Back in 2019, Microsoft announced the Surface Laptop 3 and Surface Pro X, and they were actually the first Surface PCs to offer removable storage. In 2020, the Surface Laptop Go was added to the list of PCs that support the feature, and then last month, the Surface Pro 7+ became the first Intel-powered Surface Pro to get a removable SSD.
Now, the Redmond firm announced that it's selling replacement SSDs for the Surface Pro 7+. And to be clear, these are only for the Surface Pro 7+, as the announcement specifically say that these kits won't work in the Surface Pro X or Laptop Go, failing to mention the Surface Laptop 3. It's unclear why they won't work, but we've reached out to Microsoft for more information on that, as well as if the company is going to offer similar plans for its other devices with removable storage.
All sizes are available, from 128GB to 1TB, but Microsoft "strongly discourages" you from using this to upgrade your storage. In fact, it also suggests not using a non-Microsoft SSD, saying that it tests out specific configurations and that there could be performance issues. It doesn't make a huge difference though, because even if you buy one of Microsoft's own SSDs, this is going to void your warranty.
Indeed, the removable SSD feature was never meant to be a workaround for the company's exorbitantly priced storage tiers. It's meant for replacing a failing SSD, or for destroying an SSD when you're getting rid of the device. Microsoft even has a Surface Data Eraser for when you're disposing of an old SSD.
These SSD replacements are for commercial customers only, and are meant to be installed by IT. In fact, the Surface Pro 7+ is only for commercial customers as well, so there shouldn't be any conflict there. Right now, the program is rolling out in the U.S., but it's going to eventually come to all Surface markets.
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