Microsoft Unveils $4,299 Surface Desktop Computer

Microsoft’s most expensive Surface device is about to get even pricier. At a press event on Wednesday (Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Manila), Microsoft unveiled several Surface Pro tablets, Surface Laptop models and a Surface Studio 2+ desktop computer, the last of which has not been updated in several years, Samantha Kelly Murphy reported for CNN Business.

Photo Insert: The new 28-inch Microsoft Surface Studio 2+

The new 28-inch Surface Studio 2+, an all-in-one desktop, now has an Intel Core H-35 processor, 50% faster CPU performance and an updated NVIDIA chip for faster graphics.

The device also includes an updated display, cameras, microphones and supports a digital pen for on-screen drawing. It also has several ports, including USB with Thunderbolt 4, and the display can split into four different apps at once for greater multitasking.

The Surface Studio 2+ starts at $4,299, and $4,499 with the digital pen. The previous Surface Studio 2, released in 2018, received some criticism for its $3,499 starting price.

Microsoft told CNN Business this year’s price jump is attributed to several significant improvements, including the new processor, a 1 TB SSD hard drive for faster file transfers, and an enhanced 1080p camera, among other features.

The announcements about the refreshed Surface product lineup will kick off Microsoft’s days-long Ignite developer conference on Wednesday. The event comes as Microsoft marks the tenth anniversary of the Surface line, which originally launched with a tablet to take on the iPad.

Like other tech companies that have unveiled new products this fall, Microsoft is also confronting a more difficult economic environment, including high inflation and fears of a looming recession, that could make it harder to convince customers to spend three or even four figures upgrading devices.

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