Along with the Surface Laptop 5, Microsoft officially introduced the Surface Pro 9 2022. For the first time, the exciting Windows tablet with an optional keyboard case and stylus is no longer only available with an Intel processor, but also with a powerful ARM chip including an integrated 5G modem.
The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 looks almost confusingly similar to its predecessor, nothing has changed in the dimensions, and the weight has only changed minimally at 880 grams. The 13-inch, 120 Hz touchscreen in 3:2 format, which offers a resolution of 2,880 × 1,920 pixels, is also taken from the previous model. The frame rate can only be dynamically controlled in variants with an Intel processor.
Above all, the processors that are offered to buyers are new. The cheaper Intel version relies on Intel Alder Lake-U, optionally on the Intel Core i5-1235U or the Intel Core i7-1255U, so the device always offers two performance and eight efficiency cores as well as the integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 iGPU. The new ARM option is exciting because the Surface Pro 9 is also available with a Microsoft SQ3 for an additional charge.
The chip is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, which combines four powerful ARM Cortex-X1 processor cores clocked at up to 3.0 GHz with four more efficient Cortex-A78 cores at 2.4 GHz. The ARM model comes with an integrated 5G modem. Microsoft promises a battery life of up to 19 hours with the ARM chip, 3.5 hours longer than with the Intel processor. However, the two Thunderbolt 4 ports are replaced by two USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 ports (20 Gbps) on the ARM model.
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 release date and prices
The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 2022 is available to pre-order on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk and will be available on October 25th at a recommended retail price of $1,099.99 / £1,399.
