Surface Pro X
Microsoft’s answer to the iPad Pro has its ups and downs.
Microsoft’s newest attempt at an
ARM-based Surface Pro device
could have been highly
impressive. It even boasts
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processor, the SQ1, which it
co-developed with Qualcomm.
However, it unfortunately falls
short of expectations. We’re more
than a little let down by a few key
Pro X design choices. Particularly,
this tablet/laptop hybrid doesn’t
have an audio jack, and its battery
life, while decent, is subpar
compared to predecessors and
contemporaries. And, that’s
without getting into the pricing.
$1,699 gets you 8GB of RAM and a
128GB SSD. You can double the
storage, which brings the price to
$2,149, and up the RAM to 16GB
with a 512GB SSD, which costs
$2,899. It’s simply too pricey for
this level of performance.
All Surface Pro X models include
Microsoft’s Qualcomm
Snapdragon-based 3.0GHz SQ1
processor, as well as the 13-inch,
267 pixels per inch, PixelSense
touch display in the signature 3:2
$1,699 $2,899, http://www.microsoft.com
aspect ratio. You already know the
kicker, don’t you? That’s right,
these prices do not include the
Type Cover with the stowable and
automatically charging Surface
Slim Pen. They will cost you
$430 more.
This means that the
cheapest version of the
complete Surface Pro X
experience will cost you
$2,129 for the bare
minimum of acceptable
memory and storage.
Meanwhile a Surface Pro 7
with the same memory
and storage goes for $200
less and will get you a
much stronger Intel
processor.Design and display
The Surface Pro X simply
trims and rounds out the classic
yet dated Surface Pro design,
bringing down its thinness and
weight further. The tablet feels
impressively light, and slips easily
into almost any bag – even with
the Type Cover attached.Microsoft has also eliminated the
hard angles of the classic Surface
Pro design, giving the Pro X a much
more rounded and modern look
and feel that’s closer to that of a
smartphone.
We appreciate these
subtle design changes that
make the Surface Pro X feel
more like an iPhone XR
than a Windows tablet- which is a compliment.
There’s just one color
option for the Surface Pro
X: a matte black aluminum
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Type Cover that drops the
Alcantara fabric, and that’s
unfortunate. This is
certainly a sleek and
unassuming look, to be
sure, so it’s not all that bad.
However, we have one
massive problem with the Surface
Pro X design. While it has gained
not one, but two USB-C ports, there
is no headphone jack on the tablet.
This is essentially a Windows
laptop (after all, Microsoft claims
that this tablet can replace your
TEST BENCH
The hottest gear pressure tested$1,699 – $2,899, http://www.microsoft com
gpNo one in their
right mind seriously
expects a laptop
experience from an
iPad, while that’s
exactly what we’ve
been trained to
expect from a
Surface Pro.