While Microsoft has sold Surface Pro and Surface Go tablets with cellular connectivity before, that capability hasn't come to the Surface Laptop yet. But on August 26, Microsoft will launch the Surface Laptop 5G as part of its Surface for Business line.
The 5G laptop is a variant of the existing 13.8-inch Surface Laptop for Business, which utilizes Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors. The fine print in Microsoft's blog post points out that it will be supported "only on specific SKUs," but as of this writing, we don't know what the other tech specs will be. Current configurations use Core Ultra 7 and Core Ultra 5 processors, with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. The 5G connectivitiy will work both over a NanoSIM slot or via eSIM.
"Adding 5G to Surface Laptop has been one of the most requested features from our business customers," Nancie Gaskill, Microsoft's general manager for Surface, wrote in a blog. But she added that Microsoft didn't just want to add an antenna, but also make the connection reliable.
Microsoft has added a "dynamic antenna system" made of six antennas that can adjust power usage and signal paths depending on how the device is being used or even held. Gaskill says that while many laptops have antennas near the base of the system, the Surface Laptop 5G has it higher up to reduce the chance of being blocked by tables or legs. Microsoft developed a new antenna material, a custom laminate for the design.
The Surface Laptop is also designed to serve as a 5G hotspot and share its connection with other devices. This is a reversal of the typical role, in which people often use their phones to share cellular connectivity with laptops while in transit, in the field, or in crowded convention centers.
Microsoft is also shipping the 13-inch Surface Laptop and 12-inch Surface Pro, based on Qualcomm Snapdragon CPUs, to business customers starting today.
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