The Microsoft Surface tablet line has been polarizing; for every evangelist, there are skeptics who doubt the device can truly replace a laptop. Regardless, Microsoft is pushing forward with the fourth iteration, basing the Surface Pro 4 on the strengths of its predecessors. In almost every way, it outperforms the Microsoft Surface Pro 3. And at the same cost. The Surface Pro 4 is a high-end slate tablet thanks to upgrades such as a larger, better display, an improved Type Cover and Surface Pen, and strong battery life in our tests.
For $1,299, we tested one of the Surface Pro 4’s midrange configurations, which included a sixth-generation 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-6300U processor with integrated Intel HD Graphics 520, 8GB of memory, and a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD). There are five other models, the most affordable of which is $899 with an Intel Core M3 processor, 4GB of memory, and 128GB of storage, and the most expensive of which is $2,199 with an Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of storage.
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 Design and Features
The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is slightly smaller and lighter than the Surface Pro 3, measuring 7.93 by 11.5 by 0.33 inches (HWD) and weighing 1.73 pounds (which measures 8 by 11.5 by 0.36 inches and weighs 1.75 pounds). The Surface Pro 4 actually packs a larger display into a slightly smaller frame—12.3 inches vs. 12 inches—by reducing bezel size to create more screen real estate. The Apple iPad Air 2 ($445.00 at eBay)(Opens in a new window), a 9.7-inch tablet that does not run a full PC OS, measures 9.4 by 6.6 by 0.24 inches and weighs 2.96 pounds, while the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch, a full laptop, measures 0.68 by 12.8 by 8.94 inches and weighs 2.96 pounds.
The Android tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 is also larger and thinner, measuring 9.34 by 6.65 by 0.22 inches (HWD). The Surface Pro 4’s body, like the Microsoft Surface Book, is made of high-quality silver-magnesium alloy, and the back is adorned with a shiny, mirror-like Windows logo.
The adjustable kickstand is mostly the same as it was on the Surface Pro 3 (which isn’t a bad thing), but it’s a little easier to adjust and feels sturdier. It’s useful for propping up the system on your lap or at a table, but it can’t replicate a traditional typing experience without the Type Cover, which costs an additional $129.99. I wish it was included because it’s required for the Surface Pro 4 to truly function as a laptop replacement.
The stand is easily adjustable to find the most comfortable position, which is especially useful when using the system on your lap. I never found it any more difficult to balance a Surface device on my lap for typing than I did a traditional laptop, and the kickstand’s edge has been rounded out to help prevent it from digging into your legs, which was an issue with previous Surface Pro models. Even with the indents on the sides, the stand can be difficult to grasp and extend naturally when it’s flat against the system in Tablet mode.
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Surface Pro 4 Display
The display has a resolution of 2,736 by 1,824 and is equipped with Microsoft’s new PixelSense technology, which provides high contrast and reduces glare. The display on the Surface Pro 4 looks fantastic and is extremely bright, with rich colors. The text is sharp, and the video on the screen is crisp and clear. The adjustable stand complements the display well, allowing you to find the best angle depending on how you’re seated without sacrificing picture quality.
The Surface Pro 4 is a comfortable tablet to use, though your mileage may vary depending on how you feel holding it in the crook of one arm. During testing, I didn’t find my arm tiring out quickly, and the included Surface Pen goes a long way toward making the tablet more usable with one hand. As with the Surface Pro 3, pressing the eraser button on the Surface Pen instantly launches OneNote, which still works flawlessly. You can also take a screenshot by double-clicking the Surface Pen, which you can crop and draw on right away in OneNote. Holding down the eraser button now brings up Cortana, a digital assistant that can assist you with searches, setting reminders, managing your calendar, and other tasks.
Keyboard
Typing on a virtual keyboard is never ideal, and the Surface Pen can convert your actual handwriting to text. This feature was hit or miss in testing (and greatly depends on the neatness of your penmanship), but it does the job once you learn the shortcuts. The Surface Pen works well on the touch screen, with a good sense of pressure (line thickness changes depending on how hard you press) and a functional eraser. The somewhat ridiculous loop for storing the pen on the Surface Pro 3’s Type Cover has been removed; instead, you can magnetically attach the pen to the left or right side of the Surface Pro 4.
The Type Cover outperforms the previous iteration in every way. The backlit keys are wider and have better travel. The touchpad, in particular, has been vastly improved—larger, it’s much more sensitive, and much smoother to scroll across. The magnetic latch that secures the keyboard to the display for use on your lap (introduced on the Pro 3 Type Cover) is even more secure than in the previous iteration, and the Type Cover is also lighter at 0.64 pounds. The new Type Cover is compatible with the Surface Pro 3, as well as vice versa.
Microsoft would hit a home run if it included the Type Cover with the Surface Pro 4, but for the time being, they must be purchased separately.
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Windows Hello
The tablet includes Windows Hello, which is built into Windows 10 and saves you from having to type in a password every time you reach for the device, as well as protecting it from falling into the wrong hands. There’s also a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera that can record in 1080p. The image quality of test photos was good, but not exceptional, but videos recorded with the rear camera were especially sharp in testing.
On the right side, there is a USB 3.0 port, a Surface Connect port for the new Surface Dock, a microSD card reader, and a headphone jack. The power button and volume rocker are located on top of the tablet, while the keyboard port is located on the bottom. An extra USB port would have gone a long way—disappointing it’s that Microsoft chose to stick with just one, as we did with the Pro 3.
The Surface Pro 4 has stereo Dolby speakers that don’t have visible grilles and instead produce sound from the tablet’s interior and through the ventilation. They can get quite loud and retain their quality even at high volumes. An accelerometer and a gyroscope are also included. Wireless connectivity is provided by 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. Microsoft provides a one-year warranty on the product.
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 Performance
The Surface Pro 4 is generally very quick, booting up quickly and running smoothly thanks to its 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-6300U processor and 8GB of memory. It has a solid productivity performance, scoring 2,612 points on the PCMark 8 Work Conventional test. It competes with systems like the Asus Transformer Book T300 Chi ($599.00 at eBay)(Opens in a new window) (2,615) and the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 14 (2,615). (2,410). On this test, the Surface Pro 3 scored slightly higher (2,699) than the Pro 4, which is likely due to its lower-resolution display.
The Surface Pro 4 finished our Handbrake video encoding test in 2 minutes and 20 seconds, beating out the Surface Pro 3 (2:59) and the MacBook Air 13-inch (2:49). Its time of 3:10 on the Adobe Photoshop CS6 test is also significantly faster than that of the Surface Pro 3 (4:48) and the MacBook Air 13-inch 5:13. The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 scored 307 on the Cinebench test, outperforming the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (255) and the Asus Transformer Book T300 Chi (254). These higher scores can be attributed to the brand-new processor, which provides an overall performance boost when compared to the Surface Pro 3 and the competition.
While the Surface Pro 4 will never be a machine for serious gamers, it is capable of running some games at Medium-quality settings. At Medium-quality settings and 1,366-by-768 resolution, it returned 21 frames per second (fps) and 23fps, respectively, in the Heaven and Valley 3D tests, which are slightly below what we consider playable numbers. Still, you should be able to play slower-paced games like Civilization or Football Manager—just don’t expect to play any of the latest action games in high quality, as the system didn’t break 3fps in our gaming tests at Ultra-quality settings.
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Microsoft Surface Pro 4 Battery Life
The Surface Pro 4’s battery life is exceptional, lasting 10 hours and 19 minutes on our rundown test. This is a significant improvement over the Surface Pro 3’s already excellent 8:55 battery life, and it lasts significantly longer than the Asus Transformer Book T300 Chi (5:54) and the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 14. (6:13).
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