Microsoft unveils the new Surface Pro: Kaby Lake, 50% better battery life, improved thermals

You can check the various Microsoft Surface models and their availability here

Adhering to the age-old adage of don’t fix what isn’t broken, Microsoft has kicked it off in Shanghai by releasing the successor to the Surface Pro 4, amply named Surface Pro. As previously suspected in this post, the 2-in-1 hybrid notebook did indeed release on May 23, but that’s not the only thing that was correct. The Intel Thunderbolt 3 interface hasn’t been added and we get roughly the same connectivity ports we had back in 2015 with the older model. Guess Microsoft didn’t see a need to include the new standards or push new boundaries, or people who use the Surface simply have no need for those, that we won’t know for sure.

Either way, what we will find on both the new and on the old models are:

A single USB Type-A port

One Mini DisplayPort

A 3.5mm headphone jack

And a Surface Connect port

As previously speculated, the processor did receive some overhauling and we may now enjoy the more efficient and powerful Kaby Lake chip as part of the whole package. According to Microsoft, this new iteration of the Surface can withstand some seriously lengthy “in-use” sessions, claiming a battery life of up-to 50% better than the Pro 4’s – allegedly capable of delivering the astounding 13 and a half hours of usage before you have to plug it back into the grid to get another spin. A claim we can’t wait to put to the test, and one we would be happy to see true.

There are a few models within the Surface range catering to different tastes and price ranges. There’s an i5 model which uses a fanless design and a more expensive i7 model which Microsoft has equipped with a unique thermal solution, however, we do not have any official ratings on how loud it will be.

As far as the looks department goes, some of you may be disappointed – others may approve, but the fact stands – the Surface Pro, at least on the outside, is almost identical to its predecessor.

For those unaware, Microsoft has also included several color palette options for their Type Cover which will available to choose from in case you are interested in making a purchase, and we have l them listed below:

Burgundy

Platinum

Graphite Gold

Cobalt Blue

Microsoft will also be including an LTE version of the Surface which will likely be arriving this Fall. The price of the base model releasing on June 15 is expected to cost $799.00. The Surface Pen will be sold for $99 and the Type Cover‘s price comes in at $129.

You can check for availability here.

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