The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 arrives three years to the day after the launch of the original Surface. Grinding through four major models in three years isn't exactly something to crow about, but give Redmond points for tenacity. Has it finally gotten the Windows tablet right? Hybrids—slate tablets that can quickly convert into a full laptop with the addition of a removable keyboard—are clearly the future of Windows mobility, so Microsoft is probably correct to attempt to corner the market.
So what's new in the Surface Pro 4 versus last year's Surface Pro 3? The 12.3-inch touchscreen has been updated to 2,736 x 1,824 pixels (from 2,160 x 1,440). That's a modest boost, but it's noticeable if you're working with very high-definition content or want to tile lots of open windows on your screen.
Internal specs have been ticked up, and the Surface Pro 4 keeps three basic device tiers, with models now offering a 6th generation Core i7, Core i5, or Core M CPU. The only major change is the dropping of the Pro 3's Core i3 option for the newer Core M, an ultra low-voltage (and low-end) processor designed specifically for devices like this. At its most basic configuration—Core M, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD—the Pro 4 can be had for $899. The top-line config—Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD—hits a whopping $2,699.
We received a fairly standard mid-line configuration, including a Core i5, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD. That'll run you $1,299, but that's before the keyboard (er, Type Cover) which is another $130. The Surface Pen is still included with purchase.
In addition to the under-the-hood improvements, the Type Cover has seen some upgrades designed to make it easier to type on, though it's still a bit of a rocky affair. The rubbery cover doesn't provide a wholly stable typing surface, and the keyboard tends to flop back and forth from side to side as you try to type on it. In the center of the keyboard this isn't a big problem, but when you're working on the edges the rocking effect can be a big distraction. The integrated trackpad—considerably larger than the Pro 3's version—is of average quality but capable for the most part.
Microsoft is pushing a revamped Surface Pen along with the Pro 4, touting 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity and a battery that lasts for a year between charges. New in the Pro 4 is a magnetic attachment system that lets the Pen grip, rather firmly, to the side of the device when not in use. As always, graphical types who've forgotten they are supposed to be using a Mac will probably get more out of this than the typical business user, as whether you choose to use the Pen to jot down notes is probably a function of your handwriting legibility and writing speed. While Windows did a better job than I expected at converting my chicken scratch to text, it was still largely illegible on the whole.
Compared to other Windows devices in this price range, the Surface Pro 4 performs well, with better than expected benchmarks across the board, even on graphics-heavy tests. The audio on the unit is surprisingly immersive, and the screen is incredibly bright—it's one of the most vibrant PC displays I've seen in years. Battery life, at under six hours of video playback, isn't bad, but may not be enough for jet-setters who need all-day run time. Expansion options remain limited to one USB 3.0 port, a mini DisplayPort, and a microSD card slot.
The tablet still has some growing pains to overcome, though hopefully these will be resolved in the course of regular patches. In a few days of testing, I experienced a handful of abruptly crashing apps and, more problematic, the touchpad on the keyboard failing after the keyboard was disconnected and then reconnected. Only a reboot got things working again.
Ultimately these are fairly minor hiccups in what is—finally—shaping up to be a quite capable computing system. The Pro 4 doesn't reinvent the Pro 3 in any meaningful way, but it does offer thoughtful and useful refinements. That's probably as good a sign as any that Microsoft has a solid handle on what it's doing.