Four types of new products to relaunch a brand under pressure. Microsoft launches the new challenge to Apple, Samsung and Google with a new line of products ranging from smartphones to tablets via smartwatches and PCs.
MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK
Let's start with the real bet of the Redmond giant. This is the first real PC (albeit convertible) from Microsoft. The Surface Book it is in all respects a notebook but it is equipped with a hinge that joins the keyboard to the screen. L'Surface Book hardware , the heart of the machine, is behind the screen which, detached from the keyboard, works like a super tablet. According to what Microsoft said at yesterday's presentation, the Surface Book is equipped with the latest generation Intel Core processors and the battery has a monstrous autonomy of 12 hours. The new Surface Book, also defined as "The ultimate laptop" will be on sale in the United States from October 26th.
Pricing: Starting at $1499. The date of the sale in Italy is not yet known.
MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO 4
Let's move on to the new one convertible tablet from Microsoft: the Surface Pro 4. The product is a sort of evolution of the previous Surface model and maintains the opportunity to connect it with a magnetic keyboard and to keep it standing with the klipboard (a kind of kickstand). The main innovations of the Surface 4 are the RealSense camera for authentication with Windows Hello and the introduction of the Microsoft 10 operating system, as well as for the other new products presented by the Redmond house. Although the screen is 12,3 inches (almost the size of a traditional notebook screen), the weight of 766 grams makes it one of the lightest high-end tablets (the iPad Pro weighs 723 grams). Other interesting features are the Surface Pen that allows you to write on Web pages, directly in the new browser Microsoft Edge, the heir to Explorer, and a 40% larger Touchpad. As for the memory of the device, there are three availability: 4 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB of RAM. The processors of the Surface 4 are sixth generation Intel Core M3, i5 or i7. One of the product presentation videos with AC/DC's Thunderstruck as the soundtrack deserves a mention.
Pricing: Surface PRO 4 it will be sold starting from 1029 euros. This is probably the base price for the least powerful Surface 4 type in the range presented yesterday in Manhattan.
SMARTPHONE MICROSOFT LUMIA: THE NEWS OF OCTOBER
Let's move on to the other awaited product: the new Lumia. There are actually three new smartphones from Microsoft: the Lumia 950, Lumia 950 XL and the Lumia 550. The first two are high-end phones while the 550 is a very simple and affordable smartphone.
Microsoft Lumia 950 and 950 XL
It seems to review the couple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in Microsoft sauce. The differences between the two types of Lumia 950 are not so obvious. Compared to its smaller brother, the Lumia 950 XL has a larger screen, a somewhat faster processor and a larger battery. For the rest, the characteristics are the same and there are some interesting innovations. Starting from 20MP camera with autofocus and 6 lenses which, according to Redmond, will guarantee razor-sharp photos even for moving subjects. There internal memory of the device is 32 Gb, the RAM of 3 Gb while the LUMIA memory can be extended with a micro SD up to 2 Tb. Important news also regarding security with remote locking of the smartphone via the internet, remote deletion of smartphone data via the internet and then Windows Hello, the iris reader authentication system which will soon make you forget your PIN.
The other novelty is called Continuum and is perfect for all those who work with a smartphone. Through a device, called Display Dock, it will be possible to connect your Lumia 950 to a monitor and work as if you were at a PC. According to what they explain from Redmond, the connection is very simple and fast since the Display Dock is equipped with an HDMI output and USB ports and the devices connected to the Display Dock communicate with a refresh rate of 60 FPS.
Prices: Lumia 950 – 599 euros
Lumia 950 XL – 699 euros
Microsoft Lumia 550
The 550 is the third smartphone from Microsoft and was created for those who don't have many demands on their phone. In any case, it is an absolutely appreciable device with 8 Gb of internal memory and 1 Gb of Ram. The processor is a 1100 MHz Quad core while the camera is only 5 Megapixel. Unlike the two older brothers, the Lumia 550 does not have recognition via the iris and cannot be used as a PC via continuum.
Price: Lumia 550 – 139 euros
But the Microsoft event day did not end with the presentation of the new Surface and Lumia. At the beginning of the day, the following were illustrated to the public, the XBOX One upgrade to Windows 10, the Hololens, the new Microsoft Band 2. On the Xbox One there is little to say other than the novelty of the operating system upgrade. The Hololens guarantee the possibility of using the virtual reality of the holograms and of setting, for example, some games in the home by superimposing the images of the house on the virtual reality. Finally, the Microsoft Band 2 is the second version of the Redmond smartwatch which was very successful in its first version. The Band 2 is a smartwatch designed especially for those who keep fit: it records exercises, calories burned and heart rate but also provides other services such as sleep quality, email notifications, messages and calendar alerts. Physical activity data is collected in the Microsoft Health app. Autonomy of 2 days for the Microsoft Band 2 while the recharge time of 90 minutes.
Price: Microsoft Band 2 goes on sale October 30, starting at $249. You can already order the product on the Microsoft Store.
