With the new Surface Pro 8 bringing all of the power of a traditional Surface Pro while courting the design language of the X, some might find it hard to get overly excited about the incremental upgrades Microsoft brought to its ARM-based detachable this year.
Nevertheless, the Surface Pro X got some meaningful improvements in 2021 and could entice the web-focused crowd looking for a premium Chromebook-like experience from the Windows ecosystem.
In its third iteration, the Surface Pro X keeps the same custom SQ2 processor from last year, but adds:
- Gigabit LTE we will be extending the Pro X line-up and Wi-Fi only option.
- New entry price point, starting at $899
- Windows on ARM improvements: expanded native app support, now supports 64-bit emulation. More applications optimized for Windows on ARM than ever before including Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Shapr 3D, Zoom, Microsoft Office, and Microsoft Teams.
- 64-bit version of Office on ARM devices. This new version of Office is designed specifically for the next version of Windows on ARM. It has been recompiled for the ARM architecture to run fast, bring greater memory availability, offer better support for large documents, and maintain compatibility with existing 64-bit add-ins using the new x64emulation capability provided by Windows.
- Windows 11 unlocks more experiences than ever. Windows 11 on ARM supports both x86 and x64 emulation.
- Console caliber gaming. Play together and discover your next favorite game with friends. With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, access over 100 high-quality games through Xbox.com/Play for one low monthly price.
- For commercial customers, App Assure continues to provide support for those customers transitioning to Windows on ARM. With more support for printer drivers and security software.
| Surface Pro X | |
| Processor | Microsoft SQ®1 Microsoft SQ® 2 |
| Graphics | Microsoft SQ® 1 Adreno™ 685 GPU Microsoft SQ® 2 Adreno™ 690 GPU |
| Operating System | Surface Pro X: Windows 11 Home on ARM Surface Pro X with LTE: Windows 10 Home on ARM4 Surface Pro X for Business: Windows 11 Pro on ARM Surface Pro X with LTE for Business: Windows 11 Pro on ARM |
| Display | Screen: 13” PixelSense™ Display (sRGB + Enhanced Color Profiles) Resolution: 2880 x 1920 (267 PPI) Aspect ratio: 3:2 Touch: 10-point multitouch |
| Storage | Removable solid-state drive (SSD) options: 128, 256, or 512GB |
| Camera | Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing) 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p full HD video 10.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p HD and 4k video |
| Memory | 8GB or 16GB LPDDR4x RAM |
| Dimensions | 11.3 in x 8.2 in x 0.28 in (287 mm x 208 mm x 7.3 mm) Casing: Signature anodized aluminum with carbon composite fan less thermal cooling Physical buttons: Volume, Power Weight6 (not including keyboard): 1.7 lbs (774 g) |
| Audio | Dual far-field Studio Mics 2W stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ |
| Battery | Up to 15 hours of typical device usage |
| Color | Colors: Platinum, Matte Black (only available on select configurations) |
| Ports/Slots | 2 x USB-C®3.2 Gen 2 1 x Surface Connect port Surface Keyboard connector port 1 x nano SIM (LTE only) Compatible with Surface Dial off-screen interaction |
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What’s in the box
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Surface Pro X
Power supply SIM card access tool (LTE only) Quick Start Guide Safety and warranty documents |
The Pro X also joins its Surface cousins in swappable SSD accessibility which has developed into sort of a theme for the devices this year.
While the Surface Pro X may be the second least improved device of Microsoft’s lineup this year, its new price tag coupled with year of tooling Windows on ARM as well as Windows 11 could go a long way in this device being someone’s preferred choice of 2021. The Surface Pro X remains lighter and better designed overall when compared to the Pro 8 and with more apps adopting native ARM support monthly, the list of caveat software that’s held customers back, is getting shorter by the day.
The new WiFi-only Surface Pro X is priced at $899 and can be now pre-ordered on the Microsoft Store. It will start shipping on October 5, the same day Microsoft starts shipping other new Surface devices including the Surface Pro 8.
Don’t forget to check out all our Surface Event 2021 coverage here at OnMSFT.com!
