- For years, Microsoft has been trying to convince the world
that the Surface Pro can replace your laptop.
They're back with the all new 2017 version
and I'm going to tell you why
it's not only the best Surface Pro yet,
it may be the best Surface Pro ever.
Stay tuned!
So I know what you're thinking.
Is that really the new Surface Pro
or is it Surface Pro 4?
How can you tell the difference?
And it's true,
Microsoft has not messed with it's winning formula
which I think they really landed upon
with the Surface Pro 3.
Now there are a lot of small improvements here,
but it adds up just to a phenomenal experience.
I'm not even a huge Surface Pro fan or regular user,
but I really, really like this device
and find it super compelling.
Taking a closer look at the changes,
we can see the ridge vent is just slightly thinner
and has less grading to it.
Now this isn't a huge change,
but the device is a hair thinner than last year's.
The I/O ports are still the same.
You have USB type A,
mini display port out,
and of course the Surface Connect charger port here
that can also be used with the Surface dock.
Coming around to the left-hand side,
not much is going on here,
except you have the 3 1/2 milliliter headset jack.
Once again, nothing has changed.
It's still on top.
A little bit awkward, but you just have to live with it.
On the top, you still have your power button
and your volume up and volume down.
You can also see a slight color change in the device
and that's where the antenna is for the WiFi radios
and eventually LTE when it becomes available later in 2017.
Underneath the kickstand,
you still have a slot here for micro SD
which can be used for expansion or for your photos.
I should also mention that the kickstand has been updated
so now it opens to 165 degrees
as opposed to 155 degrees of the Surface Pro 4.
Microsoft calls this studio mode and it almost lays flat,
but it gives you just enough angle
to make it comfortable while using the pen.
I should also mention that the edges of the device
are also softer as Microsoft describes it.
Basically there's just less edge on the device
and it feels nicer to hold in the hand.
Taking a closer look at the Surface type cover,
it has been updated for 2017 in a few ways.
One is the alcantara fabric.
So this was originally done
with the Surface Signature cover
and now it's been updated
so it's actually a little bit smoother.
They added an extra layer of polyurethane
which should protect it.
Now we'll have to see how well this holds up.
At least if you go with the darker colors,
it shouldn't show any palm marks over the next few months,
but we'll have to wait and see.
The track pad is still the same.
Microsoft says they slightly improved it.
It's still glass precision and we just really love it.
One really nice change
is Microsoft finally added dedicated keys
for screen brightness.
Previously, you had to use a hidden key combo to do that
and it was really tough to discover
or you had to do it on the device itself,
but now you could just use the dedicated F1 or F2 keys.
You still also have media playback,
but if you notice, there is no skip button anymore
as they had to replace it with the brightness controls.
You also have your three stage backlighting
which you can control with a dedicated key as well.
There are also a few new colors for 2017 for the type cover
including cobalt blue, burgundy...
You still also get the Surface gray
and you can also get the $129 black version
which doesn't have alcantara.
So I know what you're thinking.
So far this is actually pretty boring.
What's new with the Surface Pro?
There's plenty of stuff actually,
but it's all on the inside.
For instance, there's a new core i5 version
that's actually fan-less.
Now we're not testing that here.
We're using the SED, the core i7
with 16 gigs of RAM and 512 gigabytes of storage,
but a fan-less core i5 is ideal.
I will say, however,
the core i7's new fan system is gorgeous.
It is absolutely silent.
Sure, if you're going to do a Windows update
or install a massive file or maybe you'd play a video game,
you will hear it come on,
but it's borderline whisper now.
You have to almost put your ear up to it.
Another big change is battery life.
Now Microsoft's claiming 50% improvement
and an estimate of 13 1/2 hours.
In the real world, I'm getting 7-8 hours with the core i7
which colored me impressed.
I'm very happy with this.
I do feel like I could leave the A/C charger at home.
Another big change with the core i7 version,
you get Intel Iris Plus Graphics
so it is a very impressive GPU.
Now it is not a discreet GPU like Invidia,
but it does give an extra boost
and if you really need that power,
make sure you get the core i7.
Let's talk about that display, of course,
one of the core aspects of the Surface Pro.
It is still 2736
by 1824,
but the display is improved significantly.
It is much brighter.
The colors contrast better.
There is no light bleed.
And I know some people are gonna call me out on this.
Technically all IPS LCD displays
have some sort of light bleed to them,
but specifically there are no hotspots.
That has been a problem plaguing Surface Pro devices
ever since their inception.
I did not have any issues here.
Thankfully, that is solved.
Another really unique change that's not found
in the new Surface laptop much to my disappointment,
is two color profiles so you have enhanced and SRGB.
The latter of course is good for video
and photo professionals who want a neutral color palette.
Enhanced, though, is what I think most consumers will use
as it makes the display almost amoled looking
and I absolutely love it.
It adds so much punch to the new Surface Pro
that it really makes this device stand out.
One of the long-term goals Microsoft has had
with Surface Pro is to make it feel like a tablet
and they did this with the new instant on feature.
Look how fast this powers on and recognizes me.
This is to make it not feel like a PC,
but instead a tablet
and I think they accomplished that here.
Lets talk about the Surface pen.
A lot has changed here.
Some of it good, some of it not so good.
First of all, the not good.
It's not included anymore with the Surface Pro.
It means you have to buy it extra.
Now Microsoft says only 30% of people actually use the pen
so that's one reason why they cut it out.
The other one is the cost went up so instead of being $59,
it'll now cost you $99.
Luckily, I think it's worth it
due to all the hardware improvements
which we'll talk about in a second.
The third reason is it now comes in many different colors
and they want users to have a choice
at which one they want to pick out.
We have the boring silver gray one here,
but it does come in burgundy and cobalt blue as well.
Now lets talk about those improvements.
You have 4,096 levels of pressure.
That's an improvement from 1,024 of the Surface Pro's pen
and it makes using it a lot better.
There's also no more clip here as you probably noticed.
Some people will get bothered by that,
but it does have an advantage
of giving you a larger, broader side here
so that when you attach the pen to the Surface itself,
it sticks easier.
And perhaps the biggest change is with latency.
It went from 40 milliseconds down to 21.
All that means is
when you're drawing really quickly on the display,
that ink is coming out that tip
and it makes it feel like you're using a real pen.
If you're a big Surface pen user,
I really would consider the new Surface Pro and pen.
It's gonna cost you a little extra,
but those hardware improvements are so good.
Other smaller improvements include the speakers
and they're still front-facing
and located here in the display.
There is now also Dolby audio support
and if you listen to music
or you're gonna be on a conference call,
I think you'll definitely like these.
Microsoft got so much right with the Surface Pro 4,
but there are always a lot of little things
that bother people whether it was the fan noise,
the battery life, or the light bleed.
All that's been fixed here in 2017.
I really like this device and had a blast using it
and I say that as someone who's not really sold
on Surface Pro because I'm a laptop user.
I love the portability, the size of it,
the all-day battery life...
That display is so popping.
It's just the idealized version
of what Microsoft was trying to achieve
with this device in the first place
and because of that, there's no downside.
Now if you're coming from Surface Pro 3,
I highly recommend this upgrade.
There's just too much new that's going on.
Now Surface Pro 4 users should also consider the upgrade.
You're not losing anything.
It's all wins for you.
I do understand it's gonna cost you a little extra,
but if you're a huge Surface Pro fan,
this is all worth the update.
And I understand there is one downside with this device.
There is no USB type C so no forward-looking port.
Microsoft will be giving a dongle later this year.
Yes, it connects up through the Surface connect port.
It gives gives you power and data.
Not the ideal solution, but it's a solution nonetheless.
We'll revisit that along with the LTE version
of the Surface Pro later this year.
Overall the Surface Pro for 2017
is a phenomenal achievement.
This is the vision
that Microsoft always wanted for this device
and it's finally here and you can go buy it now.
If you're new to the Surface series,
just go and get this device.
You'll absolutely love it.
So that's my review of the Microsoft Surface Pro for 2017.
If you have more questions
or you want to read the full review,
make sure you head to Windows Central and tune in
as we'll be doing a lot more tips
and tricks on this device over the coming weeks.
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Thanks for watching. Take care everybody!