One year after the previous gen Surface Pro 8 was announced and around thirteen months after it hit markets, Microsoft is now back with a redesigned Surface convertible (laptop-to-tablet PC) product called Surface Pro 9.
While the complete Surface Pro design ideology remains the same on the new model, Microsoft has made some very modest tweaks here and there that should make using Surface Pro 9 a much more satisfying experience. It is made from “high-grade” aluminum and comes preloaded with Windows 11 OS.
It brings expanded connectivity options, tremendously upgraded battery life, and added 120Hz display refresh rate technology and an ever smoother experience. Microsoft is offering 5G connectivity for the Surface Pro 9 with SQ3 Arm-powered processors. There’s also another version of the Surface Pro 9 with Intel 12th Gen processors without 5G modem on board.
This Surface Pro 9 starts at $999, and features a 13-inch “edge-to-edge” Pixel Sense (2880 × 1920) display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The display has Dolby Vision IQ support, 3:2 aspect ratio, sRGB, and Gorilla Class 5 protection and it is compatible with the Surface Slim Pen 2. The device has dedicated slot for the Pen to stow away (and recharge) right between the Surface machine where it meets with a Type Cover. Inside you have an 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U / Core i7-1255U processor with Intel Iris Xe GPU. The i7 variant has up to 12 cores and 12 threads, which make it powerful than the previous 11th-generation chipsets.
It also has 8 gigabytes of RAM that goes up to 32 GB, base storage of 128 GB, up to 1 TB (for Intel model). Hardware includes 10 MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p HD and 4k video, front-facing camera with 1080p full HD video, Dual far field studio microphones, 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, Windows Hello sign-in, 2 USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 6E: 802.11ax compatible, a Surface Connect port, and a Surface Type Cover port on the standard version. A 3.5 mm headset jack is missing from the Surface Pro 9.
On the other side, The 5G capable variant is a Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 device. Along with Sub-6 GHz/mmWave 5G networks (mmWave is US only), this version also has plenty more connectivity including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and Beidou positioning systems support, nanoSIM and eSIM support, as well as support for LTE. This processor is more powerful and efficient, which delivers fast 5G connectivity and almost full-day battery life. But Microsoft claims it can last up to 19 hours on a single charge. The 5G model comes with two USB-C ports, a Surface Connect and Surface keyboard port, as well as a nano SIM slot. This 5G variant will be offered in either 8GB or 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM, while it can be configured with up to 512GB of storage.
This Surface Pro 9 will be available from Microsoft and Best Buy in the US, and the listing is live now, while the shipments will begin on October 25. The UK people will be able to order this device from early November. Here is the list of the pricing for all the storage options in both non-5G and 5G variants. Do note that these price tags don’t include the Type Cover or the Slim Pen 2. If you want a Type Cover keyboard, you’ll have to spend $279 to the price of the Surface Pro 9.
- Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD: $999 (~ ₹82,187)
- Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD: $1099.99 (~ ₹90,495)
- Intel Core i5, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD: $1399.99 (~ ₹1,15,176)
- Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD: $1599.99 (~ ₹1,31,630)
- Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD: $1899.99 (~ ₹1,56,311)
- Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD: $2199.99 (~ ₹1,80,992)
- Intel Core i7, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD: $2599.99 (~ ₹2,13,876)
- Microsoft SQ 3 5G Platinum, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD: $1299.99 (~ ₹1,06,945)
- Microsoft SQ 3 5G Platinum, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD: $1399.99 (~ ₹1,15,175)
- Microsoft SQ 3 5G Platinum, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD: $1599.99 (~ ₹1,31,630)
- Microsoft SQ 3 5G Platinum, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD: $1899.99 (~ ₹1,56,310)
Source: Microsoft