As Microsoft readies its Surface Book 3 to ship later this month, you might be wondering: Why doesn’t it have a 4K display? The answer, according to Microsoft, is simple: You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference anyway.
In 2015, the display resolution of the Surface Book was revolutionary: 3,000×2000 pixels, arranged in what is now a familiar 3:2 ratio. (It’s still the same in the Surface Book 3, though the 15-inch version includes a 3240×2160 display.) But it’s now 2020, and more laptop manufacturers are opting for true 4K (3840×2160) panels instead. According to Stevie Bathiche, Technical Fellow and an Applied Sciences Group lead at Microsoft, it doesn’t sound like Microsoft will necessarily end up following suit.