Hands On With Microsoft’s Surface Pro 9: New Components Amp Up a Familiar Design

Microsoft pulled the wraps off its next generation of Surface products today, unveiling the Surface Pro 9, the Surface Studio 2+, and the Surface Laptop 5.

You can read our news coverage for an overview of the announcements, but we were also able to go hands-on with the Surface Pro 9 at a press event in New York. There's a lot to unpack about the various configurations, including features exclusive to some models, such as 5G connectivity. Read on for details and impressions below, and hop over to our separate hands-on for the Surface Studio 2+.

Surface Pro 9 Overview: Intel, Arm, and More

At the top level, the headline for the Surface Pro 9 announcement is that Microsoft is offering both Intel- and Arm-based versions of this device for the first time. Previously, the Surface Pro X was the Arm solution in the family (which brings its own positives and negatives), but it seems to have been subsumed into the mainline Pro model as a configuration option.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

There are core component differences, of course—we’ll get into the specs shortly—but Arm systems also change some of the features. The Arm model will be available with 5G wireless, most crucially, and Arm systems generally offer longer battery life (but diminished Windows performance). Microsoft also demonstrated some sweet camera and video-call tricks made possible by the Arm model's neural processing unit, or NPU, which can be offloaded with intensive tasks without straining the main CPU.

Apart from the camera features, none of this is really evident from a hands-on session. But the context comes from us having tested many Arm-based Windows systems in the past, and it is needed before running through the Surface Pro 9’s design and feature set.

Design Duplicate: The Same Slick Surface Pro

This year's Surface Pro design is unchanged, focusing on the introduction of Arm, the jump to 12th Gen Intel (“Alder Lake”) Core processors, and some new features. Let’s dive into each of these aspects in more detail.

Most of the changes to the Surface Pro 9 are component- and feature-based. On the surface (forgive the incidental pun), things mostly remain the same—the dimensions exactly match those of the Surface Pro 8. It measures 0.37 by 11.3 by 8.2 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.94 pounds, with a small asterisk to say the 5G-enabled model (more on that in a moment) is imperceptibly heavier.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

While not the most exciting development (who doesn’t look forward to some design tweaks?), this is still acceptable to me. My review of the Surface Pro 8 praises its slim, slick design, marrying the previous Surface Pro design with that of the now-dead Surface Pro X series. The thin bezels, the relatively roomy 13-inch display, and the useful kickstand are back, in a device that’s just as portable as before. Making the device thinner for the sake of it doesn’t add much (and doing so can diminish the performance ceiling), and the Surface Pro doesn’t need to be any lighter.

In summary, with keeping the same base design, the Surface Pro 9 impresses just like the Surface Pro 8 did before it. The tablet has the same anodized aluminum chassis, quality build, and flexible kickstand that we appreciated in the previous edition.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

However, Microsoft has decided to follow Apple and end its relationship with the traditional audio jack, starting with the Surface Pro 9. This perfectly fine wired audio solution is yet again cut in the name of thinness.

Still, the Surface Pro's real-life usability remains high, and remains the benchmark for detachable 2-in-1s, even if it doesn't perfectly replicate the laptop experience. The “PixelSense” display is again sharp and smooth, with its 2,880-by-1,920-pixel resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

Usability, Keyboards, and Extras

With touch technology and the ability to recline nearly flat, this screen (combined with the Surface Pen, sold separately) makes for a portably sized canvas for digital artists and anyone else who stands to gain from sketching or drawing right onto their device. The Surface Pro 9, having released after the launch of Windows 11 (unlike its predecessor), comes with the operating system pre-loaded.

This is all supported by high-end features, like a 1080p webcam with Windows Hello support, a user-accessible SSD, and (in the Intel version) Thunderbolt 4 support. The Arm version will feature USB-C, too, but lack Intel’s more capable Thunderbolt technology.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

One aspect where the Pro 9 does offer new design options? Colors! The Pro 8 came only in platinum and graphite, where the Pro 9 will offer those two, as well as blue and green shades (“Sapphire” and “Forest,” officially). 

There's also a Special Edition version of the device and keyboard, designed in concert with the UK-based firm Liberty, which brings a big dash of style. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it looks quite nice in person, thanks to a fabric finish on the keyboard and a matching pattern etched into the Pro 9's chassis.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

An important note, and one of the main questions people ask when it comes to the Surface Pro: Yes, the keyboard is still sold separately. (It does come in the matching new colors, though.)

The Signature Keyboard with the Slim Pen 2 is priced at $279, the Signature Keyboard alone for $179, and the more standard Pro Keyboard (with no pen dock/pen charger built in) for $139. The Liberty Keyboard plus Slim Pen 2 bundle is $299.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

Choose Your Loadout: Intel Core or Arm?

Needless to say, even after spending time with the product in person, Surface Pro 9 performance (and the speed differences between Intel Core and Arm) will have to wait until we have review products on hand for testing. The specs themselves are plenty interesting, though, and will be a big part of anyone’s buying decision.

Generally speaking, Arm systems offer lesser performance than Intel solutions, because they run Windows x86 applications with an emulator. This results in sometimes sluggish performance or outright incompatibility, so it’s even more crucial than ever to look closely at which processor you’re buying and to think about your workload.

To that end, here are the options. The big upgrade for the Intel version is the jump to the 12th Generation silicon, where the Surface Pro 8 was running on 11th Gen chips. 

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

The base model will start at $999 for a Core i5-1235U CPU, 8GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD. The Core i5 model maxes out at 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. From there, you can opt for upgrades to a Core i7-1265U CPU, 16GB or 32GB of memory, and a 512GB SSD or 1TB SSD. There are a couple of color restrictions for the higher-end SKUs when ordering.

The alternative model uses Microsoft’s own Arm-powered SQ3 processor, a more potent version of the Surface Pro X's CPU offering and 5G enabled. The Surface Pro X's spirit lives on, both in the thin-bezel look that debuted there before making its way to the Pro 8, and in this silicon. 

The base model of the Arm Surface Pro 9 is priced at $1,299 for 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage. It tops out at $1,899 for 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. 

Arm Advantages

One of the main reasons to go for the Arm version is the 5G capability, making this a truly road-ready productivity device for 2022. It's a bit of a balance compared to the Intel processor and its certainly stronger Windows performance, but it depends on your needs. Battery life should be superior to the Intel version, too: Microsoft rates the Arm model for as much as 19 hours of battery run time.

As mentioned, the general Windows performance could suffer, as Arm still runs many applications through emulation on Windows, a known (not Surface-specific) concession. Obviously, we can’t verify the performance or battery life of either model until we can fully test them.

It doesn't end at 5G connectivity, though. There are some inherent advantages in the SQ3 version's architecture, thanks chiefly to the NPU, which specializes in machine-learning applications. The main benefit relates to video call technology, which was demonstrated both in Microsoft's live stream announcement and during a live demonstration I saw.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

The camera can autofocus your face, not for sharpness in the traditional sense of focus, but to move the camera to keep you in the center of the screen if you're moving or wandering while on video. Another feature is a “portrait” background blur style, which replicates higher-quality cameras, while also executing the blur in a more intelligent (and better-looking) way than those built into Zoom and other apps. I tested these both in person, and even with two of us on camera, the feature worked as advertised.

Finally, an impressive Voice Focus feature drastically cuts out or removes background noise. I know that this feature has been touted on virtually every microphone by now, but this proactive, AI-trained feature is much more effective.

The live stream demonstrated a nearby leaf blower and hair dryer being completely silent on a video call, and my live demo employed a crunchy bag of chips as the noisemaker. The feature definitely removed the bag noise almost entirely, though it did also soften the voice and give it an odd tone. To be fair, the bag was held directly up to the device, which is an extreme scenario. Even so, the bag crunch wasn't audible, which is impressive given how loud it was in person.

Crucially, these features can be enabled in Windows universally, taking priority over any application's camera and video settings, or you can override them with the app's settings. It's unfortunate that this is exclusive to the Arm version of the Surface Pro 9, but given that it's hardware-enabled for this chip, there's no getting around it.

The Takeaway: Pick Your Pro 9 Carefully

The Surface Pro 9 is an impressive and robust device, but potential buyers should also shop carefully. It was simpler in the past just to choose your preferred component loadout, but now there are some unique features (plus benefits and concessions) wrapped up in different models with different processors entirely.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

The average shopper doesn't likely know the difference between the Intel Core and SQ3 processor listings on the store's configuration page, and some features are generally advertised for the Pro 9 line, when they're not realistically available in all configurations. Take note of your workload and needs, and choose accordingly!

The Surface Pro 9 and other new devices are available for pre-order now, and will officially go on sale on October 25. Check back soon for our full review of at least one, if not both, of these Surface Pro 9 models.