Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 4 is an all-around solid upgrade to its popular Surface Pro 3. Nearly every aspect of the device has received attention. The screen is larger — in the same size chassis — the CPU is faster, it takes more RAM, and the accessories are better. Even the pen is upgraded. For anyone who is in the market for a mobile computing device that can double as a competent laptop or even “desktop” when docked, the Surface Pro 4 is worth looking at.


Bigger, thinner, screen, same size chassis

The new screen is 12.3 inches (up from 12 inches), thanks to a nearly invisible bezel. Resolution remains the same at 2160 x 1440 (now at 267 PPI). Thinner glass (.4mm Gorilla Glass 4) helps make the SP4 slightly thinner than the SP3 (8.4mm instead of 9.1mm). It should also help improve the pen experience, as thicker screens mean more parallax between the tip of the pen and where the ink appears.


More power under the hood

Microsoft is using an in-house-designed G5 chipset, and Intel’s new Skylake processor with a hybrid cooling system, for the new SP4. It says the unit is 30% faster than its predecessor, and 50% faster than a MacBook Air. Having been using an SP3 off and on for nearly a year, even the current model is quite quick for an ultraportable, so the new version should be great.
Speaking of which, Microsoft is also allowing up to 16GB of RAM in the SP4. This is a huge deal for anyone that works with big data, big images, or video. It has been difficult to find ultraportable devices that accept more than 8GB of RAM, so that’s a welcome change. Storage options up to 1TB are also now available. Amazingly, Microsoft has been able to upgrade the internals while at the same time removing the processor fan — so the Surface Pro 4 should also be quieter than the 3.

Upgraded pen and accessories

The new pen has a selection of nibs to provide different feels. I was able to experiment with a variety of prototype nibs (not from Microsoft, but a similar idea) earlier this year, and indeed it is possible to mimic different types of writing implements by changing nibs, so that feature will be popular with pen users. The unit also features a return of magnetic pen docking. That might be a good thing, but only if it is harder to knock the pen off than it was on the original Surface Pro. The 1024-level pressure-sensitive pen’s reverse end can be used as an eraser or to trigger Cortana.
The optional Type keyboard cover is also upgraded, with deeper key travel and a fingerprint reader. It should be a slight improvement over the current keyboard, but I’m sure will not make purists who want a truly solid keyboard happy. In my case, I actually find the current Type cover quite reasonable given its constraints, but many have issues with it. The new touchpad is also larger, which might be helpful. I find the one on the Surface Pro 3 hard to use and wind up toting a Bluetooth Arcmouse around with mine.

There is a new dock, that will also work with the Surface Pro 3 and the new Surface Book. It features four USB 3.0 ports, two 4K-capable DisplayPort outputs (actual video out will depend on the device used with it of course), and a wired Ethernet jack. The Surface Pro 4 also supports Windows Hello login, based on facial recognition or on fingerprint reading if you have the new Type keyboard cover.

Pricing and Availability

The Surface Pro 4 is priced starting at $900, and is expected to ship on October 26th. The device is backward compatible with the current model keyboard cover, which might save current owners who want to upgrade some cash. Pricing for the new dock hasn’t been announced yet, but the Surface Pro 4 is also compatible with the current dock for the Surface Pro 3.