36 PCWorld FEBRUARY 2021NEWS MICROSOFT LAUNCHES SURFACE PRO 7+
to use Dolby Atmos audio technology, which
has also been used on the Apple iPad Pro and
Amazon Fire HD 10.
Somewhat ironically, the new Tiger Lake
processors theoretically offer the new
Thunderbolt 4 port option. But Microsoft,
which pioneered the high-speed I/O dock
with the Surface Dock and its successor, the
Surface Dock 2, still chooses to use its own
Surface Connector.
Microsoft still apparently hasn’t changed
its stance toward the removable SSD that the
company built into the Surface Pro X and the
Surface Laptop 3. Then, Microsoft Store
representatives—when Microsoft still
operated Microsoft Stores—told us that the
removable SSD was being used as a means to
migrate data from one Surface Laptop 3/
Surface Pro X to another (go.pcworld.com/
mgdt), rather than as a way to allow end usersto upgrade their storage options. Microsoft
says the Surface Pro 7+ introduces a
“removable SSD for data retention.”MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO
7+ BASIC SPECS
Because the Surface Pro 7+ is a Microsoft
Surface for Business device, it ships only with
Windows 10 Pro. Microsoft 365 apps come
standard, with a 30-day trial period before
requiring a license.
Display: 12.3-inch PixelSense display
(2736x1824)
Processor: Core i3-1115G4 (Wi-Fi), Core
i5-1135G7 (Wi-Fi/LTE) Core i7-1165G7 (Wi-Fi)
Graphics: UHS (Core i3), Iris Xe (Core i5,
i7)
Memory: 8GB, 16GB LPDDR4x (Wi-Fi,
LTE); 32GB LPDDR4x (Wi-Fi)
Storage: 128GB or 256GB (Wi-Fi or LTE);
512GB or 1TB
(Wi-Fi)
Ports: 1 USB
Type C, 1 USB
Type A,
MicroSDXC reader,
Surface Connect,
3.5mm audio jack,
nanoSIM
Camera: 5MP
front-facing, 8MP
rear-facing,
w/1080p video
The Surface Pro 7 adds an SSD drawer, and the ability to swap out the SSD inside. Battery: 15