Today, Microsoft is announcing the Surface Laptop 4, which is once again coming in 13.5- and 15-inch variants. In fact, the chassis is very much the same as it was with the Surface Laptop 3, also including the same USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (one USB Type-A, one USB Type-C, and one Surface Connect).
The one thing that"s changed about the design is the color selection. The Surface Laptop 4 has the new Ice Blue color that we saw with the Surface Laptop Go. Sadly, it"s killing off the Cobalt Blue color that"s been a staple of the product since its first generation. Since Ice Blue is replacing Cobalt Blue, the Ice Blue model comes with Alcantara fabric. And to be clear, the four colors are Platinum, Sandstone, Ice Blue, and Black.
Note that while Cobalt Blue is gone, that doesn"t mean that it"s gone forever. Microsoft has made it clear that it changes up its colors over time. Right now, it"s focusing on more subtle colors like Sandstone and Ice Blue, while it was focusing on bolder colors a couple of years ago. It could decide to change things up next year if it wants to.
The other thing that"s new is the processor selection. This time around, both the 13.5-inch model and the 15-inch model are going to be available with Intel and AMD processors, and also, there isn"t going to be a hard line drawn in the sand that one is for businesses and one is for consumers.
On the Intel side of things, your option is 11th-generation chips, obviously including the company"s new Iris Xe graphics. If you opt for AMD, you"ll get Ryzen 4000 Surface Edition processors, which are obviously last-generation Ryzen chips, but Microsoft says that they"re optimized for the product.
The Surface Laptop 4 is available to order today in the U.S., Canada, and Japan, and it starts at $999.99. Those orders will start shipping on April 15, but if you buy one before tham from Microsoft.com or Bestbuy.com, you"ll get a free pair of Surface Earbuds. The PC will be coming to other markets in the coming weeks.