This has been one of the best years for the Surface Pro line, not only Microsoft is selling it at a great pace, but other companies are chasing it and introducing similar devices like we have seen with Google’s Pixel C, Apple’s iPad Pro, Lenovo’s Miix 700, Dell’s XPS 12, and many others. Now, the software giant is introducing the Surface Pro 4 that improves everything from its predecessor. The new tablet is thinner and lighter, faster, and quieter. It’s the tablet that can replace your laptop.
Surface Pro 4 incorporates a larger screen, 6th Generation Intel Skylake processors, Windows 10, specially crafted camera for Windows Hello, a new Surface Pen and a pen storage.
Microsoft’s Panos Panay unveiled the Surface Pro 4 during the Windows 10 Devices event in New York City, who also reminded us that with Surface the challenge of whether to choose a tablet or a laptop as our main computing device is gone.
The Surface Pro 4 is thinner and lighter than its predecessor, and while it’s still a 12-inch tablet, the company was able to fit a 12.3-inch display by reducing the size of the bezel allowing 60 percent more pixels in the same footprint. You’ll also notice that the physical Start button has been removed from the device, as in Windows 10 the Start button is always visible and rotates when you change the tablet orientation.
The advantage of Surface Pro 4 being the same size as the Surface Pro 3 also means compatibility, therefore customers will be able to use the same Type Cover, power port, and dock station with the new tablet.
In addition, the company has introduced a redesigned and more steady Type Cover with improved key spacing, 40 percent larger trackpad, and with a fingerprint scanner to bring Windows Hello to Surface Pro 3. There is also a new Surface Dock that connects to the power / data port and it works with previous versions of the tablet.
Now that we have some new information about Surface Pro 4, let’s get to the technical specifications for the new tablet to see the new hardware improvements.
Surface Pro 4 technical specifications
As we can see from the tech specs, Surface Pro 4 is a killer tablet. It’s 30 percent faster than the Surface Pro 3 and 50 percent faster than the MacBook Air. The thickness of the tablet has been reduced from 9.1mm to 8.4mm, and Microsoft said the only reason it’s stopped there is to be able to fit a full size USB 3.0 port on the side.
One of the big advantages of the Surface Pro 4 is that now you can connect up two 4K monitors using the DisplayPort, while still powering the tablet’s display.
Customers will also be happy to know that the new tablet comes with pen storage, as Microsoft is finally ending the Pen Loop. Now there is a new pen with a strong magnet that you can store on side of the tablet. The new Pen with 1,024 levels of pressure is not rechargeable, but the battery will last for a year. The pen also now includes a tail eraser and you can press and hold the eraser to call Cortana on Windows 10.
As we have seen in previous versions, Surface Pro 4 will include the Pen, but you will still need to buy the Type Cover separately for an extra $130, $160 for the Type Cover with fingerprint reader, and $200 for the Surface Dock.
