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Microsoft says new Surface Laptop is 3x more powerful than MacBook Air, has removable SSD, teases foldables for 2020

Microsoft has unveiled its latest laptops and convertible 2-in-1 devices at an event today in New York City. While announcing the new Surface Laptop 3, the company claimed that it is 3x more powerful than Apple’s MacBook Air and has a user-removable SSD. Also unveiled at the event was the Surface Pro 7, Surface Pro X, an AirPods competitor. But Microsoft also had a surprise up its sleeve, it unveiled an all-new foldable tablet and foldable smartphone that it plans to launch in 2020.

As noted by CNBC, Microsoft specifically called out Apple as it made the claim that the new Surface Laptop 3 will be 3x more powerful than the MacBook Air. The Surface 3 will come in 13- and 15-inch sizes and start at $999, undercutting the MacBook Air’s standard price by $100.

Another notable feature of the new Surface Laptop 3 is the inclusion of a user-removable SSD. That comes as Apple has been criticized over the years for making its devices more and more difficult to repair.

The Surface 3 Laptops use Intel’s 10th-gen CPUs and Microsoft is also going to offer a special model with an AMD Ryzen Surface Edition graphics chip.

“This is the most powerful mobile processor AMD has ever created,” Panay said. “We co-engineered this entire platform alongside AMD, from the silicon to hardware and through Windows.”

Another impressive feature is a fast-charging battery that can be filled up to 80% in just an hour. The Surface 3 Laptops have an aluminum build with a soft-touch finish around the keyboard. The new laptops also keep a USB-A port while adding one USB-C port.

The 15-inch Surface 3 Laptop starts at $1,199, far below what Apple’s MacBook Pro goes for. The new devices will be available for preorder today.

Surface Pro 7 and Pro X

Microsoft also announced its new Surface Pro 7 convertible tablet. The device now has USB-C like the 2018 iPad Pro. It features a 12.3-inch screen and will start at $749.

The Surface Pro X 2-in-1 device was also announced. This is Microsoft’s higher-end convertible tablet/laptop that will start at $999.

Another new product from the event is an AirPods competitor called Surface Earbuds. The company’s fully wireless earphones have what seems like a bulky disc design and are priced at $249. They’ll be available later this year.

In a surprise announcement, Microsoft teased two foldable devices that are slated to arrive in Q4 2020. The new Surface Neo and Surface Duo are the company’s foldable tablet and foldable smartphone.

Check out more details in the embedded videos below:

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