Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (SQ3) Review - PCMag

Unlike the much straightforward Surface Pro 8, Microsoft's Surface Pro 9 comes successful 2 variants. One is the accustomed Intel model—now updated with speedy 12th Gen "Alder Lake" CPUs—but our reappraisal portion is the 1 with the Microsoft-designed, Arm-based processor made utilizing a customized Qualcomm SQ3 processor. The Intel exemplary starts astatine $999, the SQ3 astatine $1,299, and our SQ3 reappraisal portion is priced astatine $1,599 for a bump up to 16GB of representation and a 256GB solid-state drive.

Like the (now defunct) Arm-based Surface Pro X earlier it, moving Windows connected an Arm instrumentality means show limits and compatibility issues with plentifulness of apps—drawbacks reflected successful our less-than-stellar score. Differences spell beyond the CPU, too: The Pro 9 has 5G enactment and immoderate video telephone tricks, but lone with the SQ3 model. Alongside a 21-hour artillery life, these presumption the SQ3 Pro 9 arsenic the perfect prime for mobile users who prioritize longevity and net connectivity. Unfortunately, some models ditch the 3.5mm audio jack.

The information that conscionable mentioning the models requires an mentation of aggregate caveats illustrates an issue. Both are Surface Pro 9 by name, but the experiences betwixt the 2 alteration drastically, creating disorder wherever the discontinued Surface Pro X made things clear. Choosing a configuration connected Microsoft's online store shunts the SQ3 disconnected arsenic 1 of respective configuration options, burying the cardinal differences. This volition beryllium particularly casual to miss for little technically savvy shoppers, who are besides apt missing discourse for Arm and Windows emulation.

Whichever exemplary you choose, this is inactive an excellently built detachable with a premium design, mostly susceptible of replacing an mundane ultraportable, but effort to beryllium perfectly definite whether the Arm-based SQ3 tin present the Windows acquisition you need. We can't talk to the show of the Intel-based option, but it's harmless to presume a faster, much plug-and-play acquisition with the aforesaid fantabulous build.

The Same Sleek Surface...Minus a Headphone Jack

With astir of the Surface 9 updates focused connected components and features, the carnal plan is mostly unchanged. We’ll get into the nitty gritty connected the instauration of Arm, the leap to 12th Gen Intel (“Alder Lake”) Core processors, and the diagnostic disparity betwixt the antithetic models, but let’s commencement with the physique first.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

The Surface Pro 8 truly modernized the Pro line, taking cues from its Pro X counterpart to slim down and alteration surface bezels. As such, the Pro 9 wasn’t successful request of a plan update, truthful Microsoft stuck with what worked conscionable a twelvemonth ago. The prime aluminum chassis remains, with the nonstop aforesaid dimensions arsenic its predecessor astatine 0.37 by 11.3 by 8.2 inches (HWD) and 1.94 pounds. A tiny objection here: Our SQ3 5G-enabled exemplary is ever-so-slightly heavier astatine 1.95 pounds, acknowledgment to the antennas.

Every fewer years, a redesign is warranted to follow existent trends, but it’s not indispensable for each iterative release. Given our praise of the Pro 8’s style, that means the Pro 9 looks and feels great. Making the instrumentality thinner for the involvement of it doesn’t adhd much, and whitethorn adjacent bounds the show ceiling (see our latest Dell XPS 13 reappraisal for an example).

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

There are inactive immoderate changes, however, with 1 of the astir noticeable being caller colour options for the instrumentality and keyboard. The Pro 8 came lone successful Graphite oregon Platinum, wherever the Pro 9 adds bluish and greenish shades (Sapphire and Forest, officially) to the mix.

However, graphite and these 2 caller colors are constricted to the Intel mentation of the Pro 9. Our exemplary is Platinum, the lone colour enactment for the SQ3-based Pro 9. The keyboard we were sent is the enactment that matches the caller Sapphire colour of the Intel model, adding a popular of colour to the much accepted device's sterile look.

The much arguable alteration is the removal of the headphone jack. Like assorted Apple products and (more recently) the caller Dell XPS 13, this is the latest flagship computing instrumentality to driblet the long-favored 3.5mm audio connector. Unlike the XPS 13, this doesn’t travel with a USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter successful the container to compensate.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

Also dissimilar the XPS 13, this hasn’t been removed successful the sanction of going thinner than before. The Pro 9 is the aforesaid size arsenic the Pro 8, arsenic stated, and Microsoft explains that this is fundamentally a merchandise decision, not a requirement. With galore premium devices ditching the 3.5mm jack, the Surface squad seemingly figured it should bash the same.

You tin spot the statement to immoderate degree: Many buyers of $1,000-plus laptops and tablets already ain Bluetooth headphones, and astir phones already dropped the carnal transportation years ago. This positions the Surface to travel the iPhone and different high-end devices.

We'd beryllium much knowing if dropping the jack had been an engineering necessity alternatively than an aesthetic and conceptual choice. People inactive similar wired audio, oregon astatine slightest having the enactment to plug in. Wireless earbuds and headsets die, oregon request to beryllium charged successful beforehand for the adjacent travel portion you’re inactive working. Long communicative short, determination are times you privation to plug successful immoderate headphones, but you’ll person to spell root your ain adapter with the Surface Pro 9.

Still the 2-in-1 Design to Beat

While the show doesn't disagree from the Pro 8’s panel, it’s inactive worthy a mention. The PixelSense surface is again a looker, with its 2,880-by-1,920-pixel solution successful a 3:2 facet ratio. The surface inactive runs a 120Hz refresh rate, which, portion usually reserved for gaming machines, makes mundane tasks similar scrolling a web browser look smoother. It’s plentifulness bright, and touch-enabled to beryllium utilized arsenic a tablet and/or with the $99 Surface Pen (sold separately).

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

Also maintained successful this edition: The best-in-class kickstand and detachable keyboard. The kickstand moves fluidly and flexes to a little space than most—not rather flat, but close. This is mostly utile if your seating setup demands it, but much specifically, makes drafting with the Surface Pen overmuch much intuitive.

The keyboard is besides conscionable astir the champion solution successful the category, too, though we’re not arsenic effusive. For starters, yes, it’s inactive sold separately: The modular Pro Keyboard is $139. The much precocious Signature Keyboard (which has a pen slot/charger built in) volition tally you $179, portion the Signature Keyboard with the Slim Pen 2 is priced astatine $279.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

As with the Pro 8, it’s frustrating that they’re inactive sold astatine a beauteous important further cost. Yes, the instrumentality is simply a functional tablet connected its own, but “2-in-1” arsenic a class implies it tin beryllium some a tablet and a laptop replacement inherently, and it is ever shown oregon marketed arsenic such. But it’s nary laptop replacement without that $139 keyboard.

That aside, the keyboard is effectual and satisfying to use. This solution isn’t new, truthful I won’t walk excessively overmuch clip here, but it truly makes you consciousness similar Microsoft nailed the “fold it up and go” format. It’s oddly satisfying to unpack the instrumentality aft a commute oregon immoderate travel, and feels similar a genuinely productive mobile instrumentality with it attached. The keyboard magnetically attaches to the bottommost of the Surface’s surface with ease, and you tin fold it up against the show to make an space for much comfy typing.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

That said, the layout works overmuch amended if you person a array oregon table to spot the keyboard on. If you request to benignant with the Surface Pro balanced connected your legs, it’s decidedly little ideal. The tablet isn’t precise wide, and the keyboard isn’t arsenic sturdy arsenic the bottommost of a existent laptop, truthful you person to support your thighs level, still, and adjacent together. Hey, possibly it’ll assistance your posture!

All told, the Surface Pro 9's real-world usability remains high, adjacent if it doesn't perfectly replicate the laptop experience. Microsoft's prime and execution are inactive the benchmarks for detachable 2-in-1s.

5G Connectivity and Arm Advantages

There are immoderate premium features to spell with the high-end build, including a 1080p webcam with Windows Hello support, a user-accessible SSD, and (in the Intel mentation only) Thunderbolt 4 support. Our Arm mentation features USB-C, too, but lacks Intel’s speedier Thunderbolt technology. The 1080p camera is simply a bully inclusion, arsenic it's noticeably sharper and amended with less-than-ideal lighting than 720p alternatives.

As mentioned, galore of the Pro 9's features you're apt to spot advertised are exclusive to the Arm version, which is wherever shoppers person to beryllium careful. Sometimes, you’re simply choosing betwixt processors, but successful this case, features that whitethorn beryllium broadly advertised arsenic Surface Pro 9 offerings are really lone disposable connected the Arm-based SQ3 version. The mean shopper whitethorn not cognize the quality betwixt the Intel Core and SQ3 processors, but volition privation to wage attraction to these distinctions.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

The main 1 is 5G capability, exclusive to the Arm model. The chassis includes 12 nano-molded antenna slots for each wireless communication, and successful enactment of full-spectrum 5G. Should you opt for this exemplary and a information program to enactment it, the Surface Pro 9 becomes a acold much susceptible mobile instrumentality for professionals. The nano SIM slot resides beneath the kickstand (along with the accessible SSD), and the instrumentality besides supports interior eSIM.

Being portable is good and bully connected its own, but built-in net connectivity allows you to rapidly propulsion retired the Pro 9 wherever you acceptable up and get existent enactment done. Of course, the SQ3 comes with its ain show drawbacks, truthful much connected that successful a moment. These Arm models are fanless for quiescent running, and indeed, our exemplary is mightily quiescent nary substance what the processor load is astatine the time.

There are immoderate much hidden advantages beyond 5G connectivity, too. The SQ3’s architecture includes a neural processing unit, which specializes successful machine-learning applications. For the Pro 9, this manifests arsenic immoderate fancy features for your dependable and video calls.

For one, the camera tin automatically way your look and support it successful the halfway of the surface if you’re moving around, akin to Apple's Center Stage iPad camera feature. This is beauteous cool—it makes it consciousness similar the camera is physically rotating to way you, similar successful a sci-fi TV show, but it’s conscionable a instrumentality of the software. This is utile if you’re lasting oregon pacing portion talking oregon presenting, oregon if determination are 2 radical utilizing the camera.

There is besides a inheritance blur, akin to the effect built into applications similar Zoom. It looks amended than that, though, replicating higher-quality cameras and much intelligently cropping and blurring your background. We find it beauteous effectual astatine keeping america focused but blurring retired immoderate shelves successful the backdrop, whereas Google Meet’s built-in blur often has the support popping successful and out.

Perhaps astir utile depending connected your distant enactment conditions, the Voice Focus diagnostic drastically cuts retired oregon removes inheritance noise. Yes, a akin diagnostic is touted connected astir each microphone oregon exertion by now, but this AI-trained diagnostic is impressively effective. Even large sounds precise adjacent to your microphone are chopped retired wholly oregon made ace quiet.

In the announcement stream, the diagnostic was demonstrated with a leafage blower and hairsbreadth dryer, and we were skeptical it worked that well. We tried it with assorted noises, however, tin can accidental the diagnostic decidedly works.

Sometimes, successful removing noises that are particularly large and adjacent to the mic, it softens your dependable and gives it an unusual tone. Still, that’s an utmost case, and astir inheritance noises won’t beryllium arsenic changeless oregon adjacent to the mic. In the lawsuit of immoderate inheritance chatter, a passing car, oregon akin noises, Voice Focus volition chopped down the distractions.

It’s important to enactment that you tin use these features universally via Windows options, alternatively than having to crook them connected individually successful each application. If the second is what you prefer, you tin alternatively power them connected oregon disconnected wrong idiosyncratic bundle camera and video settings.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

It would beryllium bully to besides person the features offered successful the Intel version, but alternatively it volition person to origin into your buying decision. The camera and dependable features necessitate the SQ3 hardware, truthful there’s nary getting astir that. There surely could beryllium an Intel-based mentation with 5G support, though not successful the aforesaid Qualcomm-infused solution our exemplary utilizes.

Microsoft explained successful a property briefing that the Surface Pro X is being enactment to remainder to debar disorder betwixt it and the numbered Surface Pro models, but I’m not definite it's succeeded. The wholly antithetic merchandise sanction astatine slightest signaled a perchance antithetic diagnostic set, but present you person immoderate beauteous halfway features and technologies some nether the Pro 9 umbrella, but softly separated down the processor options. Microsoft’s store does item “the Surface Pro 9 with 5G”, but it isn’t instantly wide what you’re getting oregon giving up with those packages.

Configurations and Components: Intel oregon SQ3?

And truthful we travel to the much-discussed constituent options. Let’s screen the Intel exemplary archetypal earlier getting to our reappraisal unit. The large leap is to Intel’s 12th Generation “Alder Lake” processors, wherever the Surface Pro 8 was moving connected 11th Gen chips.

The basal exemplary starts astatine $999 for a Core i5-1235U CPU, 8GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD. The Core i5 exemplary maxes retired astatine 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for $1,399. From there, you tin opt for upgrades to a Core i7-1265U CPU, 16GB oregon 32GB of memory, and a 512GB SSD oregon 1TB SSD for $1,899 and $2,599, respectively. Note that determination are a mates of colour restrictions for the higher-end SKUs erstwhile ordering connected the Intel side, and again, the SQ3 mentation lone comes successful platinum.

Our reappraisal unit, meanwhile, runs connected Microsoft’s ain Arm-powered SQ3 processor. First, there’s an upcharge for the Arm model, truthful the basal model—even though it besides has conscionable 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage—is priced astatine $1,299.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

The peculiar reappraisal portion we person bumps up a fewer of those to 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for $1,599. The SQ3 tops retired astatine $1,899 for 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, with a mates of midrange models successful between. There is nary further enactment for adding 5G to the SQ3 model; inherent enactment is built into the instrumentality itself and contiguous successful each config. This is presumably 1 of the factors successful the higher outgo compared with the basal Intel model, and from there, it’s up to you to acceptable up and wage for a information plan.

Beyond that, we tin lone supply truthful overmuch method penetration into the SQ3 system-on-chip, arsenic it’s customized for Surface. What we bash know: It’s based connected a Snapdragon processor developed with Qualcomm, and a instrumentality manager peek astatine the Adreno graphics spot gives america a hint that it’s the 8cx Gen 3, which has made appearances successful different Arm-based Windows systems.

Testing the SQ3 Surface Pro 9: Where Windows connected Arm Begins to Lose Luster

Normally, we person a suite of Windows-based benchmark tests we usage to gauge the show of our reappraisal systems, but the Arm level present changes things. On Arm systems, Windows applications tally done a furniture of emulation, unless determination is simply a mentation of the bundle built to tally natively connected the platform. Running done emulation usually leads to markedly slower performance, and should decidedly beryllium a information successful your purchase.

As such, we did spot immoderate applications that simply didn’t tally oregon ran slowly, truthful instrumentality heed. PCMark 10, for example, a staple of our investigating suite, crashed erstwhile attempting to tally the Applications benchmark.

For benchmarking purposes, we’ve selected a premix of applications with autochthonal Arm versions and browser-based tests truthful that we tin reasonably comparison the results with immoderate akin systems. Handbrake, Geekbench, and 3DMark are portion of the accustomed Windows suite and hap to tally natively connected Arm, truthful we tin comparison those with Windows systems. Cinebench isn't Arm native, but produced a respectable result, truthful we included it here. As Apple and Chromebook laptops besides can’t tally the accustomed Windows benchmarks, we’ll comparison those results against those systems.

Given that, if you spot the MacBook Air oregon some Chromebooks missing from a chart, oregon vice versa, that's why—we’re comparing the uncommon Arm processor to the applicable systems we tin erstwhile possible. Some of these tests are lone tally connected Windows laptops, immoderate lone connected Chromebooks oregon Apple laptops, and a tiny enactment tally connected each three.

Here are the competing systems crossed these benchmark tests:

Productivity Tests

Primate Labs' Geekbench 5.4 Pro simulates fashionable apps ranging from PDF rendering and code designation to instrumentality learning, portion Maxon's Cinebench R23 uses that company's Cinema 4D motor to render a analyzable scene. We besides usage the open-source video transcoder HandBrake to person a 12-minute video clip from 4K to 1080p solution (lower times are better).

Finally, the 2 browser-based tests: Basemark Web 3.0 runs successful a browser tab to harvester low-level JavaScript calculations with CSS and WebGL content, portion WebXPRT 3 contains six HTML5- and- JavaScript-based scenarios that replicate mundane tasks.

All things considered, for imaginable concerns implicit show nonaccomplishment by going with the SQ3 spot implicit an Intel option, the Pro 9 acquits itself reasonably good connected these tests. The Geekbench effect shows susceptible all-around performance, up of each but the potent Apple M2 chip. (This besides underlines our disappointment with the plan choices of the caller XPS 13, which tin scarcely lucifer immoderate of these systems.)

The emulated Cinebench effect is fractional decent, though it shows the quality successful moving done emulation versus natively. Even the web-based tests autumn down significantly.

The Handbrake time, though, is simply a large pitfall. Some long-burn tasks, and particularly immoderate strenuous workload similar media editing, is simply a conflict connected the Pro 9. This is beauteous emblematic for what we spot and expect from Arm-based Windows machines. You tin spot however overmuch amended the Pro 8 fared with its 11th Generation CPU, truthful you tin ideate the superiority the Intel-based Pro 9 and its 12th Gen CPU would bring.

Graphics Tests

We trial Windows PCs' graphics with 2 simulations from UL's 3DMark, Night Raid (a humble trial suitable for laptops with integrated graphics) and Wild Life Extreme (a cross-platform trial affable to mobile computing).

None of these systems are expected to nutrient overmuch successful this category—thin-and-light laptops and tablets usually battalion comparatively anemic integrated graphics. On Night Raid, the Adreno solution successful the SQ3 Po 9 fares somewhat amended than the XPS’s 13’s constricted power, but doesn’t lucifer the Pro 8’s results. It besides falls adjacent to the M2 connected Wild Life Extreme, to its credit.

Still, this level of powerfulness isn’t bully for overmuch much than a precise airy graphics load. Don't expect to bash overmuch gaming connected this machine, overmuch little productively grip photograph oregon video editing.

Battery Test

We trial laptops' artillery beingness by playing a locally stored 720p video record with show brightness astatine 50% and audio measurement astatine 100% until the strategy quits. We marque definite the artillery is afloat charged earlier the test, with Wi-Fi and keyboard backlighting turned off.

You can't accidental the SQ3 mentation doesn't execute its extremity connected the artillery beingness front. This monster effect outlasts each of its rivals here, pushing toward genuinely all-day (not conscionable each work day) artillery life. This is simply a important result, arsenic it underpins the full conception of opting for the SQ3 mentation of the Pro 9. This instrumentality volition past each time arsenic you question and enactment connected the road, without worrying you astir the adjacent clip you tin plug in. More demanding tasks volition drain the artillery much quickly, of course, but you’re successful for agelong artillery beingness regardless.

All told, you're decidedly leaving immoderate show connected the array by choosing the SQ3 Pro 9 implicit the Intel option, and mounting yourself up for immoderate imaginable bundle incompatibility. Some shoppers whitethorn cognize if this volition beryllium an contented for them, but galore whitethorn not recognize the differences.

If your intended workload isn’t demanding and this would mostly service arsenic a mobile-first, 5G-enabled, long-lasting instrumentality for web browsing and mundane tasks, you’re astir apt good with the SQ3 model. If you privation to get much aggravated enactment done, usage a batch of antithetic applications freely, and are acrophobic astir velocity (particularly with rendering and exporting projects), the Intel exemplary is the mode to go.

Verdict: A Wealth of Surfaces, But Choose Carefully

More than before, you request to beryllium cautious erstwhile deciding whether the Surface Pro 9 is the close prime for you. Simply put, it’s not needfully casual to marque a cosmopolitan pitch, arsenic it was for the Pro 8.

Caveats of comparing to the Intel mentation aside, let’s look astatine what’s successful beforehand of america with the Surface Pro 9 SQ3 variant. The instrumentality feels arsenic sleek and premium arsenic ever, with a best-in-class kickstand and keyboard. The second is inactive sold separately, and the operation can’t rather lucifer up to a laptop, but this benignant of configuration has its ain value. How overmuch 1 misses the headphone jack volition vary, but it doesn’t consciousness similar a indispensable exclusion.

The SQ3 mentation isn’t the champion woody connected a powerfulness and retention ground (more than 128GB for $1,299 would beryllium nice), but it gets you fantabulous physique quality, artillery life, and utile camera features. For mobile-first users who are excited by 5G support, the SQ3 Pro 9 is an appealing package, and the nicest 2-in-1 detachable around. Consider it a viable alternate to the featherweight Dell XPS 13, a MacBook Air, oregon a portable Chromebook if the full bundle makes consciousness for you.

To those little funny successful 5G and much acrophobic with performance, the Intel-based Surface Pro 9 is astir decidedly faster and much susceptible of a set-it-and-forget-it Windows experience.