TentorTech

Microsoft is quietly discontinuing the Surface Laptop Studio 2, following a pattern of retiring older devices without much fanfare. Earlier, the company ended production of the Surface Studio desktop PC in December, leaving no successor. Similarly, Microsoft’s audio products, like the Surface Headphones 2 and Surface Earbuds, have also faded away without official announcements. This move comes at an uncertain time for the Surface brand. While Microsoft recently announced two new devices—the Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch—set to launch soon, the lineup has seen significant changes. The departure of Panos Panay, the former head of Surface, in 2023 reportedly stemmed from budget disputes and product cancellations. His successor, Pavan Davuluri, now oversees a much smaller portfolio. Since Panay’s exit, Microsoft has trimmed its Surface lineup to just three devices: the Surface Laptop, Surface Pro, and Surface Go 4—the last of which is currently only available to business customers. The discontinuation of the Surface Laptop Studio leaves a gap in Microsoft’s hardware offerings, particularly for users who need powerful graphics performance. Before the Surface Laptop Studio, Microsoft’s high-performance option was the Surface Book, which combined a detachable tablet with a keyboard base housing a discrete GPU. Without these models, Microsoft no longer offers systems with dedicated graphics, potentially disappointing creative professionals and gamers who relied on them. The future of the Surface brand remains unclear. While new devices are still being released, the absence of high-performance options raises questions about Microsoft’s commitment to catering to power users. For now, the focus seems to be on mainstream productivity devices, leaving enthusiasts to look elsewhere for their needs.