It appears that Microsoft quietly discontinued yet another Surface. According to a new report, Microsoft halted the production of the Surface Laptop Studio 2, its most powerful computer with a quirky display hinge and complex design.
Microsoft has not commented on the rumors, but various resellers seemingly confirmed that the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is no longer in production. It ended earlier this month, and the laptop will disappear from stores once stock dries up. The computer is already in limited stock across various retailers, albeit you can still pick five out of six configurations in the Microsoft Store.
The end of life for the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is scheduled for next month. However, that does not mean that existing users should throw their laptops away in a couple of weeks. The computer will remain supported, which means further firmware and operating system updates (check out the list of Surface devices that will not receive Windows 11 here). According to the official documentation, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a six-year lifecycle, with the end of support scheduled for October 3, 2029.
The saddest part is that there seems to be no successor to the Surface Laptop Studio 2. Over the last years, Microsoft has gradually discontinued some of its quirkiest devices, including the Surface Studio, Surface Duo, Surface Earbuds, Surface Headphones, Surface Neo, Surface Book, and now Surface Laptop Studio.
The Surface used to be all about bold design choices, complex engineering, and radical form factors, which devolved into still great, but rather tame and safe solutions to please your average Joe. What Microsoft sells now is just a bunch of regular touchscreen laptops and tablets.
Make no mistake, the latest Surface products are great, but the company is no longer pushing the industry boundaries. With the end of the Surface Laptop Studio 2, the last unconventional Surface device, the chances that the Surface brand will return to its wacky origins are rather slim.
Source: The Verge (paywall)
7 Comments - Add comment