Hardware
multi-tool We find out if Microsoft’s latest two-in-one device has kept pace with the iPad Pro and laptop rivals like the MacBook Air
The Surface Pro 6 is the latest version of Microsoft’s successful two-in-one tablet-PC combo. There’s not a stack of improvements over the previous generation, but it does up the performance significantly. However, as a creative the question is whether it’s either as good a tablet as the iPad Pro, or a potential laptop replacement that can take on your current ultra-portable device?
The short answer is that no, it’s not as good as a tablet as the iPad Pro. And it doesn’t do as good a job as a laptop when it’s, well, being a laptop. Yet where the Surface Pro 6 wins is in its flexibility as a tablet, a laptop and a fully powered Windows machine that you can dock with a keyboard and monitor when you get to a desk.
Surface Pro 6 starts at £779 for the Core-i5, 8GB RAM and 128GB storage version. You also need to buy the Surface Pen (£100) and the detachable Surface Type Cover (£125) that attaches to the bottom edge of the Surface Pro with a special docking point. This is galling, because both are essential to the Surface Pro experience. The problem with the added extras is that, by the time you’ve added them on, you’re looking at the same price point (or more) for an ultra-portable laptop.
The Surface Pro 6 features Microsoft’s specially designed 12.3inch PixelSense touchscreen display with 2,736x1,824 resolution. This gives you 267ppi, which is slightly more than the new iPad Pro. Microsoft has kept the same 3:2 screen from before; clearly it feels the resolution is high enough without affecting battery life.
colour options
Two colour profiles are available: Enhanced and sRGB. The latter profile will give you more accurate colours, but comes with the loss of some contrast. Enhanced is the default mode so you’ll get more punchy colours and improved contrast, but skin tones are left alone.
As a touchscreen display, it’s extremely accurate. Windows 10 features a tablet mode to make using the touchscreen more accessible, but
it’s also possible to use the standard desktop with touch. It’s up to you. Tablet Mode does require a little refinement and it isn’t a patch on iOS as a tablet operating system, but it does mean you don’t have to switch devices when you want to migrate from laptop mode to tablet mode.
One of the advantages of the Surface Pro 6 is that you can achieve top-spec laptop-grade performance in a tablet. Okay, so there’s no discrete graphics as with the higher-end versions of the Surface Book 2, but there is Intel UHD graphics with both processor options: the Core-i5 8250U and the Core i7-8650U. Both are now quad-core processors instead of the dual-core units used previously, so there’s a definite jump in performance versus last year’s models – we’re talking somewhere in the region of 50 per cent better.
Better battery life
Previous versions of the Surface Pro have disappointed in the battery life stakes; they certainly weren’t able to last all day. This version does appear to turn a corner and we found we could get around eight hours of constant use. We’ve seen some tests that put it around nine hours, but we found this to be unrealistic.
As well as the usual platinum finish, the Surface Pro 6 is available in a sleeklooking black case. The design could do with a refresh – especially when considering those thick bezels – although the kickstand is one of the best around. When attached, the
One of the advantages of the Surface Pro 6 is that you can achieve top-spec laptop-grade performance in a tablet
keyboard turns the device into a nearlaptop, providing you can put it on a desk or table. It’s nowhere near as rigid or useful as a laptop if you need to work with it on your lap (an ergonomic nightmare at the best of times) or a tray table on an airplane or train. If you often work in these scenarios we really would recommend a laptop instead.
There are also two cameras in the device: a rear eight-megapixel unit and a front-facing five-megapixel videocalling camera. Both are capable of 1080p HD video and you can also use the front-facing camera for Windows Hello face recognition to unlock the device with your face.
The Surface Go 6 is a powerful twoin-one device and remains the best hybrid laptop-tablet for most people. It’s not as powerful as the Surface Book 2, it’s not as good a tablet as the iPad Pro and it’s not as good as being a laptop as a laptop. It also needs a design refinement and a move to USB-C. And pricing can get expensive once you add the core accessories.
Yet it’s easy to overlook all this because Surface Pro 6 is a flexible, device that can be your constant companion, especially if you want a Windows 10 PC that can be coupled with the excellent Surface Pen for painting sessions out and about.