Microsoft has consolidated its Windows and Surface departments into one unified team led by Pavan Davuluri, a seasoned 23-year veteran at the Redmond company who played a pivotal role in the development of custom-designed Surface processors in collaboration with Qualcomm.
The merger of these two teams will allow Microsoft to approach building silicon, systems, experiences, and devices in a comprehensive manner that spans Windows client and cloud services in the AI era, as per an internal memo acquired by The Verge.
This move signifies a return to a singular vision for driving forward Windows 11 and future laptop and PC development, following the departure of former Chief Product Officer Panos Panay last year, who oversaw both hardware and software development concurrently. The upcoming Microsoft event on May 20, 2024, is expected to showcase consumer-facing variants of the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6, unveiled earlier this month with enterprise-focused models.
The consumer versions of these devices are rumored to be powered by ARM chipsets from Qualcomm, promising all-day battery life and performance efficiency comparable to the iPad Pro and MacBook Air. Additionally, Microsoft is set to unveil new AI features for Windows 11, integrated into the Copilot assistant, enabling users to streamline tasks and enhance productivity through natural language search capabilities.
While some features may be exclusive to paid subscriptions, the event is anticipated to introduce groundbreaking advancements in the Windows ecosystem that will cater to a wide range of users.
