The New Surface Pro Doesn't Feel Pro

Microsoft has announced a caller 2-in-1 Surface Pro tablet, erstwhile again powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chipsets alternatively of Intel oregon AMD processors. It starts astatine $799, but it mightiness beryllium the slightest ‘Pro’ Surface Pro to date.

The 7th procreation Surface Laptop and 11th procreation Surface Pro were some released past twelvemonth arsenic immoderate of the archetypal Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X chipsets. They were mostly well-received, with artillery beingness and powerfulness ratio person to the MacBook Air. Now there’s a caller Surface Pro alongside the updated Surface Laptop, and it’s a Windows 11 Copilot+ PC.

Hardware and Connectivity

The caller Surface Pro has astir the aforesaid plan arsenic the erstwhile model, measuring 10.8 inches crossed (274 mm), 7.47 inches gangly (190 mm), and 0.3 inches successful extent (7.8 mm). It besides weighs 1.5 pounds (686 grams), making it astir arsenic dense arsenic the 13-inch iPad Air astatine 1.3 pounds (616 grams). Thankfully, there’s inactive an integrated kickstand, truthful you tin beryllium it up connected a level aboveground without the request for a lawsuit oregon cover.

The surface is simply a 12-inch LCD panel—slightly smaller than the 13-inch sheet connected the erstwhile model, with an facet ratio of 3:2 and a solution of 2196x1464. The refresh complaint runs astatine up to 90Hz. As with each erstwhile Surface tablets, it supports some interaction and stylus input.

The caller Surface Pro has an 8-core Snapdragon X Plus chipset, paired with 16GB of RAM, 256 oregon 512GB storage, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4. That’s a measurement down from the 10-core Snapdragon X Plus utilized successful the basal configuration of the erstwhile Surface Pro, and there’s nary higher-end enactment with an X Elite spot astatine all. That hardware should inactive beryllium much than capable for astir productivity work, but it’s unusual to not adjacent person an enactment for higher-end hardware connected a “Pro” tablet. The less-powerful CPU volition beryllium particularly noticeable successful games and different applications that aren’t autochthonal to Windows 11 connected ARM yet and person to beryllium emulated.

For connectivity, you get 2 USB Type-C ports that enactment charging, information transportation with USB 3.2, and DisplayPort 1.4a with up to 2 4K monitors astatine 60 Hz. The tablet tin complaint astatine up to 45W, but determination is nary powerfulness adapter included successful the box—just a USB-C cable. There are nary USB Type-A ports, and nary headphone jack. Just similar Apple and Samsung, Microsoft has decided that you don’t request wired audio connected a tablet, astatine slightest not without an adapter.

You mightiness announcement different larboard missing: the proprietary Surface Connect larboard utilized with Microsoft’s outer docks and hubs. That marks the extremity of an epoch that started with the Surface Pro 3 successful 2014, but with Thunderbolt and USB docks becoming widespread, determination wasn’t overmuch of a request for that anymore.

However, it’s not wide if the Surface Pro supports Thunderbolt oregon USB 4. The chipset it’s utilizing does enactment with USB 4, but the specifications leafage provided by Microsoft lone mentions USB 3.2. We’ve asked Microsoft for confirmation, and we’ll update this nonfiction erstwhile we perceive back.

Keyboard and Stylus

Microsoft has updated the keyboard screen again for the caller Surface Pro, but it doesn’t look similar overmuch of an upgrade. The institution says “The caller keyboard attaches easy and lies level for a grounded and quiescent typing experience. It features a smooth-matte thenar remainder for comfortableness and durability, a full-size backlit keyset and customizable precision touchpad with adaptive interaction mode.”

Earlier keyboards for the Surface Pro could swap betwixt a level and angled position, going arsenic acold backmost arsenic the Surface Pro 3, but that doesn’t look to beryllium the lawsuit anymore. It’s disposable successful 3 colors: Slate, Ocean, and Violet. The keyboard is inactive not included successful the box, and it’s unclear if the caller Surface is compatible with older Surface keyboards.

The caller Surface Pro is designed to beryllium utilized with the Surface Slim Pen 2nd Edition, and the tablet has a magnetic equine and charger for the stylus connected the back. It inactive supports the aforesaid Microsoft Pen Protocol, though, truthful you tin usage immoderate stylus that has that standard.

Pricing and Availability

The caller Surface Pro starts astatine $799, which is the aforesaid starting terms arsenic the erstwhile model. However, you bash get a smaller surface (12” vs. 13”), a less-powerful chipset (8-core Snapdragon X Plus vs. 10-core, and perchance different downgrades. There’s besides nary enactment for an OLED screen, higher-end chipset, oregon much than 512GB of integrated storage. Also, the keyboard and Surface Pen are inactive not included successful the box.

You’ll beryllium capable to buy the Surface Pro from Microsoft’s online store starting connected May 20. It volition besides beryllium disposable from different retailers similar Best Buy. You mightiness besides privation to cheque retired the new Surface Laptop.

Source: Microsoft