Microsoft’s Surface Pro X 2 is coming. Here’s the latest on the release date, rumors, leaks, everything we know, and everything we want.
Microsoft’s Surface Pro X is the company’s endorsement of its Windows on ARM efforts. It uses modified Qualcomm processors for a fanless design that’s thinner than the Intel-powered Surface, and in many ways, it’s ahead of the curve. The Surface Pro X has narrower bezels than the Surface Pro 7, and it’s the first Surface to fit a pen garage into the attachable keyboard. In fact, Microsoft spent a lot of time rethinking what the new Surface device would be like; being so thin, the team couldn’t stick with the traditional Surface features, like magnetically attaching the pen to the side. The keyboard connector was redesigned, USB Type-A was ditched, and more. Since we’re already talking about the Surface Pro 8 that should launch alongside Windows 11, it’s time to talk about the Surface Pro X 2. To be clear, Microsoft hasn’t announced this product, and there really aren’t any solid rumors around it. We don’t even know for sure that it will be called the Surface Pro X 2; that’s just an assumption. Back when Microsoft announced the fifth-generation Surface Pro, it went back to numerical names with the Surface Pro 6, saying it was easier for customers. Unless Microsoft changes up branding on the Surface Pro X entirely, Surface Pro X 2 is the likely bet. As for the release date, my guess would be we won’t see this product until next spring. There’s simply no new silicon for Microsoft to use. The custom Microsoft SQ1 and SQ2 processors in use now are just tweaked versions of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx, which hasn’t been refreshed in a meaningful way since it first launched. I do expect pricing to come down though. When the Surface Pro X first launched, it started at $999.99, although you can get it for $150 less these days. That got you an SQ1 processor,8GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD. For an incredible $300 more, you could upgrade to the same configuration but with 256GB of storage. Prices on these types of things just tend to come down over time. The Surface Pro X was a first-gen product, so it was expensive. The Surface Pro X 2 should be less expensive, although by how much is anyone’s guess. First of all, second-generation Surface products have historically been spec bumps. This was the case with the Surface Pro 2, Surface Book 2, and Surface Laptop 2. Exceptions include the Surface Go 2 — which had a larger screen — and even the Surface 2, which had a better screen than the infamous Surface RT. I would expect the Surface Pro X 2 to look and feel exactly the same as the Surface Pro X, just with a faster processor. You might recall the Surface Pro X was actually refreshed last fall with the Microsoft SQ2 processor. It wasn’t rebranded to the Surface Pro X 2 though, even though it also came in a new Platinum color. Even the spec bump from the SQ1 to the SQ2 was that minor. In my testing, Geekbench single-core scores jumped from 766 to 794, and multi-core scores jumped from 2,946 to 3,036.
