• Microsoft has two new devices made with AI mind – the Surface Pro 10 for Business and Surface Laptop 6 for Business.
• They are the first Surface PCs that have been “optimised” for AI.
• The devices have a dedicated Copilot key and are powered by Intel Core Ultra processors.

Microsoft has this week unveiled its first devices “optimised” for AI, with a new Surface Pro 10 for Business and Surface Laptop 6 for Business seeing the light of day.

The company now joins several other Windows OEMs that have debuted AI-ready PCs and laptops in recent months, with the Microsoft options featuring a couple more elements that its peers to not.

This includes the integration of a physical Copilot dedicated to launching the Microsoft-built AI chatbot/assistant.

“With the power of AI assistance from Microsoft Copilot and the innovation in Windows 11 Pro, Surface Pro 10 unlocks the ability to be more productive than ever before. We’ve added the Copilot key to all of our new Surface Pro keyboards, including a new version with a bold keyset with a larger font, high contrast and backlighting that make the keys more visible and easier for everyone to type,” the company noted in a blog post.

“Also, the new Copilot key on Surface Laptop 6 makes accessing the power of AI even easier, with a quick button press to invoke Copilot in Windows to help customers to plan their day, find a document using natural text, analyze a website and more with commercial data protection built in,” it added.

As for the hardware element of these AI-ready devices, both are running Intel Core Ultra processors, with the Pro 10 specced with up to an Ultra 7 Processor 165U and the Laptop 6 in up to an Ultra 7 processor 165H.

The addition of the new silicon makes the Surface Laptop 6 twice as fast as the Laptop 5, and Surface Pro 10 is up to 53 percent faster than Pro 9, according to Microsoft. The company also notes that the NPU integration has the benefit of including AI features like Windows Studio Effects and Live Captions, allowing and businesses and developers to build their own AI apps and experiences.

Other noteworthy aspects on these devices include a 33 percent brighter display, support for 5G, and a new Ultrawide Studio Camera that features a 144 degree field of view in 1440p for the Pro 10.

As for the Laptop 6, it will come in either 13.5” or 15” PixelSense touchscreen display options that reduce reflectiveness by up to 50 percent, along with its own new Surface Studio Camera for video calls in 1080p and integrated AI effects.

At the time of writing, local availability and pricing of the devices have not been shared by Microsoft SA, but Stateside both the Pro 10 for Business and Laptop 6 for Business start at $1 199 (~R22 738) and are available to purchase from 9th April.