On the left side of the Surface Pro 9 are the two USB Type-C ports, but that's it for expandability other than the proprietary Surface Connect port on the right side of the device. We've had ten years of the Microsoft Surface and this device still isn't great on the lap, but it works just fine on a desk. Flip out the kickstand, and voila: a laptop – sort of. The key board attaches to the bottom of the Pro 9 magnetically. Either way, budget that into your purchase price. In our review kit, that meant a $279.99 Surface Pro Signature Keyboard and Slim Pen 2 bundle, though there are cheaper Signature Keyboards without the stylus included ($179.99), or just a standard keyboard without room to charge a pen ($139.99, originally designed for the Surface Pro X. I suppose you could use a Bluetooth keyboard or a USB-C keyboard you already own, but the best way to go portable is with Microsoft's own Type covers.

To use the Surface as a laptop, you'll need to add a keyboard. On the top of the device, there are power and volume buttons (the latter make great sense when used as a tablet, but less so when in laptop mode). But that top does house a 1080p webcam and infrared sensors, so the space is being put to good use.

You still get a tall, 3:2, 13-inch display with thin bezels on the sides, though there remains a little room for slimming on the top and bottom.

The only marking on the system, besides some antennae lines, is a reflective Windows logo on the kickstand, which extends almost flat. It very much resembles the Surface Pro X, even more so than the Pro 8, with a thin chassis and rounded corners. We reviewed the Pro 9 (with a Microsoft SQ3, more on that later) in the platinum color - the only one that Microsoft offers with Arm chips. It's a thin tablet that can connect to a keyboard to become a full Windows 11 PC. The Surface Pro 9 is following a formula. Is Arm truly ready for the spotlight? Design of the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 The SQ3 isn't as powerful as the Intel version, still has some compatibility issues (though significantly fewer than there used to be) with some Windows apps, and offers slower USB speeds.īut at its core, the Surface Pro 9 using SQ3 largely feels like any other Surface. For some, that may be enough to make it the best ultrabook. If you want a 5G Surface, the SQ3 model is the only way to go.

Surface pro x sq2 review