The company also launches new accessories focused on video conferencing

What should change in a computer in the era of COVID-19? For Microsoft the answer is that only the essentials. The Redmond company today announced the successor to the Surface Laptop 3, its most affordable laptop, which to no one’s surprise will be called the Surface Laptop 4.

Not only that, Microsoft has taken the opportunity to also launch a range of accessories clearly focused on communication and video conferencing, tools that have become indispensable in the last year.

SURFACE LAPTOP 4

The reason why it is difficult to distinguish between the Surface Laptop 3 and the 4 is that the new model maintains the hallmarks of the previous versions. Its screen, for example, continues to bet on a 3: 2 aspect ratio instead of 16: 9 and is completely tactile. The laptop can be charged via the built-in USB-C connection, but it also has the traditional magnetic charging port found on Surface products and still maintains a USB-A connection.

And, of course, you can choose the metal or Alcantara fabric finish, one of the hallmarks of the Surface family. The equipment is available in four colors (silver gray, blue, dark gray and rose gold), although not all configurations offer the possibility of choosing shades or materials.

What changes, above all, is on the inside. Microsoft has integrated both the 11th-generation Intel and AMD Ryzen processors in both the 13.5-inch and 15-inch models. They can be configured with Intel i5 and i7 or Ryzen R5 and R7 processors, with memory capacities ranging from 8 to 32 GB and SSDs up to 1 TB.

With these new processors Microsoft ensures that the new Surface Laptop 4 will be much more powerful but, perhaps more interestingly, they will also gain autonomy. From the current 11 and a half hours of autonomy that the Surface Laptop 3 has, it will go to almost 18 hours of autonomy with a moderate workload.

The new Surface Laptop 4 also have Dolby sound and a webcam that, although it maintains the HD resolution of the previous generation, has improved image quality when recording in low light situations and now incorporates HDR.

They will go on sale this week in the US, Japan and Canada, and will arrive in other territories in the coming months. The starting price is similar to the current model of Surface Laptop, which in the US is $ 999. In Spain, the current model of Surface Laptop starts at 897 euros.

The new laptops will be accompanied by a series of accessories focused on facilitating remote work.

Among the novelties are three pairs of headphones. Microsoft has created a version of the Surface Headphones 2 designed for business, with active noise cancellation and will be accompanied by two additional models (one with a USB-C connection and the other wireless), both with a microphone and certified for Microsoft Teams.

For hands-free meetings with participants, Microsoft has added a portable speaker with two channels and several microphones to the surface catalog, which connects via USB-C to the computer.

And finally, the company will also launch a new webcam, Microsoft Modern Webcam, designed to add to a monitor or laptop and with Full HD video quality and HDR support. The camera includes a physical curtain that can be closed to ensure that it is not recording when it is not in use.

Unlike the new Surface Laptop 4, most of these accessories won’t be available until June.