Microsoft Surface Pro 2017: 2-in-1 Laptop Is Now Out and Reviews Are In
A few days ago, Microsoft started shipping their newest 2-in-1 laptop simply branded as the Surface Pro, and the reviews from various technology news outlets are in.
This is the first time Microsoft dropped the numbering scheme from the Surface Pro's branding. Nevertheless, the company still delivered ample changes in the new Surface Pro's design, bodywork, and technical specifications.
As a recap, the main change applied to the 2017-released Surface Pro was the variations of 7th-generation Intel Core chips called Kaby Lakes. Buyers can choose among Core m3-7Y30 (1.0-2.6 gigahertz), Core i5-7300U (2.6-3.5 GHz) and Core i7-7660U (2.5-4.0 GHz).
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One of the highlighted features of the Surface Pro, particularly in the Core m3 and i5 variants, is the fanless architecture. With that, Microsoft promised a pristine silence even amid heavy computer work.
Battery Performance
Apart from the new lineup of processors and fanless architecture, probably the bestselling point of the new Surface Pro is the promise of a battery that lasts for 13.5 hours from a 2-in-1 laptop/tablet device. But just like any other new technology products, battery performance typically varies.
As for The Telegraph's review, they experienced a relatively close battery life performance to what Microsoft claimed. The same report attests that the new Surface Pro worked smoothly and reached the 50 percent battery mark close to a five-hour usage.
While it did not exactly represent the 13.5 hours of battery life advertised by Microsoft, The Telegraph still praised the new Surface Pro as it was a remarkable improvement compared to what the Surface Pro 4 could deliver.
Travel with a Tablet that Works as a Pro Laptop
Judging from the mentioned specs above, the Surface Pro can undoubtedly work much like or probably better than some typical clamshell-type laptops in the market, thanks to its hefty specs.
What made it even better is its light and very compact design. Just like the previous Surface Pros, the 2017 model works with an exclusive type of keyboard and the Surface Pen.
All in all, the accessories, technical specs and its bodywork make it one of the better companions, especially for the business travelers.
Merely a Refresh, Not Next-Gen; Still a Tough Competitor
While some changes on the new Surface Pro are easy to determine, some reports still argue that the new device can merely be considered a refresh of the previous model and not entirely a next-generation release.
Despite having the Kaby Lake chips, Anandtech argues "dramatic changes for processing" on the new Surface Pro are lacking. True enough, the new Surface Pro merely had faster clock speeds compared to the Surface Pro 4 but not enough factors for monumental change.
While the point is that the new Surface Pro could have been better to be considered a next-generation release, it is still hard to deny that it raises the competition bar at a higher level — even when Apple updated their lineup Mac laptops and iPad Pro earlier this month.
The new Surface Pro is now out in the market and its price starts at $799 ($719.10 "for eligible students, faculty or staff at Universities and colleges). Later this year, Microsoft will release an LTE-ready version of the new Surface Pro.
