Microsoft’s Windows 10 device event was packed with product announcements – from the upgraded Surface Pro 4 two-in-one tablet, to the Lumia 950 and 950XL smartphones.
And although Microsoft impressed many with a gaming demo from its augmented reality headset HoloLens, the real star of the show was a surprise. The company revealed its first ever laptop – dubbed the Surface Book – designed to compete with computers like Apple’s MacBook Pro.
Here is a look at everything Microsoft unveiled during the event:
Surface Pro 4
Microsoft unveiled the next generation of its hybrid tablet/laptop device Tuesday.
The Surface Pro 4 is thinner, lighter and runs 30 per cent faster than the Surface Pro 3. The device features a larger 12.3-inch display that is made from Gorilla Glass for extra durability, faster processors and promises up to nine hours of battery life.
Surface Pro’s stylus – called Microsoft Pen – also got an upgrade. The new Pen features a tail eraser, 1,024 levels of pressure and touts a full year of battery life. Listening to customer requests, the company also built in magnets to the device, so that it can be stored along the top of the tablet.
Microsoft was quick to point out that Surface’s design has been mimicked by other tech companies, including Apple and Google who both recently unveiled tablets that feature detachable keyboards and stylus options.
“You may have noticed… our competitors are chasing it. It’s pretty cool,” said Microsoft’s head of Windows devices Panos Panay during the event.
The Surface Pro 4 starts at CAD $1,179 and will be available in stores on Oct. 26.
Surface Book
Microsoft is making big promises with its first ever laptop – calling it “the ultimate laptop.”
The 13.5-inch laptop boasts up to 12 hours of battery life and internal components that Microsoft says makes it “the fastest 13-inch laptop ever made.” In its own testing, the company that the Surface Book was two times faster than Apple’s MacBook Air laptop.
The device’s stand-out feature is a fully removable screen that allows the user to use it like a clipboard to sketch or take notes, for example.
Surface Book starts at CAD$1,949 and will be available in stores on October 26.
Lumia 950 and 950 XL
The company also unveiled the latest Windows 10-powered smartphones, the Lumia 950 and 950 XL.
Don’t be fooled by the names – both of the phones boast big HD screens. The Lumia 950 measures 5 inches and the Lumia XL measures 5.7 inches. Both phones have a 20-megapixel rear camera, 32 GB of internal storage with a microSD slot and a dedicated camera button.
Microsoft put a heavy focus on the capabilities of the cameras in the new Lumia devices, promising to deliver “unbelievable” picture quality in low light thanks to a triple LED RGB natural flash. The camera will also shoot 4K video.
Thanks to a new USB-C port, the smartphones will also have fast charging times.
Thanks to Windows 10 – and some accessories – Lumia 950 users will also be able to use their smartphones as computers.
“We want to put Windows in your pocket,” said Panay.
Using a new accessory called Microsoft Display Dock and a Windows 10 feature called Continuum, users will be able to plug their phone into a monitor to create a Windows 10 desktop experience using their smartphone.
Microsoft has struggled with making phones running Windows. Over the summer, the company wrote down the value of Nokia’s phone business, which it bought just a year earlier, by $8.4 billion. It also announced 7,800 job cuts in the phone business.
The Lumia 950 will cost CAD$749 and the 950 XL will cost CAD$849. Both phones will be available in December.
Microsoft Band 2
Now on to the wearables: Microsoft has redesigned its activity tracker with a new curved display – which the company promises will be more comfortable and durable – and new sensors.
Alongside a continuous optical heart rate monitor and onboard GPS, Microsoft Band 2 now also includes a barometer to track elevation, or records floors climbed. Microsoft Band 2 also boasts a two-day battery life.
Microsoft Band 2 will be available in November for CAD$329.99.
HoloLens for developers
Microsoft’s augmented reality gaming device had many on the edge of their seats during Tuesday’s event, as the tech giant showed off a demo of how users could interact with games in their own environment.
The demo, which featured a game codenamed “Project X-Ray,” showed a gamer interacting and fighting enemies on stage as they appeared to rip through walls in the fake living room setup.
Microsoft also announced that its HoloLens Developer Kit will be available in the first quarter of 2016 for a whopping US$3,000. The company said it’s now taking applications from interested developers – however, the price tag may be a little steep for some.
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