Microsoft's Surface Laptop 4 was originally expected to arrive last fall, but back in early October, reports pointed to that date slipping into 2021 with the Surface Pro 8.
Here we are in 2021 and it appears we may finally be nearing a release; WinCentral spotted devices passing through Bluetooth certification that could include the now long-awaited Surface Laptop 4 (Windows Central).
- Best laptops 2021
- The best AMD Ryzen laptops in 2021
- Best cheap laptop deals of January 2021
While last month, we would have confidently stated that this will be the Surface Laptop 4, Microsoft has thrown a wrench into the works with its release of the Surface Pro 7 Plus for business. It offers some relatively minor upgrades from the existing Surface Pro 7, including the move to an 11th Gen Intel processor and the ability to easily remove and replace the SSD.
That device, identified with the product name "Surface Pro 7" and the model numbers 1960 and 1961, also appears on the same Bluetooth certification sheet alongside this device, which is identified as "Surface Laptop 3" with the model numbers 1952, 1953, 1958 and 1959, likely coinciding with the 13.5-inch and 15-inch variants.
It's entirely possible that this is simply Microsoft repeating the pattern with a Surface Laptop 3 Plus for business. And while that wouldn't be a shocking turn of events, it would seem like an odd decision for Microsoft to have not simply announced both products simultaneously given the utter lack of fanfare for the Surface Pro 7 Plus for business release.
Recent rumors have pointed to an April release for a new Surface Laptop, so either way, we shouldn't have too much longer to wait for our answer. While I wouldn't call this 100% conclusive either way, it does seem like Surface Laptop 4 hopefuls should prepare themselves for a wait until this fall for a true update, you can keep the Surface Pro 8 fans company.
