Microsoft unveils Surface Laptop 2, Surface Pro 6, Surface Studio 2 and Surface headphones

Surface Studio 2, the first upgrade to Microsoft’s giant touchscreen desktop computer, comes with a brighter screen and improved graphics processing.

Microsoft is also integrating its computers more closely with Apple and Android mobile devices. (AP)

Microsoft upgraded three of its Surface computers, unveiled wireless over-ear headphones and released software to better integrate its devices with iPhones and Android phones.

The Surface Laptop 2, a laptop with a touchscreen, and the Surface Pro 6, a combination laptop and tablet, have faster processors and a new matte black colour option. The Surface Studio 2, the first upgrade to Microsoft's giant touchscreen desktop computer, comes with a brighter screen and improved graphics processing.

Surface Headphones have 15 hours of battery life and integrate with Microsoft's Cortana voice assistant, the Redmond, Washington-based technology giant said at a media event in New York City on Tuesday.

In the six years since Microsoft began making its own devices, the company has taken the Surface from an ill-received convertible tablet to a well-reviewed line of devices with sales that topped $5 billion in the most recent fiscal year. Along the way, the company popularised the two-in-one device that functions as a tablet with removable keyboard, eventually pushing Apple Inc. to release the iPad Pro. Still, Microsoft has yet to produce a real blockbuster. According to IDC, the software giant hasn't cracked the top 5 of the tablet market.

The Surface Pro 6 is Microsoft's flagship device and includes the detachable keyboard. It's the closest kin to the original Surface. The new version includes a quad-core Intel Corp. processor that Microsoft says makes the device 1.5 times faster than the previous generation. It starts at $899.

The Surface Laptop 2 is the first update to the machine that Microsoft launched last year to positive reviews. According to IDC, Microsoft shipped 102,000 units of the original Surface Laptop in the second quarter, helping to push overall Microsoft device shipments up nearly 9% year-over-year. The new model also includes a quad-core processor option that makes the laptop 85% faster than the first model, according to Microsoft. Prices begin at $999 and it's available October 16.

A closer look at Microsoft's new Surface Studio 2 (AP)

A closer look at Microsoft's new Surface Studio 2 (AP)

Headphones are a new hardware category for Microsoft. The over-ear design is unique for a major technology company, eschewing the small, in-ear style popularized by Apple's AirPods. The Bluetooth headphones work with Microsoft devices, but can also pair with iPhones and Android phones. They go on sale later this holiday season and cost $349.

The Surface Headphones are on display during Microsoft's conference on October 2. (AP)

The Surface Headphones are on display during Microsoft's conference on October 2. (AP)

Microsoft is also integrating its computers more closely with Apple and Android mobile devices. The push, first announced at the company's Build conference for developers in May, includes a new app called Your Phone. It'll let users receive and respond to text messages and other notifications from their Surface instead of pulling out their phone.