Microsoft announces Surface Laptop 3 with Intel Ice Lake and AMD Ryzen processors

Microsoft is hosting its special event today, and it kicked it off with the announcement of the Surface Laptop 3. It has some significant changes in terms of design, though some of them may not be visible right away. It's the first time Microsoft is making a 15-inch variant of a Surface Laptop, for starters. It's also now possible to remove the top of the keyboard area for much easier repairability, with the the hard drive being replaceable, and the device having a machined aluminum finish for the first time.

In terms of specs, the Surface Laptop 3 is pretty interesting. It comes in both Intel and AMD variants, with the Intel model shipping with 10th-gen Ice Lake processors, which are Intel's first 10nm processors. However, that's only for the 13.5-inch version of the Laptop 3.

For the all-new 15-inch model Microsoft is using a customized AMD chipset based on the Ryzen 7. Microsoft calls it the AMD Ryzen Microsoft Surface Edition, and it says it's the fastest chipset on any laptop of its class, as well as the fastest mobile processor AMD has ever made. It also has AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 graphics.

Microsoft has also made some strides for charging, and Microsoft says the Surface Laptop 3 charger can get you 80% battery in just one hour. The device also comes with a 20% larger trackpad, and, according to the company, it's twice as fast as the Surface Laptop 2.

The Surface Laptop will be available in platinum, black, and a new sandstone color. The 13.5-inch model will start at $999, and the 15-inch model will start at $1,199. Both are available to pre-order today and will officially launch on October 22.