Customer Ratings & Reviews

PROS: * The device feels well-made and has a premium quality. * It’s lightweight and comfortable to use. * The screen colors are vivid and really stand out. * The battery life is excellent. * I really like that there’s now a spot on the back of the Pro to store the slim pen. SO-SO: * The price is $850 for this version and $1800 for the top specs. For these prices, I wish the keyboard and pen were included, since they really complete the device. * Screen glare might be a problem for some people in very bright places. CONS: * There’s no power brick included, which really bothers me. For a premium device, I expect a proper way to charge it. You do get a USB-C cable, but most people already have plenty of those. Microsoft has long placed great emphasis on its Surface Pro range and is expected to continue this year with a major promotional campaign for its premium product. The 2026 lineup hasn’t changed much from last year’s versions, but the device itself is still a premium-built, capable tablet/laptop combo. The one big addition is a magnetic spot to store the pen directly on the back of the Pro, rather than on the optional keyboard. I like this addition, as you can use it now without the keyboard and have a place to store it when you only have the tablet. This year, I picked the 12-inch model as an alternative to my 13-inch Surface Pro from last year. I use the 13-inch a lot at home, but I wanted to see how the 12-inch would be for travel. The one-inch difference is actually noticeable when you hold the new one. It’s very light and thin, but still feels solid and well-made. All Surface Pros are built with premium quality, no matter which specs you choose. They look and feel high-end. The magnetic keyboard and pen, which are not included, are also well made. Altogether, this makes the Surface Pro my favorite device to use at home and when I travel. My new version has lower specs than my 2025 device, so I was a bit concerned about having less RAM. This one has 8GB instead of 16GB and uses the Snapdragon X Plus (8-core), while my older one had a 12-core X. I expected to notice a drop in performance right away, but so far, I only see a difference when editing high-resolution photos. For tasks like Office, streaming, or browsing a few tabs, it works well. Since it costs half as much as the highest-spec version, that’s a good sign. If you want to replace your work laptop or creative device, I’d be cautious, but for entertainment, this is a capable machine that should keep you happy. The screen has a 2196x1464 QHD resolution and looks fantastic. There’s no word on whether it’s OLED, but I don’t find myself wishing for it or thinking it could be better. It’s excellent, and I’m usually very picky about OLED screens on my other devices. The only minor downside is the glare in bright rooms. Some people might find that annoying, but it doesn’t bother me since I don’t like the look of matte screens. The battery life is impressive too. Microsoft claims 23 hours of continuous streaming, but in my experience, using it often off and on throughout the day, I didn’t need to plug it in until the following day. That’s well over 24 hours if you’re not using it heavily. For $850, which is the price of the lowest-spec version, you’d expect a power brick to be included, but unfortunately, it’s not. It’s frustrating, especially since you need a more powerful charger for this device than the one you use for your phone.

The Microsoft Pro with Snapdragon processor is a game changer because it gives me the mobility of a tablet with the functionality of a PC. I've used tablets for years, and I finally found an option that fits. You get access to AI software such as Copilot and Concepts already installed. The AI helps you get through multiple tasks very easily. It's like having a tablet and touchscreen PC. The Snapdragon processor is fast and handles multiple tasks at once. It comes with Windows 11 Home and is packed with a lot of different utilities, which adds to its overall usefulness depending on what you need from it. For someone who has used a mobile phone for years with a stylus, I really do enjoy the pen that you can get with the keyboard. It stores magnetically on the back of the Surface tablet; it's a small accessory that's packed with a lot of use. With one click, it opens the note and drawing apps you set. One click opens Notepad, or you can set it to open many other compatible apps. The battery boasts 16 hours of use time, and that's very nice. I love the lightweight build because it makes the Surface Pro very mobile, which supports the main appeal of the device. You get a charging cable, but I was surprised that you don't get a charging brick. But that's pretty much the standard these days, so it's worth noting rather than treating it as a major issue. This is now my favorite PC because it fits my needs. Check it out. You will not be disappointed.

Phenomenal powerhouse for on the go use. First as it comes packaged it’s a tablet forward laptop as it does not include a pen (wish this was included.) The system is perfectly designed for those add ons though as the keyboard snaps directly into place and then pen has a firm fixture on the back of the tablet where it stays attached and charges. From a tablet perspective, the Windows 11 ecosystem makes it much easier to live in that world and the touchscreen experience is stellar. The magnifying glass at the bottom toolbar will give you a quick way to access the camera or other aspects, but more so it’s nice to have full control over screen size and such versus a normal tablet display. Adding in the keyboard and pen really unlocks the use case albeit being able to remove them quickly to just use the tablet is a benefit in my view. Once I attached the separately purchased keyboard, I was able to operate exactly like I was at my home computer. The key spacing worked well in its condensed form and the pen really shines with or without the keyboard. My preferred use was in tablet form for my day to day, with the attached pen. The back support to prop up the system works well as seen in previous surfaces. Long term battery life kept me going through two days without worrying about charging through meetings and meetings other standard uses.

The 12” Surface Pro is not at the same level as the 13” Pro, but it's not a current gen “Surface Go”. The 8 core Snapdragon X Plus is a very potent multimedia chip, but it's more hampered by the small 8GB of ram. The value of this device is a bit lacking other than in its ultra portability. You do not get a keyboard or the fancy pen without paying extra. If you’re looking for a solid performing crazy portable device, and do not need more than 8GB of ram or 256GB of storage the 12” Surface Pro may fit the bill. From a tablet standpoint, Windows is not the best OS. The over feel and fit/finish of this 12” surface is top notch. Microsoft has completely dialed in the kickstand, its so solid and smooth. The screen is surprisingly good, the 2196x1464 resolution looks incredibly sharp. There isn’t an application that I have used that really bogged the CPU down, but that is mostly because you will run out of RAM before you’ll really tax the CPU. Luckily the SSD, even though it is using more of a smartphone tech vs normal laptop tech, is quite quick and responsive. (it pulled peaks of 3.8GB/s reads and 3.2GB/s writes in crystal disk mark) Overall, this 12” Surface Pro isn’t a bad device, it's just unfortunately being a bit watered down by the current RAMmageddon crisis. On paper it seems like it would just be ok, but the CPU really is quite quick, and if you’re not running anything heavy that makes Windows run out of ram, I’d be willing to guess it will be a great ultraportable device for most average users!

The Microsoft Surface Pro with the 12-inch touchscreen and Snapdragon X Plus processor is a surprisingly capable device for its size. The chassis is extremely lightweight, almost to the point where the bare tablet feels slippery, but attaching the optional keyboard immediately improves grip and stability. Microsoft’s choice to exclude a charger is unusual, with their explanation about reducing electronic waste, though the included USB‑C to USB‑C cable works fine with any standard PD charger. Setup wasn’t flawless — the system stalled during the initial update, rebooted, and took a few minutes to recover — but once it finished, the device behaved normally. After that, the Snapdragon X Plus shows its strength. Boot times are quick, app launches are snappy, and multitasking feels smooth for an 8‑core ARM processor. It’s not meant to replace a high‑end workstation, but for travel, meetings, and mobile creative work, the performance is more than adequate. Battery life is also impressive, consistently lasting two to three days depending on workload and screen brightness. The 12-inch display is one of the standout components. Despite the smaller footprint, the panel is bright, color‑rich, and sharp enough that creative tasks and video playback feel comfortable. Background images almost appear three‑dimensional due to the contrast and saturation. The dual front-facing cameras support Windows Hello facial recognition, and although I’m usually cautious with biometric login, the speed and reliability make it hard to ignore. Opening the cover and having the device instantly authenticate feels seamless. The kickstand continues to be one of the Surface line’s best engineering features. It adjusts smoothly across a wide range of angles and remains stable on different surfaces. It has a small indent to make opening it easier. The keyboard is backlit with 3 different brightness levels and has a slightly curved key profile that feels comfortable for extended typing. Dual microphones pick up voice clearly, and the magnetic pen charging station is a genuinely useful upgrade — it keeps the stylus secure and eliminates the constant “Where did I put the pen?” problem. AI tools on the device are interesting but still evolving. As an artist, I wish there were more creative‑focused options, but the sticker creator and AI photo search were surprisingly fun. Rendering times were around a minute or two, and I did encounter one freeze, but refreshing resolved it and subsequent runs were faster. The system‑wide search is excellent. It can identify objects in photos even when the file name doesn’t contain the keyword. Searching “bird toy” returned not only files with that phrase but also images of bird toys that had no related text metadata. That level of semantic search will be extremely useful for locating older photos and documents. Handwriting‑to‑text took some practice, especially in OneNote, but accuracy improved with use. I still wish Microsoft Journal supported ink‑to‑text, because the app’s layout and feel would benefit from it. Overall, the Surface Pro delivers a strong combination of portability, display quality, and performance. It’s ideal for travel, meetings, hotel work sessions, and creative tasks on the go. It doesn’t try to be a desktop replacement — instead it's a powerful, lightweight companion.

Microsoft has just released their updated Surface Pro 13" models and as similar to previous years add a 12" version to the lineup. It has most of the features of the 13" version but is available with lower specs to allow for a more affordable price point for those not needed an OLED display or higher RAM and storage. Unboxing: When first unboxing the Surface Pro 12" the first thing that really stands out is the overall build quality. Microsoft has always made a quality product and that dedication to quality certainly shines through on this model. It's also light, less than 2 lbs. and includes that well-known factory kickstand. The kickstand is one of the standout features in my opinion, allowing the Surface to be used as a tablet or laptop (with addition of the optional portable keyboard). It supports multiple angles which make it very easy to use with the optional Surface Slim Pen. Usage: I used the Surface Pro 12" as my daily driver for a little over a week while traveling. It's light weight and smaller 12" form factor made it barely noticeable in my backpack. It's a very easy system to use in the tablet mode and quickly converts to a slim laptop when attaching the optional Surface Pro Keyboard. The 2196 x 1464 resolution display is more than adequate for most any user and provides bright and crisp colors and sharp contrast. The touch response is immediate and precise. Connectivity is a breeze as there are 2 x USB-C 3.2 ports. The Snapdragon X processor provides a powerful platform that supports everyday usage in Windows, online browsing, streaming videos, etc. The AI search feature is awesome and has increased my efficiency immensely. There are front and rear facing cameras and dual microphones to support business users who need to stay connected with customers and cohorts. Another feature that really jumped out for me is the battery life. I ran the Surface off and on for multiple days and still have over 30% battery life. On this front, one of the Cons is Microsoft does not provide a charging cube with this model...although a USB-C to USB-C cable is provided. Pros: - High-quality build of this device - Built-in kickstand is a game changer and allows for multiple iterations of the Surface - 2196 x 1464 resolution touch display provides an above average user experience - Optional keyboard and pen option to transform the Surface into a lightweight laptop - Windows Hello Security and start up - Snapdragon X processor provides processing power to support most users Cons: - Charging cube not included - A bit light on the hardware configuration, but the price is lower to align accordingly Overall, the Surface Pro 12" is an affordable option to the Surface lineup and has many of the same features of the higher end models. It's light weight, has plenty of processing power and is built with the quality I've come to expect from Microsoft. I would certainly recommend this device.

This is my first experience with a Microsoft Surface Pro, so I really didn’t know what to expect. To be honest, after a week, I’m still trying to figure out where this fits into my device ecosystem. For starters, the hardware build is very nice. Smooth, ever so slightly rounded edges that inspire confidence when holding it as a tablet, and aren’t the least bit uncomfortable. The bezel is small, yet just large enough that you can hold it as a tablet without inadvertently registering a touch. Heavy enough to feel solidly built, but not tiring; just between a quality tablet and a laptop. The built-in kickstand is also nicely built. It holds at just about any angle you set it at and allows for just under 180 degrees of adjustment. If you’re primarily looking for a tablet replacement, whether that be Android or Apple, I’d probably recommend sticking with a true tablet. Although it is a touchscreen, and can function as a tablet, it’s still Microsoft Windows. You’ll probably find yourself missing the true ‘touch’ integration that only a tablet based app can provide. If you run any Windows based applications, or are looking for a productivity (NOT gaming) device but are frequently on the move and don’t want the relative bulk of a laptop, this may hit the sweet spot. Especially if you spring for the keyboard cover, which I highly recommend you do. If you have a desk you can work from, but want the ability to pick up and go at a moment's notice, you can easily connect a full keyboard and mouse via bluetooth. You could even pick up a small USB-C hub if you want to connect it to a full size monitor. My only gripe about using it as a laptop is that trying to balance it in a comfortable position on your lap, given that the kickstand extends behind the screen, can be a bit awkward. Not insurmountable, but something to note. Battery life has been excellent. I still have over 40% after 2-3 hours of general usage in addition to 3 hours streaming a baseball game. Another note, it does not include a pen, but a pen is included if you purchase the separate keyboard. That being said, the pen experience is only so-so. It’s flattened, like a carpenter's pencil, and has a hard writing tip that feels odd when you’re using it to write on the screen. Other than that, it works fine, just a little odd feeling. On the upside, the Surface Pro does have a magnetic indention (not the full depth of the pencil) that solidly holds the pen. I initially figured there was no way the pen would stay attached through normal handling, but it’s actually held in place quite nicely. I picked up the 8GB RAM/256GB storage version. But honestly, if you’re not doing anything too intense from an application perspective, and you utilize a cloud drive (OneDrive/Google Drive/Proton Drive/etc…) service, you shouldn’t have any trouble with those specs. After writing this all out, unless I’m gaming, which I have a dedicated (much heavier & bulky) laptop for, this will probably be my new go-to for daily on-the-go use.

Loved the design with the pen attaching to the upper back. Works well as a pseudo laptop when using with a detached or premium keyboard. Pen charges quickly. The display is gorgeous. The kickstand is amazing, never change that Microsoft, its iconic. The ARM processors and compatibility with programs have come a long way since 2021. I had no problems running light games through the Windows Store/Xbox App like Stardew Valley, and every app that I was able to download that I'm used to using actually worked, which is a big improvement from Surface Pro X days. The battery life is absolutely amazing, running for many hours with streaming video, light cozy gaming, and productivity tasks like email, spreadsheets, etc. Runs cool, but very efficient for such a powerful device. If there is one thing I wished it had more of, it would be the system RAM. The amount on this device is about the minimum I would recommend for a Windows 11 device, ARM processor or not. I would recommend this Surface for most tasks, as long as you don't have too many running at once, and no more than 10 or so browser tabs open and active.

There are plenty of tablets out there to choose from and its a crowded market with several to choose from. Microsoft came into the market a bit later in the game but emerged as a leader with both tablets and laptops. This newly developed Surface tablet comes from Microsofts line of tablet/laptop portable computers that are compact enough to take anywhere and contain similar memory and high speed chips to make them as competitive with a laptop than ever before, plus they are sleek and have a kickstand and when you connect the folio keyboard, its almost as if you have a touchscreen laptop at your fingertips. The good news about using a Microsoft product, its similar to a PC, has the latest Windows OS and you are able to use the Microsoft Office Suite seamlessly to do work and puruse the internet, all within the ecosphere of a 12 inch screen that can easily be propped on your lap or a table. Plus you have the sleek functionality of a camera built in to take photos or videos. For me, I use all of Microsofts tools including One Drive and other tools so it all fits together. Highly recommend Surface tablets!