Microsoft Surface Pro 4 review. Is the hybrid laptop a good choice?
The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is a hybrid device that can be used as both a tablet and a laptop. How does it behave in practice and what performance does the device have? I decided to test this in practice.
An aspect ratio of 3:2 is not very common for tablets. It's worth noting that when you take the device out of the box, the silver metal casing catches the eye. Next, your eyes are drawn to the neat ventilation holes on the edges of the casing, and finally, you notice the manufacturer's beautiful glass logo, under which the folding base is located. Right from the start, you get the feeling that you are holding a "premium" device in your hands.
1. Rear camera
2. Rear privacy light
3. Rear microphone
4. Volume button
5. Headphone socket
6. Magnetic pen holder
7. Support
The Pro 3 model was not available on our market, but it has already appeared in AMSO, so I have the opportunity to compare the hardware with the Pro 4. Both tablets have the same dimensions, and here I mean mainly height x width x depth: 80 x 292 x 201 mm. However, there are differences, for example in the thickness. In fact, the fourth iteration of the device is slightly thinner - less than 9 mm - and lighter - 876 g. On the plus side, the thinner frame means that a 12.3-inch screen can be accommodated instead of the previous 12 inches.
Is the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 light?
As far as the lightness of the device is concerned, I have quite a problem with the classification. It all depends on whether you compare it to a tablet or by its performance, i.e. laptops. In the case of the former, 876 g is quite a lot. If you hold it in one hand for a long time, it seems quite heavy. However, if we compare the Surface Pro 4 with laptops, the result is very good, and when you put it in a backpack, it hardly feels like you're carrying anything around.
The magnesium casing, which houses the screen covered with tempered glass, gives the impression of a solid whole. Nothing bends or creaks under pressure. The leg that holds the screen also deserves a positive mention. At first glance it appears to be unstable, but in practice it is such a solid piece of metal that we can easily move the base from an almost vertical position to a completely horizontal position. So everything is made with the utmost care and above all with the best materials - you can feel it.
1. Touchscreen
2. Speaker
3. Power button
4. Infrared-capable camera
5. Front camera
6. Front privacy light
7. Front microphone
8. Mini DisplayPort
9. USB 3.0
10. Charging port
11. MicroSD card slot
12. Stylus
The design is closed and there is no access to the inside of the device. Any changes and maintenance of components are possible in the service department. All because you have to be careful when opening the screen.
In addition to the off switch and volume control on the edge, there are a few more connections in the housing. So we have an audio jack and on the other side a mini DisplayPort, USB 3.0, Surface Connect port and a microSD card slot hidden under the base. There is also a magnetic connector on the underside for attaching the Type Cover keyboard. If so many ports aren't enough for us, there is a Surface Dock on the market. It has two Mini-DisplayPort ports, a LAN port (Gigabit Ethernet), an audio output and four USB 3.0 ports.
We can give it commands with our fingers. It responds to up to 10 pressure points simultaneously. The sensitivity is therefore incredibly high and you can quickly get used to working with gestures.
Surface Pro 4 as a laptop
The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 becomes a laptop when the Type Cover keyboard is attached. It is not only an accessory that makes typing easier, but also protects the display. The cover is quite thin and still offers a clickable, physical keyboard with backlighting in different colors. The weight then increases by about 0.3 kg, but that's still nothing compared to what you gain. The backlighting of the keyboard has 5 levels. The individual tiles are the right size and are arranged very intuitively. Underneath the keys is of course a fairly large trackpad, the surface of which is made of glass. The board is comfortable to hold and the integrated right and left mouse buttons respond well and are not too loud.
As I have already mentioned, the screen has an aspect ratio of 3:2 and is somewhat reminiscent of a notebook. You can write on it both vertically and horizontally. This aspect ratio is also ideal for multimedia. The picture quality is excellent with a resolution of 2736 x 1824 pixels. Everything that is displayed is vivid and very sharp. The matrix was of course produced by Samsung using IPS technology. Unsurprisingly, the brightness, viewing angles and contrast are first class. The sRGB value is also very good, close to 100%.
Even more possibilities
To expand the possibilities, you can add a pen to the device. We can then take handwritten notes. This function is also useful when working with graphics, if only because it has 1024 pressure levels. The rubber tip of the pen gives the feeling of writing with a real pen. There is also a rubber button at the end with which you can erase what you have written or drawn. In OneNote, you can create a screenshot with a double-click. It is also worth mentioning that there are a variety of tips on the market that are very helpful when working.
The device has an i5-6300 processor, 8 GB of RAM and a 256 SSD drive. The base clock is 2.4 GHz and can increase up to 3 GHz in Turbo Boost mode. Thanks to the use of all these components, any program starts quickly and its operation is not disrupted. The heart of the device also supports Intel vPro technology. Finally, and to confirm the speed, it is worth mentioning that the hardware is equipped with a 256 GB Samsung M951 drive in the M.2 2280 standard.
Video and sound
The hardware makes a noise of 40 dB at maximum load. The result is therefore correct, but the hardware is practically silent under normal use.
Also worth mentioning is the camera, which is also used for facial recognition with Windows Hello (on the front). The front camera has 5.0 MP and offers 1080p HD video recording. The rear camera has 8.0 MP with autofocus and 1080p HD video recording. Both work great and are better than standard lenses.
The device's speakers are really good and produce a clear and loud sound. So the sound is very accurate.
The hardware has a 38 Wh battery that works for about 5-6 hours in Wi-Fi mode. The result is also fine.
The Surface Pro 4 is a great mobile device for work and entertainment. The notebook is for people who travel a lot and always want to have their office with them. This powerful and mobile device will never let you down.