It has been over 10 years since Microsoft started launching Surface devices. Although the company offered only four years of driver and firmware updates for devices released before 2021, Microsoft promised support for six years for subsequent launches. The first Surface devices to enjoy this long support are nearing their end of life. On the company’s Surface devices lifecycle page, Microsoft mentions it will stop releasing driver and firmware updates for six devices over the course of 2027. These devices include the Surface Pro 7+, Surface Laptop 4, Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Go 3, and the Surface Pro X Wi-Fi.
The Surface Pro 7+, which was released on January 15, 2021, has an end-of-servicing date of January 15, 2027. Here’s a quick look at when each of the mentioned Surface products will stop receiving driver and firmware updates.
- Surface Laptop 4: April 15, 2027
- Surface Pro 8: October 5, 2027
- Surface Laptop Studio: October 5, 2027
- Surface Go 3: October 5, 2027
- Surface Pro X Wi-Fi: October 5, 2027
What does it mean for these Surface devices?
Once the six-year support period for the mentioned Surface devices ends, they will no longer receive driver or firmware updates. Essentially, when a new version of Windows is released, firmware updates ensure the hardware doesn’t have any compatibility issues with the new operating system. This is important because each of these devices will remain functional and you can continue using them as you do right now. Notably, many Surface owners claim their laptops and hybrids have had a long lifespan, often up to a decade. These devices will also continue to receive Windows 11 updates, including new OS features.
However, if any of these future Windows 11 updates break anything specific to these devices, Microsoft will have no obligation to fix it. Therefore, if you own any of these devices, you have two choices: either continue to use your device if it’s working fine and hope Windows updates don’t mess things up for you, or consider getting a new computer. You may be able to trade in your older device and get a decent discount, which might be useful considering how gadget prices are skyrocketing each day because of RAM and storage shortages.
