Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (SQ3, 5G)
Microsoft has partnered with Qualcomm to make an ARM-based Surface Pro, again.
Perhaps the biggest update of the Surface Pro 9 range is that Microsoft has rolled in its Surface Pro X range into the standard ‘Surface Pro 9’ named lineup, suggesting this device might be ready to keep up with Intel’s offerings. We hate to be the ones to burst that bubble, but Microsoft’s Qualcomm built SQ3 ARM-based processor requires a willingness to massively sacrifice hardware performance and software compatibility in order to have a more smartphone-like experience, so in our opinion it should have definitely been kept as a separately named product.
We’re not talking a little performance loss here, the Surface Pro 9 with the Microsoft SQ3 processor is getting performance in the ballpark of a 2019 Surface Pro 7 running 10th generation quad-core Intel processors on many benchmarks. Sure the ARM based processors only have access to some of the benchmark applications we use to test laptops, so there is potential that it runs really well on some specific untested software… but narrow platform capability is hardly a key selling point. In fact that’s arguably what was the biggest shortcoming of the Windows S platform.
It’s disappointing to see Microsoft still fumbling in this department considering just how well Apple has managed to make RISC hardware perform in 64-bit environments. You can see that Microsoft isn’t oblivious to what Apple is doing, regularly referring to the SQ3’s AI powered Neural Processing Unit in key branding material, even though it’s primarily used to create fancy web conferencing filters rather than Apple’s Neural Engine which helps it translate Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) language into what you need to run full pc applications. So while an M1 or M2 chip can run any 64-bit Mac OS software, the Surface Pro 9 running an SQ 3 simply can not run any software that hasn’t been specifically built to run on Sanpdragon’s PC platform, so you’re frequently going to run into apps that just aren’t compatible.
It’s actually kind of impressive how poorly these computers perform, even often on apps that were specifically ported to the new platform, but if you really want to you can muddle through so let’s talk about what’s good. The first is the always-connected 5G internet. For anyone that constantly travels, the idea of having a permanent hotspot running in the background is amazingly convenient, and while we didn’t actually purchase an eSim plan to test out for this feature, we’re happy to assume one of the world’s leading smartphone processor manufacturers is able to give its devices solid 5G connectivity. Add to this WiFi 6E which in congested environments can offer massively improved speeds.
The other major improvement is battery life, which offers over 14 hours of 1080p movie playback instead of the eight hours and 29 minutes you’ll get from the Intel-based Surface Pro 9. While this is a positive, to put it in perspective you’re getting around half the performance of a $1,499 M1 Apple MacBook Air (late 2020) if you opt for the $2,599 SQ3 Surface Pro 9. You’ll also miss out on an extra five-ish hours of 1080p movie playback battery life.
This kind of a comparison is surely enough to make even the most diehard Microsoft fans consider jumping ship, and for those that will never you could just get a regular Surface Pro 9 and hotspot internet off your phone.
The 5G connected Surface Pro 9 makes us just want a regular 2-in-1.
Joel Burgess
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