Tablet Talk: Microsoft Surface Pro

The Surface Pro has always been the The ultimate laptop with versatility of a studio and tablet. Now its better than ever, the new Surface Pro gives you a best-in-class laptop, plus the versatility of a studio and tablet. The stunning PixelSense Display supports Surface Pen1 and touch, while up to 13.5 hours of battery life2 gives you plenty of juice to work all day and play all night.

The Great

• Brilliant PixelSense display
• Simple, elegant design
• Improved Type Cover keyboard
• Fantastic performance

The Not

• No USB-C
• Surface Pen and Type Cover sold separately
• Better, but still mediocre battery life

The Conclusion

With its fantastic PixelSense display, improved Type Cover, faster performance and even better battery life, the Surface Pro is still the king of detachable 2-in-1s.

The Design

Not wanting to tempt fate by messing with an exceptional design, Microsoft made the new Surface Pro look almost identical to the previous two models.Sure, the company has rounded off a few edges to make the Surface Pro a little curvier and more pleasant to hold, but all the familiar elements are here, including the kickstand, power button, volume rocker and front-facing speakers.

The Performance

I  can see why Microsoft is moving away from referring to the Surface Pro as a tablet, given that it’s packed with very laptop-like components. Our review model was equipped with a fast dual-core Intel i7-7660U CPU and 16GB of RAM. The Core i7-7660U is no longer at the cutting edge, as Intel’s 8th-gen Core processors are now available, but it managed respectable performance.

Surface Pen is Vastly Improved

Why Microsoft opted not to call this the Surface Pro 5 is beyond us, as you can now see the firm changed practically every facet of the product. The Surface Pen got some of the most meticulous and belabored treatment.

For one, Microsoft upped the pressure sensitivity of its pen to 4,096 levels of detectable pressure, meaning creators have more control over the width and intensity of their lines in illustrations or designs than before. Perhaps more importantly, the Pen now sports a much lower latency, meaning that the tip of your Pen has a far lower chance of “leading” the ink on the PixelSense display.

Finally, the Pen also supports tilt detection now, though only through the new Surface Pro – the other current Surface devices will get the support for this feature through a firmware update.

Quick Spec Look

• CPU: 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-7660U (dual-core, 4MB cache, up to 4GHz with Turbo Boost)
• Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640
• RAM: 16GB LPDDR3
• Screen: 12.3-inch, 2,736 x 1,824 PixelSense display (Contrast ratio: 1,300:1, 100% sRGB color, 10-point multi-touch, 3:2 aspect ratio)
• Storage: 512GB SSD (PCIe 3.0)
• Ports: 1x USB 3.0, mini DisplayPort, microSDXC card reader (UHS-I), headphone/mic jack
• Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi (2 x 2 MIMO), Bluetooth 4.1 (Low Energy)
• Cameras: 8MP rear-facing, auto-focus camera (1080p HD); 5MP front-facing, 1080p HD camera
• Weight: 1.73 pounds
• Size: 11.5 x 7.93 x 0.33 inches (W x D x H)

The Final Thought

Nearly five years after Microsoft introduced the device that created the 2-in-1 category, the company’s Surface Pro systems are still the detachables other companies are trying to beat. So how does Microsoft improve upon its class-leading hybrid? By refining its simple tried-and-true design, improving performance, shoring up some concerns about battery life, and creating a new line of enhanced and more colorful Surface accessories.

I think Microsoft is still playing it a bit too safe in a few areas. While improved, the Surface Pro’s battery life still lags behind those of other ultraportable laptops, and the lack of a USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 port are strange omissions for a premium flagship device. And after three years in which the Surface Pro has had essentially the same aesthetics, I find myself wanting a bit more excitement out of this machine’s design. But if you want the best detachable out there, the Surface Pro is still the one to get.