Alcantara fabric cover for the keyboard base. But that finish is now only available in the Platinum color. The 15-inch model’s colors remain the same – Platinum and Matte Black.

Furthermore, there are very few changes in terms of display. Both the 15″ and 13.5″ variants, as with last year, feature Microsoft’s signature 3:2 PixelSense touch display. And they are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. However, the laptop with Alcantara keyboard comes with a bit inferior Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

One improvement in the display this time around is that it now supports Dolby Vision IQ. It enables the screen to use an ambient light sensor to optimize Dolby Vision content based on the lighting conditions.

• Also Read:
  • Cloud gaming-focused Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook official with 120Hz screen
  • Meta launches Quest Pro flagship VR headset with face tracking
  • MediaTek Dimensity 1080 SoC to bring 200MP camera to mid-range phones

No more AMD

Microsoft is parting ways with AMD CPU options in the Surface Laptop this year. The company has offered AMD Ryzen-powered Surface Laptop alongside Intel since Laptop 3, but there is no AMD option after two years. It is available with either an Intel i5-1235U or an Intel i7-1255U processor.

Furthermore, the silicons are coupled with DDR5 memory in capacities of 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB. Storage options include a removable solid-state drive with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB capacity. According to Microsoft, performance is 50% faster than the Surface Laptop 4, and battery life is slightly longer.

Rest of the specs

When it comes to I/O connectivity, the Surface Laptop 5 isn’t the best ultrabook out there. There is only one USB-C port, one USB-A 3.1 port, a combo headset jack, and one Surface Connect port. Not to mention the USB-C port is also a Thunderbolt 4 port. However, the webcam is still limited to 720p.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 Specifications:

• Size (WxDxH):
  • 13.5-inch: 308 x 223 x 14.5 mm (12.1 x 8.8 x 0.57 in)
  • 15-inch: 340 x 244 x 14.7 mm (13.4 x 9.6 x 0.58 in)
• Weight:
  • 13.5-inch (Alcantara): 2.8lbs (1.272 kg) 13.5-inch (metal): 2.86lbs (1.297 kg)
  • 15-inch: 3.44lbs (1.56 kg)
• Display: 13.5/15-inch PixelSense display, 3:2 aspect ratio, Dolby Vision IQ
• Resolution:
  • 13.5-inch: 2256 x 1504 (201 PPI)
  • 15-inch: 2496 x 1664 (201 PPI)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-1235U /  i7-1255U
• Graphics: Intel Iris Xe graphics
• RAM: 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB LPDDR5x
• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB SSD (removable)
• Webcam: Front-facing 720p HD camera
• Biometric: Windows Hello facial authentication
• Battery
  • 13.5-inch: Up to 19 hours of typical device usage
  • 15-inch: Up to 18 hours of typical device usage
• Ports: 1 x Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 (Type-C) port 1 x USB 3.1 Type-A 3.5mm headphone jack Surface Connect port
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax Bluetooth 5.1
• Colors:
  •  13.5-inch: Platinum with Alcantara Matte Black, Sage, Sandstone
  • 15-inch: Platinum, Matte Black

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 Price in Nepal and Availability

The ultrabook is already available for pre-order for USD 999 for the 13.5-inch model with Core i5-1235U, 8GB RAM, and 256GB SSD. The shipment will begin on October 25. If and when it is released in Nepal, we expect the price of Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 to start at NPR 160,000.

• Meanwhile, check out our review of the Aya Neo Air.