There were a number of products announced by Microsoft this week. They include the new Lumia phones, a new Surface Pro and a HoloLens dev kit. In Microsoft’s tablet lineup, the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 replaces its predecessor Microsoft Surface Pro 3 and it comes with a large number of improvements and essential upgrades.
Don’t get me wrong. The essence of Surface Pro 3 is still quite alive and kicking in Microsoft Surface Pro 4 but there are quite a few differences that you need to be aware of. In the Surface Pro 4, a lot of essential parts get updated. The display size has increased from 12 to 12.3 inches but the size of the device hasn’t increased.
In fact, Microsoft managed to decrease the bezel around the screen of Surface Pro 4 and this adds more real estate. The PixelSense touch screen in Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is merely 400 microns thick and uses Corning Gorilla Glass 4 for protection. According to Microsoft, this is the thinnest optical stackup that can possibly be shipped by anyone.
The Surface Pro 3 and the Surface Pro 4 are same in dimensions but differ in thickness. Both of these devices are 11.5inches high and 7.93inches thick. However, the Surface Pro 4 has a 0.33 inch thickness compared to the 0.36 inch thickness in the Surface Pro 3. Compared to the Surface Pro 4, which weighs 1.69 pounds, the Surface Pro 3 is heavier at 1.76 pounds.
The USB ports are same in both these devices, equipped with a microSD card slot, USB 3.0 part along with a Mini Display Port. Meanwhile, in the inside, the Surface Pro 4 is a hardworking machine, armed to the teeth.
This device can be called a tablet but similar to the Surface Pro 3, it has the internals of a PC. The latest sixth generation m3, i5 and i7 processors have updated the Surface Lineup and depends on the configuration of the device.
According to Microsoft, this makes it 30% faster than the Surface Pro 3 and it makes use of the last-generation Core processors while also being 50 percent faster than the MacBook Air. In the meantime, the internal storage of the Surface Pro 4 has also been increased to 1TB. However, there are more updates as well.
The New Surface Type Covers will be compatible with Surface Pro 3 as well as 4. Microsoft has made the thinnest and lightest Type Covers which come with a quieter configuration of softer key mechanics, integrated backlit keyboard and also increased space between keys. For the purpose of added security, there is a fingerprint reader as well and five color options.
The Surface Pen is one of the flagship features of the Surface Pro lineup. The new Surface Pen is compatible with both Surface Pro 3 and 4 and comes with a sort of an eraser at the end and includes 1024 points of pressure.
The battery in this pen has the ability to last all year long, so you don’t really need to charge it but only replace the battery when needed. In order to make different types of Strokes on your Surface Tablet, there are interchangeable pen tips available.
The Pen also has the ability to magnetically attach to the Surface Pro 4 sides, which is a feature that was missing in the Surface Pro 3. Both the Surface Pro 3 and 4 can plug into the Surface Dock through USB.
It is a hub that comes with USB 3.0 ports and two ports for 4K displays as well. There is also an Ethernet ports for sharing files between devices and sharing screens. It also allows multitasking on larger monitors.
The Surface Pro 4 is available at a price of $899. 128GB of internal storage and 4GB RAM. However, choosing a core i7-equipped Surface Pro 4 with 1TB hard drive and 16GB RAM will cost you somewhere around $2699. The devices will start shipping on 26th October and you can start pre-ordering now.