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Verdict:
Microsoft’s Surface models have been around for years, but this latest Surface Pro X is my first. My experience has me wishing I owned one sooner. Whether you call it a tablet or computer, it’s a productivity powerhouse in a versatile and portable design. If you’re enthusiastic about the form factor and don’t need the most performance on a device of its size, consider the Surface Pro X - SQ1 - 8GB memory model. For more performance, the SQ2 – 16GB memory model or one of the Surface Pro 8 models would be solid upgrade picks. If the Surface’s form factor isn’t important to you, consider other devices that have similar specs but significantly lower price tags.
Pros:
- Sleek, premium design
- High build quality
- Lightweight and portable
- All-day battery life
- Built-in kickstand
- Rear and front cameras capture HD video
- Mics capture clear audio
- Great keyboard and pen accessories
Cons:
- High price tag
- Keyboard and pen sold separately
- Impractical for lap use
- Some apps incompatible with ARM
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Design:
The Surface Pro X is beautifully designed. At just 1.7 pounds, it’s thin and lightweight which makes it portable. Since I’m frequently going to and from school, I need a portable device. I like that the Surface Pro X provides a large screen and great performance in a small form factor. With its aluminum body and kickstand, it feels very durable, which is important for an on-the-go device. One drawback of the design is that it’s difficult to prop up on your lap like you would a laptop. Since the keyboard accessory is so light, it doesn’t help much. That aside, I’m impressed by the premium look and feel of the Surface Pro X, as well as its versatility. I expected it to be a nice step up from my current 2-in-1 laptop, but it surpassed my expectations.
Display:
The 13-inch display on the Surface Pro X provides a lot of touchscreen real estate, and the slim bezels minimize the overall size of the device while also giving it a modern look. The display is immersive as well, thanks to the 3:2 aspect ratio (a bit taller than most laptops), high brightness, and 2880x1920 resolution. Even the simplest of tasks like taking notes look fantastic on the Surface Pro X’s display. No laptop I’ve owned has had a display that’s as sharp and bright.
Software:
Windows 11 comes preinstalled on the Surface Pro X. There’s a lot to like about it, such as the cleaner design, snap groups for easy organization of multiple open windows, virtual desktops that allow you to toggle between multiple workspaces on one screen (I like to have one for school and one for entertainment), and Microsoft Teams integration for easy communication with family, friends, and colleagues. There is a slight learning curve to familiarize yourself with the new features and a few things that are in different locations, but Windows 11 is a just subtle change from Windows 10.
Battery Life:
Even with frequent use, the Surface Pro X has no problem lasting an entire day. I primarily use it for videos, web browsing, reading, and note-taking, and I consistently get about 13 hours of battery life. With lighter use, you might be able to get close to the claimed 15 hours. It just depends on how you use it. Since the Surface Pro X is fast charge capable, you can charge the battery up to 80% in about an hour. In a pinch, I can get from 5% to 50% in just half an hour. All-day battery life with fast charging helps ensure that the Surface Pro X always has power when I need it.
Performance:
Instead of using an Intel chip like many computers, the Surface Pro X uses a Qualcomm ARM chip like many smartphones. Until now, all the Windows computers I’ve owned had Intel processors, so I was skeptical about the ARM-based Surface Pro X, but I quickly realized there was no reason to be. My model has Microsoft’s SQ1 processor and 8GB of memory (RAM), and I haven’t noticed any performance issues. The Surface Pro X is snappier than the Intel-based computers I have used. Now, those computers didn’t have the most powerful Intel processors available, but they were similar in price to the Surface Pro X. I’m often running multiple apps and over a dozen tabs in my browser, and it handles everything with ease. The disclaimer here is that most of my time is spent in Microsoft Office apps, so they’re not the most performance-intensive. However, even when I tested several other apps from the Microsoft Store running all at once (Spotify, Evernote, WhatsApp, etc.), it did not bring anything to a halt. There was some slowness when I tried to push it to its limits, but I think that’s to be expected for the SQ1 – 8GB memory model and not a concern of mine, since my day-to-day use is never near those limits. If you’re usually doing more than the tasks I mentioned at once, you should consider the more powerful SQ2 – 16GB memory model. Where you might run into issues with the Surface Pro X and its ARM-based processor is app compatibility. The difference in processing architecture means not all apps run the same, and some might not be compatible at all (at least not yet). ARM has come a long way over the past couple of years, and my experience with the Surface Pro X has me believing in its power and low battery consumption. However, I’d encourage you to verify that your essential apps are compatible with ARM before purchasing a Surface Pro X. If they are, I think you’ll be happy with the performance.
Features:
The kickstand, detachable keyboard, and the pen are my favorite features of the Surface Pro X. Sturdy, with a wide range of angles, the kickstand makes the Surface Pro X highly versatile, and when not in use it sits flush against the device. The detachable keyboard delivers a comfortable, laptop-like typing experience and has a convenient pen storage slot built into it that also charges the pen. Powerful magnets snap the keyboard onto the Surface Pro X and show/hide the pen slot. I frequently take notes on the Surface Pro X, and the performance of the Slim Pen 2 is great. It’s comfortable and accurate. My one complaint is that the friction of the pen tip doesn’t feel like writing on paper. The Slim Pen 2 has a built-in haptic motor that supposedly makes it feel similar to writing on paper, but that feature is only compatible with the Surface Laptop Studio and Surface Pro 8, so that was a bummer. For me, the Surface Pro X isn’t complete without the keyboard and pen, so I think they should be included, especially at its high price tag. On the other hand, I understand that not every Surface Pro X user wants the keyboard and pen. Additional features that I like about the Surface Pro X are the speakers and cameras. The 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p HD video is fantastic for video calls, and the 10.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera delivers 1080p HD and 4k video. I’m not a frequent user of the rear-facing camera, but when I tested it out I found that you can record very high-quality videos. During video calls or recording, the dual far-field Studio Mics capture clear audio, even if you are far away from the device. As for the speakers, they’re 2W with Dolby Audio and pump out great sound. For its size, I’m impressed that the Surface Pro X can get quite loud and has some bass without any sound distortion. There’s no headphone jack, but Bluetooth connectivity for headphones or other devices has always been reliable. All in all, there’s a lot to like about the features of the Surface Pro X.