Microsoft unveiled the Surface Neo. It runs a new version of Windows called Windows 10X, but it won’t be available until “next holiday.”
It turns out that device will be the first one we’ve heard of to get Intel’s 11th-generation Lakefield processor with a 10-nanometer primary Sunny Cove core, four 10-nanometer Atom cores and Foveros 3D chip stacking technology.
Microsoft’s Panos Panay said that the chip for the Surface Neo was specifically designed for dual screen systems. At the same time, Intel managed to reduce the silicon footprint to the point that Microsoft only needed a circuit board half the usual size. That in turn allowed them to make the Neo pretty powerful for its compact form.
Microsoft called the Neo not just a new product, but a new category, and it seems that Intel’s 10-nanometer chips will be a part of that. With Microsoft going back to ARM chips for its Surface Pro X, Intel’s 3D 10-nanometer tech which will also allow for lightweight, power-friendly devices.
