Arr, ye merry mateys of Microsoft Surface laptops, rejoice! Ye be blessed with a grand bounty o' 6 years o' software updates. Huzzah!
2023-11-06
Arr, me hearties! The latest n' some o' the older shipmates be gettin' a boost to their sails! They be gettin' more help to keep 'em sailin' the high seas for longer!
Microsoft has announced that it will now offer six years worth of driver and firmware updates for Surface laptops released after January 1, 2021. This decision is part of their effort to increase the longevity of their devices. The firmware updates are designed to improve the overall performance of the devices and introduce new features. The expansion of support was implemented in early October but was only recently revealed to the public.The official support page lists all the Surface models that will receive extended support, including the Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop Studio, and Surface Go 3. These models will receive their final patch on October 5, 2027. However, there are a few exceptions to this new policy. OS updates will continue to be available for Surface laptops, and the Surface Duo 2 tablet will not receive any changes to its update schedule.
Most Surface models released before January 1, 2021, will continue to follow the old four-year support plan. Some exceptions will receive an extended support period of five-and-a-half years. Microsoft's decision to expand patch rollout may have been inspired by Google, which recently announced longer software support for Chromebooks.
While Microsoft's promise is not as generous as Google's 10-year pledge, it is still a positive step towards extending the lifespan of their hardware. If you're in the market for a new computer, you can check out TechRadar's list of the best Windows laptops for 2023.