What to expect from Microsoft’s New York event on October 2nd

Microsoft is hosting an event in New York on October 2nd where it’s expected to unveil new hardware and other exciting products.

While the tech giant’s haven’t been as frequent as some other companies, there have been a few hints about what’s to come at the event. The company also teased some things with a recent Twitter post. A video attached to the clip featured audio that sounded like someone typing on a keyboard along with other sounds.

These are the sounds of the upcoming innovations launching Oct.2 live on Twitter at 10am ET. Remember, you heard it here first. #MicrosoftEvent pic.twitter.com/NUt8cDHPwR

— Microsoft Surface (@surface) September 25, 2019

From new Surface hardware to accessories, below is a list of everything to expect — and the things you shouldn’t expect — from Microsoft.

Surface Pro 7

The Redmond, Washington-based company will announce a new Surface Pro 7 at its October event. It’d be right on time — it announced the Pro 6 in October last year.

Along with that, a few leaks have spilled the details about Microsoft’s latest Surface. We’ve seen some possible configurations of the new Surface leak along with rumours that it’ll feature 10th Gen Intel processors.

Patent illustrations suggested the Pro 7 would also feature USB-C and a thinner Type Cover.

Surface Laptop 3

Another probable occurrence is the announcement of a new Surface Laptop. Again, Microsoft launched the Surface Laptop 2 around the same time last year, and the Surface Laptop 3 turned up in some recent leaks.

Rumours primarily point to a new 15-inch version of the Surface Laptop 3 that could launch alongside a 13.5-inch version. The smaller Surface Laptop 3 would likely be a refresh of the same-sized Surface Laptop 2. It’s unclear what size the smaller laptop will be tech leaker Evan Blass (@evleaks) reported that it’s 13-inches.

Blass has also leaked the 15-inch model, which adds credibility to this rumour.

In the leaks, there are a handful of new colours and it seems like the larger device has dropped the Alcantara fabric in favour of an all-metal design.

The all-metal version looks to come in a dark grey, silver, and rose gold options, while the Alcantara version has been shown in both light grey and blue.

Accessories

Microsoft is bound to announce new Surface accessories as well, but which accessories are less clear.

Recent patent filings hinted that we could see a new Surface Mouse and Keyboard at the event.

There were also rumours of an AirPods competitor from Microsoft called the Surface Buds. However, these earbuds aren’t likely to show up at this event.

Surface Go 2

While the timing would be right for a new Surface Go, the rumour mill suggests otherwise. With the lack of leaks and rumours, we likely won’t see a Surface Go 2 at the event. If one does turn up, I won’t be surprised.

ARM Powered Surface tablet

Evan Blass also leaked out a slimmer take on a Surface tablet with rounded edges. He says this tablet is powered by an ARM chip, so it’s likely going to be the lower-cost option compared to the Surface Pro (much like the Surface Go currently is). It’s very likely that we will see this new tablet during the hardware keynote.

The main mystery is surrounding what operating system it runs and where it fits into Microsoft’s Surface lineup.

Centaurus

Microsoft’s long-rumoured folding Surface device, Centaurus now seems like it will make an appearance at the upcoming event. Blass has also tweeted recently about the hardware, but he has yet to share any pictures or renders.

If this device is shown off it doesn’t seem likely that it’s launching anytime soon. This is because Centaurus is closely linked with Microsoft’s ‘Windows Lite‘ or ‘Windows X’ operating system that’s supposedly built for smaller, folding devices and other form factors.

Windows Lite isn’t expected until 2020, which means the devices that will run on it — like Centaurus — probably won’t turn up until then either.

Surface Book 3

A new version of Microsoft’s ageing Surface Book — which is about two years old now — would make sense for this event.

However, rumours suggest a new Book won’t be present at the keynote.

Ultimately, it seems like it’s not time yet for a new Surface Book. We’ll likely get a refresh in the coming months, although, with an all-metal 15-inch Surface Laptop on the way this could be the end of the Surface Book’s lifespan.

Andromeda

Another hotly rumoured device, Microsoft’s alleged folding-phone style Andromeda device will not be present at this event. It’s unlikely Andromeda will show up any time soon.

Surface Studio 3

Microsoft doesn’t update the Surface Studio on a yearly basis, so chances are low we’ll see a refresh at this event. If we do see a Studio refresh at all, it’ll likely be alongside a Surface Book 3 a few months down the road.

Update 01/10/2019: Notable leaker Evan Blass (@evleaks) recently dropped a ton of Surface leaks. This article has been updated to reflect the new information.