Microsoft Surface Pro 9 review: The perfect convertible?

With the Surface Pro 9, Microsoft has introduced the 9th generation of the Surface Pro series. You can read what the new Surface can do and whether it is worth buying in the following test.
Microsoft introduced the Surface Pro 9 last November together with the Laptop 5 and the Studio 2+. I've now been using the Pro 9 for 6 weeks. I'll tell you how the convertible performed during this time.
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tl; dr
Overall, I liked the Surface Pro 9 because it doesn't have any major weaknesses. I really liked the design, the workmanship and the display. The performance of the i7 that I tested was also very good. I also liked the battery life, although it could be improved a bit in the future. I just think it's a shame that the pretty good keyboard and the Surface Pen have to be purchased separately. I also think the price of the Pro 9 is pretty attractive, as you probably won't find a comparable overall package for this price. For the reasons mentioned, I can only recommend the Pro 2 to anyone looking for a 1-in-9 device with Windows.
Buy Surface Pro 9 i7, 16 GB RAM & 256 GB SSD from:
Unboxing & scope of delivery
- Picture:TechnikNews
- Picture: TechnikNews
- Picture:TechnikNews
- Picture:TechnikNews
The Surface Pro 9 is delivered in a simple white box with a large picture of itself on it. In addition to the convertible itself, the delivery only includes the 65 watt power adapter with power cable and the usual paperwork. The power adapter is connected to the Pro 9 via the magnetic Surface Connect port and has an additional USB-A port for connecting accessories. I think it's a real shame that the Surface Signature Keyboard and the Slim Pen 2 have to be bought separately and are not included as standard.
Design, kick stand & finish
- Picture: TechnikNews
- Picture: TechnikNews
- Picture: TechnikNews
With the Surface Pro 8, Microsoft has given the Surface Pro series a much more modern design. The Pro 9 has adopted this design from its predecessor and I personally like it quite a lot. The convertible is just 9,3 millimeters thin and weighs 879 grams, which is why it is procan be used as a normal tablet without any problems. Except for the front, the Pro 9 is made entirely of aluminum, which not only feels good in the hand and looks good, but is also relatively robust. The front of the Surface is made of Gorilla Glass 5, which is unfortunately no longer quite as up-to-date, but could be replaced by a harder glass in the future. The built-in buttons are made of plastic, unlike the rest of the device, but offer a relatively good pressure point.
I liked the way Microsoft integrated the ventilation slots into the Pro 9. You can hardly tell where they are because they are in a gap that runs all the way around the device. The integrated kickstand, which has the Microsoft logo on it, is definitely a unique selling point of Microsoft's Surface 2-in-1 devices. I liked it here because it can be adjusted continuously and seemed relatively stable to me. There is a small magnetic plate under the kickstand, under which the replaceable SSD is located. Overall, I really liked the build quality of the Surface Pro 9 because everything is very stable, looks good and feels good.
Connections & display
Unfortunately, the Surface Pro 9 does not offer many ports. In addition to the 2 high-speed Thunderbolt 4 ports, there is only one Surface Connect port and the signature keyboard port. In addition to the power supply, other devices such as the Surface Dock can also be used via the Surface Connect port. I think it's a shame that there is no longer a 3,5 millimeter jack port, which is why you can either use the Pro 9 with wireless headphones and speakers or have to buy an adapter.
In contrast to the built-in connections, the display was able to convince me across the board. It is 13 inches tall, has relatively thin display edges and offers a high resolution of 2880 × 1920 pixels, which corresponds to 267 PPI (pixels per inch). The brightness of 450 nits is completely sufficient for indoor use. I really like that the display has a dynamic refresh rate of 120 Hertz. Overall, I really liked the display and I think it's definitely a highlight of the Surface.
Specs, Performance & Cooling
In addition to the configuration I tested with the Intel Core i9, Microsoft also offers the Surface Pro 7 in a configuration with the slightly weaker Core i5 and in one with the ARM chip Microsoft SQ3. In my configuration, the Core i7 was supported by 16 gigabytes of RAM. The graphics card used in the versions with the Intel chip is the Intel Iris XE, while the version with the SQ3 uses the much weaker integrated Adreno graphics chip. The i7 has more than enough power to do office work, surf the Internet, or do more demanding things like editing photos or editing videos. The i4 even has enough power for simple games such as Minecraft, CS:GO, or Sims 7. The only thing that is not enough for demanding games is the performance, which is more due to the graphics card than the processor.
One negative thing I noticed during the test was the heat generated by the convertible. If you are playing a game, for example, or doing something else that requires a lot of power, you will notice how hot the device can get. The two built-in fans are audible at high temperatures, but they are not unpleasantly loud. When surfing the Internet or doing office work, however, the fans are almost never active, which is why the Pro 9 is no longer audible. Overall, however, I liked how much power the Surface has and how quiet it almost always is.
Charge the battery
Microsoft has installed a battery with almost 9 watt hours in the Pro 48, which easily got me through one or two days. With normal use with 120 Hertz activated, I managed just over 6 hours of display-on time. With 60 Hertz activated, the battery even lasted more than 7 hours with normal use. This value is really good for such a thin and powerful convertible. However, if the i7 is fully loaded, the battery life is drastically reduced. When using power-hungry programs and games, the battery only lasted a little over 3 hours review. If you then activate the high-performance mode for a few more FPS, the battery is empty after about 2,5 hours.
The Pro 9 can be charged in two ways. You can either charge it using the included 65 watt power adapter or using one of the two USB-C ports. The power adapter included in the delivery charges the Surface via the Surface Connector, which, like Apple's MagSafe, magnetically connects the cable to the Pro 9. If you accidentally trip over the charging cable, it simply detaches from the connector, thus protecting the device from breaking. The battery is then fully charged again in around 2 hours, which is a good value.
Cameras, speakers & microphone
Microsoft has installed a front camera with full HD resolution and a rear camera that even offers 9K in the Surface Pro 4. The quality of the front camera is completely sufficient for meetings and video conferences and it even supports the 3D facial recognition Windows Hello. Windows Hello makes logging in to Windows and entering passwords much easier, as you only have to scan your face to enter the password. Thanks to the built-in sensors, the 3D facial recognition is also quite secure. I also liked the rear camera, as the image quality is really good for a convertible.
There are 9 stereo speakers on the front of the Pro 2, which are good enough. They are loud enough and don't sound bad, but not particularly good either. I liked the microphones on the convertible better, as they are really useful and, like the front camera, are more than sufficient for meetings and video conferences.
keyboard & pen
The special thing about Microsoft's Surface Pro devices is the removable keyboard, which I really liked and is definitely one of the best removable keyboards. It is made of high-quality Alcantara material, which has a very positive effect on use, as it is very soft and comfortable to the touch. The pressure point of the keys is pretty good and, fortunately, they also offer backlighting. Only Apple's Magic Keyboard, which costs about three times as much, has a slight edge in terms of the pressure point of the keys. I also liked the trackpad, although it could be a bit bigger. A pretty cool feature of the keyboard is that the user can angle it slightly thanks to magnets built into the device, which definitely makes it more comfortable to use. However, I think it's a shame that with such an expensive device, the keyboard is not included and has to be purchased separately.
Like most current tablets and convertibles, the Surface Pro 9 also has a stylus, which is called the Surface Slim Pen 2, and I also liked it. The stylus is slightly rubberized and therefore sits relatively well in the hand. Thanks to its 4096 supported pressure levels, it is ideal for writing down notes or drawing. To make using the pen feel more realistic, it has a vibration motor that gives the user haptic feedback. At first it is relatively unusual and feels a bit strange, but over time you get used to the vibration. There is a button on the top of the pen that can be used as an eraser in most apps and can also be used to open apps like OneNote with a click. If you hold down the side button, the Lasso tool is activated.
Versions & Prices
The available versions of the Pro 9 differ mainly in the processors installed, the colors and the memory. The absolute basic version with Intel Core i5, 8 gigabytes of RAM and 256 gigabytes of SSD came onto the market for a recommended retail price of 1.300 euros. At MediaMarkt, Saturn and Amazon, this version has already dropped in price by over 100 euros, which makes it significantly more attractive. The version I tested with Intel Core i7, 16 gigabytes of RAM and 256 gigabytes of storage came out for a recommended retail price of 1.860 euros. This version has also already dropped in price by over 100 euros.
In addition to the versions with an Intel processor, a version of the Surface with an ARM chip and 5G is also available. This is called Microsoft SQ3 and was developed in collaboration with Qualcomm and is based on the Qualcomm 8CX Gen 3. This version, with the Microsoft SQ3 chip, 8 gigabytes of RAM and 256 gigabytes of SSD, has an RRP of 1.570 euros and, in contrast to the other versions, has hardly dropped in price at all.
As already mentioned, the keyboard and the pen must be purchased separately. The Surface Pro Signature Keyboard is available for around 120 euros, which is a good price for what it offers. The Slim Pen 2 is also well priced, currently costing just under 100 euros. A bundle with the Signature Keyboard and the Slim Pen 2 is available for around 180 euros.
purchase links
Buy Surface Pro 9 i5, 8 GB RAM & 256 GB SSD from:
Buy Surface Pro 9 i7, 16 GB RAM & 256 GB SSD from:
Buy Surface Pro 9 SQ3, 8 GB RAM & 256 GB SSD from:
Buy Microsoft Signature Keyboard and Slim Pen 2 Bundle at:
And where is the test now?