The new Surface Pro 5 starts at $US799, has an Intel Kaby Lake processor and improved battery life., Tablets
The new Surface Pro 5 starts at $US799, has an Intel Kaby Lake processor and improved battery life. The Microsoft Surface Pro 5 was announced in Shanghai at Microsoft’s event on 23 May 2017. Starting from $US799, the new Surface will be available on 15 June 2017, the same day as the new Surface Laptop. The new 2017 Surface Pro remains largely unchanged from the Pro 4, but has one significant change – Microsoft no longer considers it a 2-in-1 device, but rather a laptop, as the company believes it provides everything you’d need on a laptop. The new device is named as the ‘new Surface Pro’, it doesn’t follow the numeric sequence many thought it would follow. So no, it isn’t called the ‘Microsoft Surface Pro 5’. The new Surface Pro looks identical to the Pro 4, but has several fundamental differences. The biggest news is the inclusion of new Intel Kaby Lake processors. This time around, the new Surface Pro will start shipping with the Intel Core m processors too, which sits aside the Core i5 and Core i7 processors. This also means that its internal graphics have received a cyclical update, with the Intel HD 615 and 620 in the Core m3 and Core i5 models respectively. The Core i7 model comes with the more powerful Iris Plus 640 iGPU. Memory configurations haven’t changed, with 4-, 6- and 16GB models available. Its internal memory has received a healthy boost with PCIe NVMe technology now used throughout its internal SSDs, with a choice of 128-, 256-, 512GB and 1TB are available. Another notable change is its quoted battery life. It’s now 13.5hrs, up from 9hrs on the Pro 4. This sizable increase in battery life will be good news for those looking to use the laptop without the sight of a power plug. If you like listening to music directly from your Surface Pro, you’ll be pleased to know that the 2017 version focuses on delivering better sound. A front-facing 5-megapixel camera and microphone are also used to access Skype and Windows Hello features, which are both fundamental parts Windows 10. There’s also an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera for taking pictures of scenery. USB Type-C is still missing from the new Surface Pro, with Microsoft opting to maintain its proprietary connector for charging. On the plus side, there’s still an SD card slot, mini-DisplayPort, a standard USB Type-A 3.0 port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Wireless connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth v4.1. Unfortunately, the rumours of a stunning 4K display aren’t true. The same 2,736 x 1,824 (267ppi) resolution is utilised with a PixelSense display, which allows multitouch and a visually accurate display. The Surface’s accessories have also received an update, with both the keyboard and pen receiving healthy updates. The Type Cover keyboard now has slightly more travel distance, allowing you to type more naturally. The pen has double a number of supported pressure levels, allowing you to more accurately draw or write on your new Surface Pro. The Type Cover is available from $169 and the Surface Pen is set to cost $US99. You’ll be pleased to know that you can use the $US99 Surface Dial with thew new Surface Pro. This allows designers greater freedom and allows them to replicate a Microsoft Surface Studio. Finally, you can look forward to LTE variants of the new Surface Pro, with Microsoft announcing that in Fall 2017 there will be devices that can independently from an access point.
