Microsoft has revealed a new Surface Pro laplet that offers numerous improvements and desktop-class performance.
The new Surface Pro 4 will include a slightly larger 12.3-inch screen with a higher resolution of 2736 x 1824, though the overall size footprint is the same. It’s coated with a new 400 micron Gorilla Glass 4, which Microsoft say is the ‘thinnest ever’. They’ve also added a new technology dubbed ‘PixelSense’, that measures light on the panel to determine if the input method is a stylus or finger. On the topic of input methods, the new Surface also comes equipped with a new pen that includes an eraser on the opposite end. It offers up to 1024 levels of pressure, four times the previous generation.
Internal hardware has gotten a huge jump over the Surface Pro 3, with 4th generation Intel processors and Intel’s upcoming Skylake CPU’s. Up to 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD are now available, plus configuration options all the way up to an Core i7. Connectivity remains the same as the Surface Pro 3, meaning no USB-C and 4G/LTE. One thing Microsoft never made a huge deal about is the rear camera, though it’s worth noting that it too has been bumped up to 8 megapixels.
Peripherals have also gotten a big improvement, with a new Type Cover featuring wider key spacing and a larger glass trackpad. Two versions will be available, one with a fingerprint sensor and one without. Costs are $159 for the former and $129 for the latter. Those who do pick up the fingerprint version will be able to enjoy ‘instant’ user logins via Windows Hello.
Overall pricing for the new Surface Pro 4 starts at $899 for the base model and money can rack up quickly once you start adding additional components. A top-end Surface Pro 4 could set you back up to $2,699.
For more on Microsoft, visit What Mobile’s dedicated Microsoft page.
