Microsoft's Surface Pro 9 is the king of 2-in-1s, and right now you can grab one with a Type Cover for $1,099.99 through Best Buy. That deal saves you $440 on the bundle that includes a Surface Pro 9 with an Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. With a Surface Pro 10 expected soon, it's natural to ask if it's worth getting a discounted Surface Pro 9 or waiting for the next Surface to be unveiled. The current discount on the Surface Pro 9 makes that decision a bit easier.
Surface Pro 9 review highlights
In our Surface Pro 9 review, our Senior Editor Zac Bowden said "almost everything about the Surface Pro 9 is perfect, down to the small aesthetic choices made to an iconic design." With praise like that, it should come as no surprise that the Surface Pro 9 earned a perfect five out of five in his review.
The only major cons of the Surface Pro 9 are the fact that its Type Cover is sold separately and that its better life could be better. The Type Cover situation is mitigated by the current bundle on the Surface Pro 9, getting you one of the best Surface Pro accessories as part of the deal. The battery life situation is more of an issue to be addressed by the upcoming Surface Pro 10 and its Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite or Snapdragon X Plus processors (more on those below).
The Surface Pro 9 represents a decade of refinement by Microsoft. The tech giant pushed the 2-in-1 form factor with its Surface Pro lineup with each iterative update (plus some more dramatic ones). The end result is a Surface Pro 9 that was the pinnacle of the form factor when it launched. It's still a stunning device that allows you to flip between different modes easily, especially when you have a Type Cover.
"The Surface Pro 9 is excellent in almost every way. It's so good, in fact, that I think it's the best bit of hardware Microsoft has ever released," said Bowden.
The Surface Pro 9 was so good, in fact, that it changed Bowden's mind about the line of devices:
"I never used to be a fan of the Surface Pro line, but that all changed with the Surface Pro 9. This PC is amazing. I love the display. I love the design. I love the premium chassis. I love the Type Cover. The only thing I dislike is the battery life, which could be better. Almost everything about the Surface Pro 9 is perfect."
The 12th Gen Intel chip inside the Surface Pro 9 is enough for everyday computing, general productivity, and some more demanding work.
"Should I wait for a Surface Pro 10?"
A question often asked is if you should get the latest and greatest gadget or go with last year's model. When it comes to Surface, spring and autumn see spikes in questions like this since Microsoft often announces new hardware in May or October. We know that Microsoft has a special Surface and Windows 11 AI event on May 20, so should you hold off on getting a Surface Pro 9 to see what the Surface Pro 10 is like?
As strange as it may sound, I don't think the fact a Surface Pro 10 is around the corner should affect your decision regarding a Surface Pro 9 that much. The Surface Pro 10 will launch at such a different price than the discounted Surface Pro 9 that they aren't really in the same price category.
We don't have pricing information about the Surface Pro 10 at this time, but it's safe to say that it will cost more than a discounted Surface Pro 9. I think the difference in price will be big enough that the devices will be in different price categories for a while.
If price is no object, the Surface Pro 10 promises exciting new tech, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor and an OLED display. The general design of the Surface Pro 10 is expected to be similar to that of the Surface Pro 10 for business, but the Arm processor inside and the OLED screen are large improvements on their own.
But if you are budget-conscious or just want to spend less money on a 2-in-1, the Surface Pro 9 is the way to go. It's still an excellent PC and that won't change when a newer and shinier convertible comes out. The $440 discount on the Surface Pro 9 with a Type Cover is a solid deal and a great way to get an excellent 2-in-1.
