Microsoft today announced a range of new devices, including a new Windows 10 mobile flagship, the next iteration of the Surface Pro line and a laptop replacement called the Surface Book.
Surface Book
The newly announced Surface Book is a laptop replacement, operating much like the Surface Pro series, but without a kickstand on the back of its tablet portion. That’s because the Book’s keyboard has a different hinge designed to make the unit function like an actual laptop. That’s right — you’ll be able to use the Surface Book on your lap this time around.
With a variety of different specs to choose from, the top-end model sports a NVIDIA GeForce graphics processor and is said to last for 12 hours on a full charge. Said top-end model sports a Core i7 processor, the aforementioned NVIDIA GPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.
Pricing on the Surface Book starts at $2299 AUD, and the most expensive available option has now been set at $4,199 AUD. Pre-orders for the Surface Book can be made here later today.
Surface Pro 4
The next iteration of the Surface Pro line packs in new tech into a form-factor quite similar to the Pro 3. The newest Pro has a larger screen, yet is lighter then the Pro 3 and will feature redesigned type cover keys and a fingerprint scanner.
As in past years, the Pro 4 has a number of different specifications you can choose from, ranging from a Core M3 CPU up to a Core i7 , 4GB to 16GB of RAM and a 128GB, 256GB or 512GB SSD. Battery life is listed at 9 hours on a full charge.
The cheapest in the Pro 4 range starts at $1349 AUD. Pre-orders for the Surface Pro 4 can be made here later today.
Lumia 950, 950 XL and Continuum
First, the oft-leaked Lumia 950 (and larger 950 XL) are powerhouses, running Windows 10 and with AMOLED displays. The 950 has a 5.2 inch screen and Snapdragon hexa-core processor, while the 950 XL sports a 5.7 inch screen and octa-core processor. Both phones possess a 20 megapixel main camera, 32GB internal storage with the ability to expand via microSD and new USB-C ports.
That new USB-C port helps to enable the phone’s new Continuum feature. With an optional Display Dock, the 950 or 950 XL can be connected to a monitor and essentially run as a Windows 10 PC.
While Australian prices haven’t confirmed, the phones will sell in America for $549 USD and $649 USD, respectively.
Microsoft Band 2
The Microsoft Band is the company’s answer the the wearable. A sleeker, more fashionable take on the original Band, the Band 2 sports eleven different sensors to track elevation, location, UV levels, heart rate and more. The Band 2 also sports Cortana, notifications and third-party app integration.
Moreover, the Band 2 will work with Windows Phone, Android and iOS.
With the Band’s first iteration not yet available in Australia, it’s uncertain if the Band 2 will correct this.
The device is priced at $249 USD.
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