News

Microsoft Reveals New Products At Surface 2022 Event

It’s that time of year when big tech announces new releases, and it’s currently Microsoft’s turn in the limelight.

Published

4 years ago

October 13, 2022

Nour Nasir

Microsoft

Microsoft unveiled a raft of new Surface-branded products at its Surface 2022 event held yesterday (Wednesday, 12th October). The lineup comprises several Windows-based devices, though a few low-key Xbox reveals also happened, along with a new app. Here’s everything you need to know:

Surface Pro 9

microsoft surface pro 9

The Surface Pro 9 edition was unveiled at the event, featuring a 13-inch display with a 2,880 x 1,920 resolution and an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. Processors come in several flavors, with either an i5 or i7 version of Intel’s 12th gen Core processor installed, or a (possibly Qualcomm-based) Microsoft SQ3 chip. The Wi-Fi models come with 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB of RAM, while the 5G version ships with 8GB or 32GB.

In terms of storage, the Intel Surface Pros come with removable SSD drives in sizes up to 1TB, while the SQ3 version maxes out at 512GB — though the lower specced device will achieve 19 hours of battery life, compared to the Intel unit’s 15.5.

When it comes to ports, the Surface Pro 9 comes with a pair of USB-C ports offering Thunderbolt 4 compatibility, with the SQ3 version only getting regular USB-C, along with a SIM slot.

Surface Laptop 5

microsoft surface laptop 5

If you’re in the market for a more conventional laptop, Microsoft also has you covered with their new Surface Laptop 5. Resolution is slightly lower for the 13.5 screen than on the Surface Pro, coming in at 2,256 x 1,504, though you’ll get similar configurations of storage and Intel Core processors.

Interestingly, the 13.5-inch laptop seems to beat the 15-inch model when it comes to battery life. Microsoft rates the smaller portable at 18 hours, while the 15-inch version is only good for 17. Buyers will get one USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4, one USB type-A port, and the faithful 3.5mm headphone jack will also be present.

Surface Studio 2+

microsoft surface studio 2+

Last but not least, desktop PC enthusiasts will be pleased to hear that Microsoft has also announced a new all-in-one computer in the form of the 28-inch Surface Studio 2+. The big-screen device is aimed at creative users who need large amounts of processing power for art projects or complex 3D rendering.

The Surface Studio comes with a massive 4,500 x 3,000 resolution, powered by an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of fast storage.

Everything Else

microsoft surface accessibility for all

Although the surface computers stole the show at Microsoft’s 2022 event, the tech giant also made several small announcements about a range of adaptive accessories, including the Xbox Adaptive Controller, and a new Microsoft 365 app called Microsoft Designer, powered by AI.

While we’d love to give release dates and prices for everything announced at the show, no details have emerged just yet, but we’ll hopefully see shipments begin well before the new year.

News

Visa’s Return To Syria Starts With A Test And A Bank In Lebanon

Foreign visitors will be the first users to benefit, but whether Syria’s own banks and cardholders follow is still an open question.

Published

2 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

Dana Saadeh

visa's return to syria starts with a test and a bank in lebanon

Visa is returning to Syria. Its first live international card transaction in the country was a test rather than a launch, and the milestone event ran through a Lebanese bank.

The acquirer (the bank on the merchant’s side of a card payment) was Fransabank Lebanon, with Paymera as the other named partner. Nadim Moujaes, who heads a Fransabank Group subsidiary, describes the test as both the culmination of “longstanding efforts to link Syria back to international payment networks” and “the first step in a larger path”.

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa makes the first electronic payment in Syria using a @Visa card at a store in Damascus, following the lifting of US sanctions on Syria. pic.twitter.com/lpAN7nQ6Fc

— Tech Magazine (@TechMGZN) August 27, 2026

“We are excited to have successfully tested live transactions today as we plan to enable international visitors to use their Visa cards while in Syria,” says Leila Serhan, Visa’s senior vice president and group country manager for the North Africa, Levant and Pakistan region. Although a significant first step, that plan doesn’t come with a hard date for when a visitor’s card will work normally.

Mohammed Safwat Raslan, governor of the Central Bank of Syria, says the test paves the way for international card acceptance in Syria and that maintaining strong compliance, risk management and operational controls will remain essential. Serhan likewise stresses that Visa has worked within applicable legal, regulatory and compliance requirements. For a test transaction, it seems there was a great deal of attention paid to the rules, with the entire operation being carefully managed.

Also Read: Lebanon’s 5G Era Begins With 150 Stations And A $1M Budget

The test is the latest step in a sequence that began in December 2025, when Visa announced a strategic roadmap to support Syria’s integration into the global digital economy. In February 2026 it hosted its first industry gathering of banks, ecosystem partners and policymakers in Damascus and, the same month, signed an agreement with Syria’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in San Francisco.

Michel Kattouah, Paymera’s CEO, called the test “the return of international card acceptance,” but while that’s positive news, there’s no word yet on when a Syrian bank will issue a Visa card to a Syrian customer.