Microsoft has straight-up confirmed to Thurrott that it’s working on a successor to the Surface Hub digital whiteboard released back in 2016, presumably known as ‘Surface Hub 2.’
A would-be Surface Hub 2 has been the subject of rumors and speculation for sometime, known internally at Microsoft as ‘Aruba’, Thurrott reports. According to the outlet, the firm plans to formally announce the new digital whiteboard in the first half of this year – so, before the end of June, we can only assume. Frankly, a Build 2018 debut would be a safe bet.
“Surface Hub created an entirely new device category and we’re thrilled with the strong momentum we have seen across the globe,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Thurrott. “We’re working on V2 and will share more in the first half of this year.”
Furthermore, the outlet reports that this ‘V2’ will bring upgraded hardware and software – like native Teams chat integration – alike to the product, the latter of which will be enjoyed by the original model.
[Editor's Note: A previous version of this story erroneously noted that Microsoft had told Thurrott that it will not be able to meet this newfound demand for the follow-up product in 2018 on account of the sheer scale of production required. We've since corrected and apologize for the error.]
Unsurprisingly, Microsoft is doubling down on its big digital whiteboard experiment because it has reportedly attracted more than 5,000 customers worldwide across various professional fields. However, a Microsoft representative has informed informed that it "has seen very strong demand for the current generation of Surface Hub, and expects that demand will begin to outpace supply over the course of this calendar year."
Hence the fact that Microsoft plans to bring the Surface Hub 2’s new software features to the original model, likely through an over-the-air update in much the same way it updates its other Surface products with specific software and firmware.
Here’s to hoping we’ll see the Surface Hub 2 debut bring down the price of the original model, so as to allow more small-to-medium businesses and schools especially get in on the advancements it brings to those groups.
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