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On the Surface Pro 8, the USB-C ports were on the right, along with the Surface Connect port. Starting with the Surface Pro 9, the USB-C ports have moved to the left side, and the Surface Connect port has moved slightly higher up on the right. The USB ports on the Intel model are Thunderbolt 4 capable, and only USB 3.2 Gen 2 capable on the 5G model. Testing conducted by Microsoft on August 2020 using Surface Headphones 2 with firmware update 1.0.5.74 paired with Surface Laptop 3 and Surface Pro 7. Playlist consisted of 44 songs transmitted using SBC encoding. Volume was set to 46% with maximum noise cancelation. Bluetooth A2DP profile was used. Testing consisted of full Surface Headphones 2 battery discharge while playing audio until the Surface Headphones 2 disconnected from the host device. Battery life depends on device settings, environment, usage, and many other factors.
This is what ten years of refining the same core idea looks like. It's a tablet that also happens to be able to replace your laptop. The first Surface Pro was not very good at this, and up until now, the Surface Pro line was never able to keep up with my performance needs. Colours available on selected models only. Available colours, sizes, finishes and processors may vary by store, market and configuration. print services provided and warrantied exclusively by Shapeways, Inc. subject to Shapeways Sales Terms and Conditions and Warranty at: https://aka.ms/ShapewaysTermsConditions. Microsoft is not responsible for their performance or compliance with applicable regulatory, compliance, safety or any other requirements.
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Activation required for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Xbox Game Pass ultimate 30 day trial accessible through Xbox.com/Play. You can use it to play games on Xbox One and Xbox Series Consoles, and stream selected games where available to Surface Surface Pro 9 through Xbox.com/Play and other supported devices. Not currently available in China. Lastly, the Surface Pro 9 with 5G has additional AI features that the Intel Surface Pro 9 misses out on thanks to the Microsoft SQ3's additional "neural processing unit" (NPU), which can handle AI effects for the camera and webcam. The Intel model doesn't have an NPU and therefore does not have these features. You might be able to squeeze out an extra 30 minutes by using 60Hz mode, but you really won't get much more out of it. It's not the worst battery life you can find on a 2-in-1, but I'd say this is the only weak point in an otherwise excellent product. Per cent of modern carbon according to ASTM-D6866 – based upon Alcantara ® analytical test results. Some accessories and software sold separately. Surface Slim Pen 2 sold separately. Surface Pro Signature Keyboard and Surface Pro Keyboard are sold separately. Only Surface Pro Signature Keyboard has Surface Slim Pen 2 storage and charging capabilities.
Battery life varies significantly based on usage, network and feature configuration, signal strength, settings and other factors. See https://aka.ms/SurfaceBatteryPerformance for details. The Microsoft SQ3 is more energy efficient but less powerful compared to the Intel 12th-Gen i5 and i7 chips found in the non-5G Surface Pro 9. This means the Surface Pro 9 with 5G will have better battery life at the expense of performance. While the 5G variant isn't slow, you will want the Intel model if you plan on doing any demanding tasks.
If the Surface Pro 9 delivers one thing over its predecessor, it's performance. My review unit ships with an Intel Core i7-1255U processor, which is an excellent Ultrabook class chip that's a huge upgrade over Intel 11th-gen. Before we get into the weeds of this review, it's important to highlight the differences between the normal Surface Pro 9 and the Surface Pro 9 with 5G. The TL;DR is the Surface Pro 9 with 5G ships with an ARM processor, known as the Microsoft SQ3 and based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen3. Subscription required. Sold separately. Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta): Requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. Streaming limitations and wait times may apply. Select devices and regions. Game catalog varies over time. Battery life varies significantly based on device configuration, usage, network and feature configuration, signal strength, settings and other factors. See aka.ms/SurfaceBatteryPerformance for details. Intel's 12th Gen processors underwent a major architectural shift with a big.LITTLE design, which is similar to ARM. So, instead of 4 cores (8 threads) found in the 11th-Gen Intel Core i7 chip on the Surface Pro 8, the Surface Pro 9's 12th-gen Intel Core i7-1255U gets 10 cores (12 threads) at 2.60 GHz.
The only real let-down in performance with the Intel model is with the battery, though this seems to be the case with every Surface Pro. In our PCMark10 battery test, the Surface Pro 9 got a commendable 9 hours and 46 minutes, beating the Surface Pro 8 by close to 40 minutes. But real-world usage is often more like 6-7 hours in my testing. Surface Pro 9 (SQ® 3/5G) comes with Windows 11 Home on ARM. At this time, Surface Pro 9 (SQ® 3/5G) with Windows 11 Home on ARM will not install some games and CAD software, and some third-party drivers or anti-virus software. Certain features require specific hardware (see aka.ms/windows11-spec). Find out more in the FAQ. Surface Pro 9's rear camera is excellent for taking photos of a whiteboard or display. (Image credit: Windows Central) I also love the new colors for both the device and type covers. Sadly, I only got to review the silver model, but I was able to pair it with my own red Type Cover, which I think really pops in this combination. Now, with the Surface Pro 9, the volume and power buttons are positioned at the top right when in portrait mode and the top left when in landscape mode. The moving of the ports and buttons isn't the only design change taking place with the Surface Pro 9 either.Surface Pro 9 options with 12th Gen Intel processor and a storage of 256GB and above are built on the Intel® Evo™ platform. The SSD door on the Intel Surface Pro 9 can be opened without tools. (Image credit: Windows Central) Additionally, Microsoft has moved the volume and power buttons to the top of the device when in landscape mode, and they are now both found on the left. Activation required. After 30 days, you will be charged the applicable monthly or annual subscription fee. Credit card required. Cancel any time to stop future charges. See Free Trial - Try Microsoft 365 for a month - Microsoft Store. Curiously, competition in the 2-in-1 space has faded quite a bit as of late. While there are still plenty of laptop 2-in-1s, that being devices where the keyboard doesn't detach, you don't find many 2-in-1 devices that are tablets with an optional keyboard accessory like the Surface Pro 9.
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