Microsoft is launching a refreshed version of the Surface Pro X today. The company is introducing a new, more powerful ARM-based processor that powers the Surface Pro X.

As you may remember, Microsoft first launched the Surface Pro X with its SQ1 processor, built-in partnership with Qualcomm. The new SQ2 processor is Microsoft’s second-generation custom chip built in partnership with Qualcomm. Microsoft’s new SQ2 processor is apparently the fastest processor in its class, though Microsoft isn’t sharing any specific stats on performance or efficiency gains.

Interestingly, the new SQ2 processor is only available on the “premium” configurations of the device. That means if you go for the entry-level versions of the device, you will still get the first-generation SQ1 processor. Variants with the SQ2 processor also comes with the SQ2 Adreno 690 GPU compared to the SQ1’s Adreno 685 GPU.

Other than that, the Surface Pro X remains exactly the same in terms of design. Microsoft is, however, offering 15 hours of battery life on the new Surface Pro X (on both the SQ1 and SQ2 variants), which is a nice upgrade from the original Surface Pro X’s 13 hours of battery life. It comes with Fast Charging, so you can get around 80% of charge in just under an hour.

The new Surface Pro X also now comes in a Platinum finish for those of you who weren’t a fan of the Matte Black finish. Microsoft is also introducing three new colors for the Surface Pro X keyboard, which is now available in Ice Blue, Poppy Red, and Platinum.

Microsoft’s Surface Pro X, for those unfamiliar, features a 13-inch PixelSense display with a resolution of 2880×1920 pixels and 267PPI. It comes with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. It also boasts dual far-field Studio Mics and 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Audio. There are two USB-C 3.2 ports, one Surface Connect port, and one nano-SIM port on the device as well.

Microsoft is also pushing the fact that it’s hard at work improving app support for Windows on ARM. The company says it’s made Microsoft Edge faster and is releasing a new version of Microsoft Teams optimized for Windows on ARM. More importantly, it’s bringing x64 emulation to Windows on ARM later this year.

Pre-orders for the new Surface Pro X open today, and the device will be available for purchase starting October 16. Along with the launch of the new Surface devices, Microsoft is also bringing Surface products to 11 new European countries, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Disclaimer: I interned with the Windows on ARM team at Qualcomm this Summer, but my opinions expressed in this article were not influenced by my previous work. 

Tagged with Qualcomm, SQ2, Surface Pro X, Windows on ARM