Surface Pro 7
FLAT PACKED We put Microsoft’s latest tablet computer, aimed at artists looking to move away from Apple’s ipads, through its paces
The Surface Pro 7 has a sharp display that’s also bright and vibrant
Price From £799 Company Microsoft Web www.microsoft.com
The Surface Pro 7 is Microsoft’s seventh attempt to create a tablet that’s powerful enough to run full Windows 10 programs, while remaining sleek and light.
The Surface Pro line-up of tablets is supposed to be Microsoft’s flagship Surface device, and one that – on paper at least – is ideally suited for artists. Yet after the Surface Pro 6 proved to be a solid yet unexciting entry, many were hoping that Microsoft would pull out the stops with the Surface Pro 7.
As with previous version of the Surface Pro, the Surface Pro 7 comes in a variety of configurations. The base model costs £799, and this gives you an Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB solid-state drive. This is very pricey for a tablet, especially considering that Apple’s excellent ipad Air costs almost half the price at £479, while the ipad Pro 11 costs £769. It’s also pretty expensive when you consider those specs. For any sort of creative work, 4GB RAM is just not enough – and that 128GB hard drive is going to fill up quickly if you store large files such as photos and videos. Artists should only be considering configurations with at least 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage. A version of the Surface Pro 7 with those specs, and a more powerful Intel Core i5 processor, begins at £1,119.
In short, that’s incredibly expensive. You can even go as high as an Intel
Core i7, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD, which costs a huge £2,249. For that kind of money, you’re better off looking at a laptop like Apple’s 16-inch Macbook Pro, which starts at £2,399.
It’s also worth pointing out that even with these high prices, the Surface’s Type Cover (which protects the screen and doubles as a keyboard) and the Surface Pen stylus aren’t included. You’ll need to buy them separately at a cost of £125 and £100, respectively.
HARDWARE IMPROVEMENTS
One of the key benefits the Surface Pro 7 has that it uses Intel’s latest 10th generation processors. The result is improved overall performance compared to the Surface Pro 6. Intel has also improved the integrated graphics of its 10th generation CPUS: the Surface Pro 7 is now better at handling graphic-intensive tasks such as video rendering, as well as even some light gaming.
While the performance of the Surface Pro 7 is a decent step-up from the Surface Pro 6, the same can’t be said for the battery life, which we found to be shorter than its predecessor. We found that the Surface Pro 7’s battery lasted six hours when running a looped 1080p video That’s well below the eight hours and 45 minutes the Pro 6 achieved.
The Surface Pro 7’s screen is 12.3-inches, with a 2,736 x 1,824 resolution and 3:2 aspect ratio. That offers a pixel density of 267 pixels per inch, and results in an impressively sharp display that’s also bright and vibrant. However, it doesn’t support standards like SRGB or P3, which means if you’re after a tool that offers industry-accurate colours, then this is probably not the right device for you.
Perhaps the biggest selling point of the Surface Pro 7 is that it’s a tablet which is able to run Windows 10, while also being able to turn into a laptop if you need to fire off some emails (and have the optional Type Cover). If you do grab the optional extras, you’ll find the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 to be a versatile device. The Type Cover is made of a gorgeous Alcantara fabric which feels lovely, and gives the Surface Pro 7 a premium look and feel.
Despite doubling as a cover, the Type Cover also does a good job as a keyboard, with the keys being large enough to hit accurately when typing fast, and with enough travel to make them feel satisfying when pressed. We wish Microsoft would include the Type Cover, and the Surface Pen (which works brilliantly), because they are essential to getting the full Surface Pro 7 experience.
ACCESS THE POWER OF WINDOWS
The Surface Pro 7 is a tempting device if you’re looking for a tablet computer that has enough power to run full Windows 10 programs. However, while it’s undoubtedly a stylish and powerful tablet, it does feel like Microsoft hasn’t put a lot of passion into this version. Everything seems like a little iterative upgrade, rather than a revolutionary leap. This means that the cheaper Surface Pro 6 is a better buy for people on a budget, as you’re not sacrificing much – and you get a better battery life as well.
At the moment the Surface Pro 7 is just too expensive when compared to the ipad. Apple’s tablets offer a comparable experience with better battery lives, and for a lot less. Meanwhile, there are plenty of Android tablets out there which offer even better value for money.
Unless you’re wedded to Windows 10, we suggest skipping the Surface Pro 7. Hopefully Microsoft will come back with a new Surface Pro in 2020 that will give artists a reason to fall in love with its portable devices again.