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Surface Pro 9 Brings 5G and Two Processor Options to the Lineup
Keeping up with the trend of releasing new successors every year, Microsoft has announced the Surface Pro 9, a 2-in-1 device that can be turned into a laptop or a tablet, depending on one’s needs. Microsoft recently held its fall 2022 Surface event, during which the company revealed some interesting new products, including three new Surface PCs. The American software company is leading the charge for an all-virtual future and aims to achieve this with its “next era of the Windows PC”, where the “PC and the cloud intersect and tap into innovative AI technology to unlock new experiences,” so that “each of us can participate, be seen, heard and express our creativity.”
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Microsoft Surface Pro 9 | Image: Microsoft
Cloud and AI have proven to be beneficial in ways more than one and can truly revolutionize how we experience the world around us. Now, Microsoft is looking to harness the power of the cloud via its new lineup of devices and among the three new Surface PCs recently revealed, the Surface Pro 9 seems to be the most riveting proposition. The 2-in-1 laptop tablet market hasn’t genuinely done much to attract new buyers (or to retain the existing crowd), but Microsoft still seems to be betting big on the formula. However, on paper, the Surface Pro 9 doesn’t seem to have much to boast about.
Just like its predecessor, it too comes with a 13-inch display, running natively at 2,880 x 1,920 pixels, outputting 120 Hz and in a 3:2 aspect ratio. The body is carved out of anodized aluminium, which does feel a little premium. There’s even a kickstand on the rear and a magnetic attachment for the keyboard. Taking a look at the internals, the Surface Pro 9 comes fitted with the new Alder Lake-U series chipsets (Intel’s codename for its 12th generation Core processors) and there are two processor options to choose from.
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 | Image: Microsoft
You can either opt for the Intel CPU version or the Microsoft SQ3 processor powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon. The Intel processors are further split into two configurations: the core i5-1235U and Core i7-1255U and come two with Thunderbolt 4, for quick data transfer or connecting external graphics cards. A couple of USB-C ports, a single Surface Connect port and a Surface Keyboard port can also be found on the side.
The Intel processor version of Surface Pro 9 is available in 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage configurations. On the other hand, the Microsoft SQ3 processor variant has 5G connectivity (a series first) and has a claimed 19 hours of battery life. But that’s not the fun part. As per Microsoft, the SQ3 processor is AI-powered, all thanks to a new Neural Processing Unit (NPU), capable of over 15 trillion calculations per second.
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 | Image: Microsoft
The 5G models top out at 16GB of RAM and 512GB of (removable) SSD and have two USB-C ports, a Surface Connect port, a Surface Keyboard port and a nano-SIM slot. You can buy the Surface Pro 9 in a variety of colour options including Platinum, Graphite, Sapphire and Forest. However, the latter three colours are reserved for Wi-Fi models only. Purchase for the device will kick off on October 25, with the base model coming in at USD $999 for the Intel version and USD $1,299 for the Qualcomm-powered SQ3 processor.
Microsoft will also be offering a special edition of the Surface Pro 9 (and matching keyboard) with a laser-etched blue floral pattern for a limited period of time. The product is designed in collaboration with London-based design firm Liberty to honour 10 years of the Surface series. Barring the looks, this edition won’t be any different hardware-wise from the normal ones.
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 | Image: Microsoft
Shubhendu Vatsa
Shubhendu Vatsa is an experienced reporter specialising in video game, eSports and technology coverage. A BTech IT graduate, Shubhendu has previously written for entertainment-based publications such as GiveMeSport, Touch, Tap, Play, Attack of the Fanboy, EssentiallySports, Twinfinite and The Load Out.
