Surface Pro 7 may launch with an Intel Core i3 variant according to new leak

Laurent Giret

Surface Pro 6

As we’re getting closer to Microsoft’s next Surface event on October 2, Roland Quandt from German blog WinFuture.de apparently got a tip from European retailers detailing all the different configurations of Microsoft’s upcoming Surface Pro 7. According to the report, Microsoft plans to offer Intel Core i3, i5, and i7 variants of the new tablet, with the i3 model serving as the entry model.

Here are the five different Surface Pro 7 models that will be available at launch according to WinFuture:

  • Microsoft Surface Pro 7, Intel Core i3, 4 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD
  • Microsoft Surface Pro 7, Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD
  • Microsoft Surface Pro 7, Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD
  • Microsoft Surface Pro 7, Intel Core i7, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD
  • Microsoft Surface Pro 7, Intel Core i7, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD

Microsoft offering a Core i3 variant of the Surface Pro 7 is quite interesting, especially since the Surface Pro 6 was only available with Core i5 or Core i7 chips. As you may recall, the Surface Pro 3 from 2014 was the last Surface model to be offered with a Core i3 processor, while the Surface Pro 4 and 5 were available with a Core m3 processor, a low-power chip that didn’t require a fan. However, design improvements from the Surface team later gave us fanless designs for the Core i5 Surface Pro 5 and 6.

According to various reports, Microsoft may also introduce a Surface Pro with an ARM processor codenamed “Excalibur” next month. Qualcomm is launching its new Snapdragon 8cx SoC this Fall that has been designed for the ground up for Always Connected PC, but “Excalibur” could actually be the name of a custom-designed SoC from Microsoft.

“Unlike previous attempts with ARM, I am told that Microsoft worked extremely closely with Qualcomm to build this chipset, based on their own specifications, to design a chip that would work better with Windows 10,” wrote Brad Sams on Petri.com today. “This new SoC may be used as a reference device for other OEMs who are looking to use the 8cx (or similar) in upcoming products.”

We won’t have to wait much longer to get all the details about the Surface Pro 7 and other new Surface devices from Microsoft, though we hope 2019 is the year Microsoft finally embraces USB-C across the whole Surface family. The company may also use this event to reveal Windows Lite and its “Centaurus” dual-screen device, and we may also see new accessories such as a Surface-branded earbuds and a connected speaker for the enterprise.