Two years after initially releasing the revolutionary concept, the hybrid laptop-tablet Surface Book, Microsoft announced the next model in the Surface Book evolution on Tuesday.
The detailed announcement was not hyped nor promoted much by Microsoft prior to Tuesday, and seemingly came as a slight surprise to the tech community. The Surface Book 2, which will run a hefty price starting at $1,499, features a completely revamped, metal backlit keyboard (compared to the previous model’s somewhat flimsy texture) and will come standard with a heavy duty power graphics processing unit which allows for gaming in 1080p and at 60fps.
Microsoft also announced that its new model will be compatible with upcoming augmented/visual reality Windows headsets, and will be able to film and edit high definition video. The battery life reportedly can last for 17 hours while in ‘laptop’ mode, although far less while used as a touchscreen tablet.
By giving the Surface Book 2 a flashy makeover that seemingly adds to its durability, Microsoft is sending a clear signal to Apple that it intends to stay in the laptop market for the long haul, despite falling sales for laptops over the past year.
Pre-orders for the Surface Book 2 will be available beginning November 9, and deliveries begin November 16.
