Microsoft may be holding an event later this week that is partially focused on Surface devices, but that's far from the end of the story. The company has just confirmed another event will be coming on May 20, just before Microsoft's Build developer event kicks off the day after. The May 20 event will focus on Microsoft's AI vision, including both hardware and software, which is expected to include new Surface PCs for consumers.

A Microsoft Surface Pro 9 sitting on table showing the desktop of Windows.
3 things to expect from this week's Windows and Surface event

Microsoft is hosting its first big event of 2024 on March 21, and you can expect new Surface PCs and Windows features, plus a lot of Copilot news.

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Surface Pro 10 and Laptop 6 go all-in on Arm

Front view of Surface Laptop 5

Indeed, the March 21 event is expected to feature a new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, but these devices will be powered by Intel processors and aimed at the business market. May 20 is when we're expecting Microsoft to fully show off the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6, both featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chipset, based on the Arm architecture. These devices will be among the first to feature this new chip, as Microsoft signals a big shift in the PC market.

In addition to the Arm processors, the Surface Pro 10 will feature an OLED display, which apparently won't be in the business version we'll see this week. Meanwhile, the Surface Laptop 6 will have a whole new design with slimmer bezels and more ports, according to recent reports.

New Windows AI features

Screenshot of Windows 11 with Microsoft Copilot shown in a resized window

Aside from new hardware, the May 20 event is expected to shine a spotlight on new AI-powered Windows 11 features, which could include the long-rumored AI Explorer, a capability that can create a timeline of everything you do on your PC and make it easily searchable. These are features expected to debut with Windows 11 version 24H2 later this year, and they could also include a new live captions feature that automatically translates text to a target language, as well as a "Super Resolution" akin to Nvidia's DLSS technology found in the RTX-series GPUs.

Text reading Windows 11 2024 Update over a blue background
The Windows 11 2024 Update is now available — here's what's new and why it's not Windows 12

The Windows 11 2024 Update will bring a ton of changes to the operating system, including better support for Arm devices.

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Unfortunately, the May 20 event won't be shown to the public, meaning only invited journalists will be allowed to see the new devices firsthand. Of course, we'll be there to bring you all the news as it happens.