How the Microsoft Surface line-up could be the perfect gift this shopping season – perhaps even for yourself
Microsoft’s Surface range are the ultimate in flexibility: not only can you get a computer in whichever form you want, they will fold down and flip around to ensure that they’re ready for whatever you throw at them. One moment they’re a touchscreen office device, ready for you to crush your emails with Microsoft’s Office tools; the next, the keyboard is detached and you’re watching the latest show, film or playing games through the built-in Xbox features.
That can happen in part because Microsoft makes the hardware and software from the device, meaning that they can be tightly integrated and work in perfect harmony. All of the computers have touchscreens, for instance, but you don’t have to use them all the time; the Surface will adapt to however you work, because it’s ready to take on whatever you need.
As well as the flexibility of the computers themselves, Microsoft offers a range of different devices, perfect to suit whatever budget or needs you have – or those of whoever you might be buying the device for. From the lightweight Surface Go 2 to the powerful, slim Surface Laptop 3, the options are as diverse as the computers are versatile.
As such, the Surface range can be the perfect gift, for yourself or for someone else: you don’t need to know what they might want or need, because a Surface can do everything.
The Microsoft Store is similarly all-encompassing. You’ll get great deals when you’re searching for your computer, straightforward delivery when you buy it, and help long after to ensure that you’re comfortable with and making the most of your device.
When you buy from Microsoft Store, where you get the benefit of not only using a computer made by the people making the software that runs on it, but buying it from them too. That allows Microsoft to give you a fully integrated experience, and means it’ll be easier than ever to get your computer, and just as easy to set it up, too.
When you decide to buy, you can be confident that you’ll be getting the best deal from the Microsoft Store because the company has a price promise; if there’s a discount offered in the following 60 days, Microsoft will refund the difference.
Once you do buy the computer, Microsoft offers fast, free shipping, meaning the computer is likely to be with you in a couple of days. You get online classes to help get you up-and-running. And if there’s any problem at all, Microsoft offers hassle-free returns, and Surface devices can be returned for a refund up to 60 days after you bought.
Whichever you choose in the end, you’ll get the characteristics that mark out the Surface range: innovative, premium computers that work around you, with quality guiding everything from how they’re made to how you use them.
Surface Pro 7, from £630
If you want flexibility, then this is the Surface to buy: as powerful as a laptop, as versatile as a tablet, it can go practically anywhere and do practically anything you want it to. Think of it as the perfect combination of both, ready to be whichever and work however you need.
At your desk, flip out its kick stand and attach a keyboard and you have the ultimate work machine. The power means that it won’t hesitate to do even tough office tasks, and the all-day battery means you won’t be anxious about when you might have to stop or plug in.
But when you’re at home – relaxing on the sofa or even taking the machine out into the garden – you can put that kickstand back in, detach the keyboard and have yourself an impressively capable tablet. High definition cameras are ready for rich and fun video calls, a lush screen is ready for whatever content you want to watch, and clever features let you log in with your face, meaning the computer is always ready for whatever you need.
Surface Laptop 3, from £779
If you want something a bit more classic, but with all the fresh innovation and power that the Surface line stands for, then the Surface Laptop 3 is surely the product to buy.
You’ll get all the long-lasting battery life and lightning-fast speed that the reset of the line-up brings. But it’s packed into a laptop that might be conventional in form but is chic and charismatic in design. On the inside you get everything you need for high performance, including plenty of storage, powerful processors and a camera that will make you look good.
Don’t let the more standard laptop look fool you into thinking this is a straightforward computer, either. Both the 13.5” and 15” models have touchscreens, so that you can manipulate your work in innovative ways. What’s more, they come in a range of rich colour options – sandstone, matte black, platinum and cobalt blue – and a selection of two finishes, ensuring this machine is still as flexible as it is fast.
Surface Go 2, from £379
The Surface Go 2 is the Pro 7’s lighter and smaller sibling; with all the same versatility, but focusing on portability rather than sheer performance. As such, it’s the perfect device for you or anyone else who might want to make sure they can have their computer wherever they might need it.
This year might have meant we weren’t able to go quite as far as we need, but it showed just how valuable it can be to be able to move around wherever we can, and the portability of the Go 2 is perfect for that. Even if it is just a matter of carrying a computer around the house so that it can be used as a TV in the garden or a homework-machine at the kitchen table, the Go 2’s light and small body is ready to travel anywhere with you.
That portability doesn’t mean sacrificing features. You’ll still get a bright, fine screen, great sound, long battery life and all of the Microsoft features that make using the computer as easy as carrying it around.
Surface Headphones, £239.99
The spirit of versatility, innovation and beautiful but accessible design has carried over into Microsoft’s accessories, too. And nowhere is that more clear than in its Surface headphones – which, in short, take the great smarts of the Surface range and put them on your ears.
Whatever you’re listening to – whether it’s a TV show on your new Surface device, your favourite piece of music, or even a video call – the Surface Headphones are ready to make sure that it’s dazzling and crisp with its Omnisonic sound that wrap you up in the audio. And if you’re not listening, then you can tune out other sounds too, with customisable active noise cancellation that means you’ll hear everything you want to and nothing you don’t.
And just like the Surface computers, you’ll get so much battery life that you won’t need to worry about them running out before you’re finished. A full charge will give you up to 18.5 hours of music or 15 hours of voice chat on Microsoft Teams.
Surface Earbuds, £199.99
If you’d like something a little smaller or lighter, you might want to try the Surface Earbuds instead. They offer much of the same smarts – the same great sounds, controls, and a similarly day-conquering battery – but in a smaller package that fits in your ear rather than over it.
Despite being nestled into your ears, the earbuds are designed to be sensitive to you, and fit nicely into your ears. Four anchor points mean they’ll sit snug in your ear, ensuring that they’re both comfortable and stable. The sound – both for listening and talking through the microphones – is crisp thanks to similarly attentive design.
What’s more, the Surface Earbuds are astonishingly smart, especially when compared with one of Microsoft’s computers. They’ll instantly play music from your phone, which can be controlled with just a tap on the ear; what’s more, they’ll integrate with Microsoft apps such as PowerPoint to let you move through slides and translate your voice into more than 60 languages as you talk.
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