Microsoft Surface Pro 4 Vs 5

At a Glance

Our Verdict

Until nosotros've properly tested the new Surface Pro, nosotros'll reserve judgement on which 2-in-1 is the all-time.

Best Prices Today: Microsoft Surface Pro (2017)

$399.00

It'due south been a pretty long expect, but the update to the Surface Pro four is hither. Oddly, information technology'south non chosen the Surface Pro 5 but equally yous'll see there are clear reasons for this.

Whether you're thinking of upgrading from your Surface Pro 4 or trying to decide which device to purchase every bit an upgrade from something else, our comparison of the two hybrids will help you make the right choice.

See our chart of the best hybrid laptop/tablets to purchase.

You can pre-gild the new Surface Pro now from Microsoft.

What are the differences betwixt Surface Pro four and the 2017 version?

Compare the key specifications (see our table below) and y'all could easily come to the decision that very petty has changed.

The two tablets await the same, have the aforementioned 12.3in screen, selection of ports and – aside from very minor changes – the aforementioned chassis.

During the launch, Microsoft said the new tablet was thinner and lighter. However, that'southward not exactly true. Its own website lists the aforementioned dimensions for the two and, depending in the configuration yous choose, the new device is either a couple of grams lighter or heavier than the equivalent quondam model.

And so it's not thinner and no-one is going to detect that miniscule weight deviation. Tin can you lot spot which is which?

Non everything remains the same, of course. The master difference is that the new Surface Pro includes the latest 7th-gen Intel Core processors, which as well means upgraded integrated graphics.

Battery life is also improved from 'upward to 9 hours' for the old model to 'upwardly to thirteen.v hours' from the new Surface Pro.

The last notable change is the new kick-stand hinge which now reclines to an almost-flat 165 degrees. This position is called 'Studio mode' and lets you use the Surface Pro like the Surface Studio – it's a more comfortable angle to use for sketching and drawing.

Other minor improvements are improve sound quality from the speakers and more rounded corners.

The Surface Pro 4'south stand up allows it to tilt dorsum to 150 degrees – the same as the Surface Pro 3. The extra 15 degrees sounds similar a small alter, but until we've properly tested the 2 devices, information technology'south hard to know if it actually makes a divergence or not.

As earlier, there's a choice of ultra-low-power Core m3, i5 and i7 processors. The fanless Core m model is available from launch this time – it came later with the Surface Pro iv.

If you opt for the flagship model with 1TB of storage, that'due south an NVMe SSD which should better performance fifty-fifty more compared to the equivalent Surface Pro 4.

That covers the main tablet, merely both the keyboard and Surface Pen have been updated for 2017 as well.

Like the recently appear Surface Laptop, the Type Encompass keyboard is now skinned with Alcantara – a man-made suede-like textile.

This costs £149 (US$159) and comes in iii colours to lucifer the new shades for the tablet: Cobalt Blue, Burgundy and Platinum. They go on sale 30 June, a couple of weeks later on the Surface Pro.

The new Surface Pen comes in the same colours, plus black. It costs £99.99 (United states of america$99.99) – yeah, it's not bundled in the box any more than – but there's no confirmed release engagement however.

Information technology's longer than the one-time Surface Pen and does abroad with the prune. New is its ability to discover when you're tilting the pen at an bending (similar to Apple tree'southward Pencil) and can therefore more accurately reproduce the upshot of that on screen.

Depending on the type of pen you've selected in an app, it could hateful you get a thicker line the more than you tilt.

Which processors and storage can you lot get with the new Surface Pro?

The table below shows how the old and new Surface Pro models compare for their main specs.

	Surface Pro (2017)	Surface Pro 4
Dimensions	201x292x8.5mm	201x292x8.5mm
Weight	768g or 784g	766g or 786g (Core i5 / i7)
Screen	12.3in PixelSense, 273ppi, 2736×1824	12.3in PixelSense, 273ppi, 2736×1824
Processors	1GHz Cadre m3-7Y30; 2.6GHz Core i5-7300U; two.5GHz Cire i7-7660U	Core m3; two.4GHz Core i5-6300U; two.2GHz Core i7-6650U
Memory	4GB/8GB/16GB	4GB/8GB/16GB
Storage	128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB* SSD *NVMe	128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB SSD
Graphics	Intel HD 615 (Core m3); Intel HD 620 (Core i5); Intel Iris Plus 640 (Core i7)	Intel HD 515 (Core m3); Intel HD 520 (Core i5); Intel Iris (Cadre i7)
Wireless	802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1	802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0
Cameras	8Mp (main), 5Mp (front)	8Mp (master), 5Mp (front)
Ports	USB 3, microSD, three.5mm headset, Surface connector	USB 3, microSD, 3.5mm headset, Surface connector
Battery life	13.5 hours	9 hours

How exercise they compare on price?

The Surface Pro 4 has dropped in price now that the new version has been announced, and the Core i7 versions are no longer on sale in the U.s.a..

The Pro 4 comes with the older version of the Surface Pen (unless you get for the Core m3 model), and so don't forget to add £99.99 (or $99.99) to the cost of the new Surface Pro if you know you'll need a stylus.

Surface Pro (2017):

Core m3, 4GB, 128GB: £799, Us$799
Core i5, 4GB, 128GB: £979, US$999
Cadre i5, 8GB, 256GB: £1249, US$1299
Core i7, 8GB, 256GB: £1549, US$1599
Core i7, 16GB, 512GB: £2149, The states$2199
Core i7, 16GB, 1TB: £2699, United states of america$2699

Surface Pro 4 (UK):

Cadre m3, 4GB, 128GB: £636.65
Core i5, 8GB, 256GB: £917.xv
Core i7, 8GB, 256GB: £1104.15
Cadre i7, 16GB, 256GB: £1231.65
Core i7, 16GB, 512GB: £1529.xv
Core i7, 16GB, 1TBGB: £1869.15

Surface Pro 4 US models:

Core m3, 4GB, 128GB (no pen): Us$699
Core i5, 4GB, 128GB: £979, US$849
Cadre i5, 8GB, 256GB: £1249, US$999
Cadre i5, 16GB, 256GB: £1549, US$1399
Cadre i5, 8GB, 512GB: £2149, US$1399
Core i5, 16GB, 512GB: £2699, U.s.$1799

Pre-order the Surface Pro 5 here.

Should I buy the new Surface Pro?

Until we've tested and reviewed the new model, our advice is based on what nosotros currently know about information technology.

It is, overall, very similar to its predecessor. That's probably why it isn't called the Surface Pro 5. The new processors mean better performance and battery life, but those are the significant ii improvements.

Microsoft says the screen on the new tablet is meliorate, but hasn't yet specified how.

In the UK at least, the Core i7 versions of the Surface Pro four are significantly cheaper than the equivalents from the new range, and they're fifty-fifty better value because they include a Surface Pen.

If yous already ain a Surface Pro 4, there's no real incentive to upgrade unless you're going from a low-powered model and are planning to buy a Core i7 version.

Specs

Microsoft Surface Pro (2017): Specs

Windows x Pro
12.3in PixelSense display, 2736×1824, 267ppi
Up to Intel Kaby Lake Core i7
Upwards to 16GB RAM
Up to 1TB storage
USB 3.0
Mini-DisplayPort
Micro-SD carte du jour reader
11ac Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 4.0
5Mp front camera
8Mp rear camera
292x201x8.5mm
786g

All-time Prices Today: Microsoft Surface Pro (2017)

$399.00