That’s up from 16 hours on the Surface Pro 8, although 15.5 hours is the claim for the Intel models. Most of the early software compatibility issues with ARM devices have been ironed out, and they devices generally deliver impressive battery life.Īccording to Microsoft, you can expect up to 19 hours of “typical device usage” if you opt for an ARM model. Microsoft describes the SQ3 chip as ‘blazing fast’, but it remains to be seen how performance will compare to the Intel models – you still get options for 8- or 16GB of RAM here, albeit of the slightly slower DDR4x standard. The two devices now look extremely similar, anyway. ARM’s only previous appearance on Microsoft hardware was the Surface Pro X, so it looks like this will now be merged with the Pro 9. This is a Microsoft-branded ‘SQ3’ chip, but it’s based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3. However, for the first time on the main Surface Pro line, you have the option for an ARM-based processor. This should deliver a nice boost to performance, especially when combined with 16- or 32GB of DDR5 RAM rather than the entry-level 8GB. The traditional Intel CPU upgrade is here, with a choice of two 12th-gen processors: Core i5-1245U or Core i7-1265U. Undoubtedly the key differences are under the hood, where you now have a choice of chipset type.

This will set you back at least $139.99/£129.99, but you can pay as much as $279.99/£259.99 for a Signature model with the Slim Pen 2 stylus.

Remember, any price you pay doesn’t include the Type Cover once again.

Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD – $1,099.99 (not available in the UK).

The Surface Pro 9 has the same starting price as the Pro 8 in the US, but it’s more expensive in the UK.

Surface Pro 7+ (for business and education) – January 2021.

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