Microsoft’s new Intel-powered Surface Laptop 5G lands in August

Each new generation of surface devices generally includes a pro surface and a surface laptop, as well as a later variant which includes 5G technology. This shoe finally dropped, while Microsoft announced Tuesday the laptop Surface 5G.

Here, Microsoft had the choice: adding 5G to the general public version of the surface laptop, and its Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite; Or add inside the commercial version of the surface laptop with an Intel Core Ultra Series 2 chip (Lunar Lake) inside. Microsoft chose the latter and will be available on August 26.

The fact that Microsoft has chosen Intel on Qualcomm is a bit surprising, if only because Qualcomm manufactures 5G radios as well as PC chipsets. Intel sells what he calls the Intel 5G 5000 solution, which was co-developed with Mediatek and is based on his modem. On the other hand, Intel has generally worked in close collaboration with laptop manufacturers as part of its EVO program, co-engineering solutions that combine its own silicon with engineering talents from its customers.

Microsoft said he had redesigned both the laminate used on the laptop as well as the design of the laptop itself. He moved the antennas higher on the laptop for better connectivity and tested in the field design in more than 50 countries with more than 100 mobile operators. The device is designed to switch transparently between 5G and Wi-Fi, said Microsoft.

Visually, it appears that the top of the keyboard tray of the laptop could be colored differently from the rest of the chassis, based on a small photo of the 5G Microsoft surface laptop published. With the 5G surface laptop, customers can either use a nanosim for connectivity or use an ESIM instead.

Technically, the 5G surface laptop will not be its own device; 5G will only be available on “different sku [models] of the surface laptop for companies, ”explains Microsoft, and in particular the 13.8 inch model.

However, this gives customers several options to choose: surface laptops with 13.8 inch and 15 inch screens, and a 13 -inch surface; Plus a smaller 13 -inch surface laptop and a 12 -inch surface. Commercial customers can buy the largest surface laptop and pro devices with the main ultra -inside chips. Microsoft manufactures a 12 -inch area for businesses, but with the same Snapdragon X plus used by the Consumer version.