• Microsoft is hosting a “special event” later this week, where three new Surface devices are expected to be unveiled.
• The event is happening on Thursday, 21st September at 19:00 SAST.
• The event will be happening sans Panos Panay, the former head of Windows and Surface, following his resignation.

Last week the big consumer technology event was Apple’s Wonderlust iPhone 15 unveiling. This week it is the turn of Microsoft, with a “special event” happening on Thursday 21st September focusing on the company’s Surface devices.

You will be able to tune into the live streamed event here at 19:00 SAST.

As for what the live stream will be focusing on, Microsoft is expected to debut as many as three new Surface devices.

Precisely what those new devices will remains to be seen, but leaks have already landed online of the Surface Laptop Studio 2, which is purported to be a notebook made with graphic designers and editors in mind thanks to a display that can be pulled forward akin to its predecessor. Other hardware expected this week are another notebook in the form of the Surface Laptop Go 3, and the Surface Go 4 tablet.

We’ll need to wait to see if the rumoured devices are headed to South Africa, with Microsoft being quite selective of the Surface products it chooses to officially bring into country.

Along with the new hardware, AI is anticipated to be a major focus for the special event. Here new AI features baked into Windows, Office, Bing, and the Surface devices themselves, are reportedly on the cards.

As such, Microsoft has shown no signs of slowing down when it comes to supercharging its products with AI.

Also of interest, to us at least, is the fact that Panos Panay will not be delivering the bulk of the presentation come Thursday evening, as the former Windows and Surface head resigned from Microsoft only a few days, and is seemingly set to join rivals Amazon.

Perhaps Satya Nadella will fill the presentation void come Thursday? Either way, Microsoft will have someone new debuting its latest batch of Surface products, and highlighting the capabilities they tout.