Microsoft’s smaller Surface Pro has a 12-inch display and starts at $799

Microsoft is launching a caller Surface Pro tablet contiguous that has a 12-inch show and tons of plan changes implicit the larger 13-inch Surface Pro 11. The Surface Pro 12-inch, arsenic Microsoft is calling it, is an Arm-powered instrumentality that is simply a spiritual successor to the adjacent smaller Surface Go tablet that Microsoft tried to popularize successful the past. This clip astir Microsoft is going fan-less, ditching its Surface Connect charging port, and making immoderate large keyboard changes truthful that this Surface Pro is little compromised than the 10.5-inch Surface Go 4 that came earlier it.

I got to walk immoderate clip with the caller Surface Pro 12-inch exemplary astatine Microsoft’s office past month, and I’m intrigued by each the changes that the institution has made to this smaller model.

The Surface Pro 12-inch volition vessel with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus 8-core chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of retention each for $799. This spot is Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon X bid variant that’s designed to propulsion down the prices of laptops, and it includes 8 cores alternatively of the 10 usually recovered connected the X Plus. That should effect successful astir 12 hours of artillery beingness during progressive web usage.

You’ll person to acquisition a keyboard separately, priced astatine $149.99. There volition besides beryllium a exemplary with 512GB of retention priced astatine $899.

Microsoft is utilizing a 12-inch LCD show connected the Surface Pro 12-inch, with a solution of 2196 x 1464 (220 ppi). The institution has stuck to the accustomed 3:2 facet ratio recovered connected Surface devices, but this clip it’s utilizing a 90Hz sheet alternatively of the 120Hz recovered connected the 13-inch Surface Pro 11. There’s nary OLED enactment connected the Surface Pro 12-inch.

The changes to the show connected this smaller Surface Pro aren’t the lone large differences, though. Microsoft has reworked the full chassis here, and gone are the vents you’ll find connected the larger Surface Pro to assistance chill the device. Microsoft has utilized a fan-less plan with the Snapdragon X Plus chip, allowing the institution to person a rounded chassis that looks and feels a batch nicer than the 13-incher.

Microsoft had to make a caller Surface keyboard for this smaller Surface Pro, due to the fact that older Type Covers would person simply been excessively large for this caller 12-inch signifier factor. That’s led to a full redesign of the Surface keyboard and adjacent however it connects to the Surface Pro 12-inch. It inactive magnetically attaches, but Microsoft is utilizing a antithetic connector, which means the keyboard is nary longer angled and lays flat.

The caller Surface Pro 12-inch keyboard besides lacks an insert for the Surface Pen. You tin present acquisition this stylus separately and connect it to the rear of the device, wherever it volition besides charge. Microsoft says it has done a batch of enactment to guarantee the Surface Pen won’t simply detach erstwhile you descent the Surface Pro 12-inch into a bag, and during my hands-on I wasn’t capable to easy detach it from the rear of the instrumentality — it felt alternatively sturdy.

I besides tested the Surface Pro 12-inch connected my lap, and I deliberation I yet similar the angled keyboard connected the larger Surface Pro 11 alternatively of the level 1 connected this smaller model. Both are bully astatine reducing the bounce and flex that you’d find connected older versions of the Surface Pro, though.

Microsoft has besides ditched immoderate of the alcantara cloth it uses connected Surface Pro keyboards with this caller 12-inch model. The thenar rests are nary longer alcantara, and person been replaced with a creaseless matte finish. The rear of the keyboard maintains the alcantara cloth with options for slate, violet, oregon water greenish colors crossed the keyboard and Surface Pro 12-inch.

Another large alteration is the deficiency of the Surface Connect port. Microsoft has present switched afloat to USB-C connected the Surface Pro 12-inch, truthful determination are present lone 2 USB-C 3.2 ports that tin beryllium utilized for charging, information transfers, and DisplayPort 1.4a to link up to 2 4K monitors astatine 60Hz. I deliberation this alteration volition yet get connected the bigger Surface Pro models erstwhile Microsoft refreshes them, arsenic the institution present believes USB-C has matured capable to beryllium relied upon for some charging and information transfers.

Microsoft is utilizing a 1080p front-facing camera connected the Surface Pro 12-inch, alternatively of the 1440p mentation recovered connected the larger model. There’s besides a 10-megapixel rear-facing camera that has been repositioned connected the Surface Pro 12-inch truthful it’s easier to instrumentality representation video oregon photos, if you truly privation to usage a tablet for that.

The Surface Pro 12-inch is besides a Copilot Plus PC due to the fact that of that Snapdragon X Plus chip, truthful you get entree to the caller Recall diagnostic arsenic good arsenic AI-powered Windows search, Click to Do, and a assortment of different Windows AI features.

You tin preorder the caller Surface Pro 12-inch contiguous astatine Microsoft’s ain store oregon astatine Best Buy, with pricing starting astatine $799. Microsoft is shipping the caller Surface Pro and a smaller 13-inch Surface Laptop connected May 20th to consumers, and businesses volition beryllium capable to acquisition these devices connected July 22nd.