The Surface Pro 7 is the latest in Microsoft's category-defining line of 2-in-1 PCs, and while its reveal was overshadowed by the Surface Duo, Neo, and Pro X, the Surface Pro 7 remains a formidable option for many.
The Surface Pro 7 doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it does have a few nifty new features and subtle tweaks that elevate the overall package. If you're considering picking one up, here's everything you need to know.
Surface Pro 7 What's new?
When it comes to specs, the most noteworthy changes are the inclusion of 10th Gen Intel chips and, finally, USB-C. While it isn't full Thunderbolt (no external GPUs yet), you'll still get a ton of bandwidth for external devices, with similar data-throughput to the Surface Connect port itself.
The RAM has also been bumped up to DDR4. Microsoft says that the Pro 7 is up to 40 per cent faster than the previous Surface, with double the graphics processing power owing to Iris Plus. We won't know what that looks like in real terms until we go hands-on with our review unit in the near future, but it should be pretty impressive.
Speaking of the Surface Connect port, the new Pro 7 also sports Microsoft's fast-charging solution, which Redmond is calling Surface Connect+. This will allow the Pro 7 to go from 0 to 80 per cent battery in around an hour. Microsoft says the battery lasts around 10.5 hours, although real usage tends to fall short of manufacturer-listed durations. We'll have more information on that in the full review.
Finally, the displays have been updated to be more power efficient, while also being brighter. The Pro 7 also has dual far-field studio microphones, which should make it better at taking Cortana voice commands from across the room.
Surface Pro 7 Specs
The full specs list looks very familiar on the face of it, with Microsoft largely sticking to a persistent formula for the Pro 7.
| Category | Surface Pro 7 |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Display | 12.3 inch Pixelsense, 3:2 aspect ratio, 2736x1824 (267 PPI) |
| Processor | 10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G110th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G410th Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7 |
| Memory | 4GB LPDDR4x8GB LPDDR4x16GB LPDDR4x |
| Storage | 128GB SSD256GB SSD512GB SSD1TB SSD |
| Rear Camera | 8MP autofocus (1080p) |
| Front Camera | 5MP (1080p) |
| Security | Windows Hello face authentication camera |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0Wi-Fi 6 |
| Ports | 1x USB-C1x USB-A1x microSDXC1x Surface Connect+Surface Keyboard connector3.5mm headphone jack |
| Battery | Up to 10.5 hours |
| Weight | From 1.7 lbs (770g) |
| Colors | PlatinumBlack |
Surface Pro 7 Release date and preorders
The Surface Pro 7 is available to preorder right now, and will begin shipping for an October 22, 2019 general release date.
Surface Pro 7 Which should you buy?
Microsoft's Surface Pro 7 devices start at a fairly modest $759, running all the way up to a beefy $2,299 owing to its i7 processor, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD. The $749 model will make for a solid productivity device for Office and light entertainment, maybe even some low-end gaming. As you progress higher, you could probably play some well-optimized contemporary games like Fortnite, World of Warcraft, and Overwatch, while performing more intense tasks such as Adobe Premier video editing.
All models come in Platinum, but as of writing, only three come in black.
| Color | CPU | RAM | Storage | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platinum | 10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 | 4GB | 128GB | $749.00 |
| Platinum | 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G4 | 8GB | 128GB | $899.00 |
| PlatinumBlack | 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G4 | 8GB | 256GB | $1,199.00 |
| Platinum | 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G4 | 16GB | 256GB | $1,399.00 |
| PlatinumBlack | 10th Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7 | 16GB | 256GB | $1,499.00 |
| PlatinumBlack | 10th Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7 | 16GB | 512GB | $1,899.00 |
| Platinum | 10th Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7 | 16GB | 1TB | $2,299.00 |
10th gen Intel cores, USB-C, familiar design
The Surface Pro 7 doesn't reinvent the wheel, but takes a notable spec bump with 10th gen Intel chips and USB-C to boot.
