Surface Pro 10 Business Edition and Surface Pro 9 Business Edition

• 

  Surface Pro 10 Business Edition

  The new Surface Pro 10 Business Edition builds on its predecessor, offering a faster processor, the option to add more RAM, and a dedicated NPU. It’s the most powerful Surface Pro yet.

  advantage

  • Significantly faster processors
  • Dedicated Neural Network Processor
  • 64GB memory option

  shortcoming

  • No real changes to the design
  • There are currently no 5G options available

• 

  Surface Pro 9 Business Edition

  Until the new model launches, the Surface Pro 9 Business Edition is the most powerful Surface Pro and can still handle most things you can throw at it. It’s not as fast as the new version, though.

  advantage

  • 13 inch screen
  • Good motivation
  • Reasonable battery life

  shortcoming

  • No dedicated NPU
  • Processor is slower

Microsoft has announced two new Surface products that are firmly aimed at the business market but will also pique the interest of many entertainment users. Surface Laptop 6 for Business and Surface Pro 10 for Business were launched at the Surface event in March 2024, and considering the times we currently live in, artificial intelligence is receiving a lot of attention. In fact, both products have dedicated Copilot keys for quick access to Copilot AI features, though if you want to use it with the Surface Pro 10, you’ll need to buy a separate Surface Pro Keyboard since it’s not included with your device . Buy.

How does the new Surface Pro 10 Business Edition compare to its predecessor? Which is the better choice to buy, and if you already own the Surface Pro 9 Business Edition, is it worth upgrading?

We put the Surface Pro 10 against the Surface Pro 9 head-to-head to see how they compare.

Prices, specifications and availability

The consumer Surface Pro 9 will be officially unveiled in October 2022. Pricing starts at $999.99 for the base Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB model, with a range of processor, RAM, and storage upgrades available, up to the most expensive Core i7, 32GB RAM, and 1TB model for $2,599.99. In addition to the consumer model, Microsoft also launched the commercial Surface Pro 9. This is a more powerful model with a slightly more powerful processor, and Microsoft starts at $1,099.99.

The commercial version of Surface Pro 10 will be released in March 2024 and will begin shipping on April 9. If you’re waiting, we expect Microsoft to release a consumer version in May. If you want to get a 5G model, you may have to wait a while; the 5G-enabled Surface 10 Pro will be available later in 2024.

Neither Surface Pro model comes with a keyboard; if you want one, you’ll have to pay extra, and Microsoft offers Surface Pro Keyboards starting at $139.99. If you’re upgrading from Surface Pro 9 Business Edition, your Surface Pro Keyboard will also fit Surface Pro 10 Business Edition.

Let’s take a look at some key specs to see how both devices perform.

• 	Surface Pro 10 Business Edition	Surface Pro 9 Business Edition
  operating system	Windows 11 Pro	Windows 11 Pro
  CPU	Intel Core Ultra 5 (135U) or Intel Core Ultra 7 (165U)	Intel Core i5 (1245U) or Intel Core i7 (1265U)
  Memory	8GB/64GB	8GB/32GB
  storage	256/512GB/1TB	128/256/512GB/1TB
  Battery	48W	47.7W
  Display (size, resolution)	13 inches, 2800×1920	13 inches, 2800 x 1920
  camera	1440p Quad HD front, 10.5MP Ultra HD rear	1080p front, 10MP rear
  port	2 USB-C, Surface Connect	2 USB-C, Surface Connect
  aspect	11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37 inches	287×208×9.3 mm
  weight	1.94 lbs/879 g	1.94 lbs/879 g
  Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3	Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1

Design similarities and updates

If it’s not broken, they won’t fix it

Surface Pro 9 doesn’t change much from previous models in terms of design. It retains the same 2 USB-C ports and supports Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4.0. There’s also a dedicated Surface Connect port. The built-in stand is a convenient feature that allows you to stand the Surface Pro 9 Business Edition upright.

The Surface Pro 9 Business Edition also looks great, with thin bezels on the outside of the display and slightly thicker on the long sides than on the short sides. The tablet is 0.37 inches thick, which is slightly thicker than other products like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9. At 879 grams, or 1.94 pounds, it’s significantly heavier than many competitors, including the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. This is something to consider if you plan to use it exclusively as a handheld tablet.

Surface Pro 9 Business Edition is available in the same four colors as the consumer model: Platinum (silver), Sapphire (light blue), Forest (sage green), and Graphite (dark gray), although the 5G model is only available in Platinum.

The Surface Pro 10 Business Edition also doesn’t get any huge design changes. It’s the same size as the Surface Pro 9 and weighs the same. It also has the same size display, which means the bezels are the same size as the Surface Pro 9 Business Edition. Overall, you’d be hard-pressed to tell these devices apart just by looking at them. Surface Pro 10 Business Edition comes in platinum or black.

Show upgrades and similarities

Brightness and anti-reflection updates

Surface Pro 9 Business Edition is equipped with a 13-inch PixelSense Flow display with a resolution of 2880 x 1920 and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Surface Pro 10 Business Edition has the same 13-inch PixelSense Flow display with the same 2880 x 1920 resolution and up to 120Hz dynamic refresh rate. It’s slightly brighter, though, with a typical maximum brightness of 600 nits, compared to the Surface Pro 9’s 450 nits. The Surface Pro 10 display also features new anti-reflective technology, which should make it easier to use in challenging lighting conditions.

Both models support Dolby Vision IQ, which uses sensors to dynamically adjust display settings based on ambient lighting.

Camera specifications and location

Field of View and Image Quality

The Surface Pro 9 comes with a 1080p front camera and a 10MP rear camera, both of which are adequate for their purpose. However, the Surface Pro 10 improves on these cameras. There’s a 1440 Quad HD camera on the front with a 114-degree field of view, and a slightly superior 10.5MP Ultra HD camera on the back. It’s not a huge difference, and tablets aren’t usually your camera of choice, but if you make video calls you might find the front-facing camera bump useful.

Hardware performance and configuration

RAM, Intel Core processors, and artificial intelligence

The base model of Surface Pro 9 Business comes with 8GB of RAM and an Intel Core i5 (1245U) processor. Intel Core i5 has two high-performance cores running at up to 4.4GHz, and eight efficiency cores running at up to 3.3GHz. If you want superior performance, you can boost the RAM to 32GB with the Intel Core i7 (1265U) processor. The Intel Core i7 has two performance cores running at up to 4.8GHz, and eight high-efficiency cores running at up to 3.6GHz. There’s also the option to upgrade to 1TB of storage.

The 5G-enabled Surface Pro 9 business version runs on the Microsoft SQ3 processor. The biggest difference is that it contains a neural processing unit (NPU) that can handle some AI processing, thereby reducing the load on the CPU. Wi-Fi This feature is not included in Surface Pro 9 models.

The base model of Surface Pro 10 Business also comes with 8GB of RAM and runs on an Intel Core Ultra 5 (135U) processor. The processor has 12 cores, with two performance cores running at frequencies up to 4.4GHz and 10 efficiency cores running at frequencies up to 3.6GHz. You can upgrade it to 64GB of RAM running on an Intel Core Ultra 7 (165U) processor, and up to 1TB of storage. Intel Core Ultra 7 has 2 high-performance cores running at up to 4.9GHz, and 10 efficiency cores running at up to 3.8GHz.

The superior processor in Surface Pro 10 makes it a more powerful device, with Microsoft claiming that Surface Pro 10 runs 53% faster than Surface Pro 9.

Surface Pro 10 Business Edition is equipped with NPU in all models to handle some AI calculations. The superior processor in Surface Pro 10 makes it a more powerful device, with Microsoft claiming that Surface Pro 10 runs 53% faster than Surface Pro 9. We expect the Surface Pro 10 to reach its level.

Although the 5G-capable Surface Pro 10 won’t be available until later this year, we know one key piece of information about it: Unlike the Surface Pro 9 with 5G, which uses a rebranded Qualcomm chip, the Surface Pro 10 with 5G will be The first Surface 5G product to run on Intel chips.

The Surface Pro 10 Business Edition has another key hardware difference. There is a built-in NFC in the corner of the device to help with authentication for secure login.

performance capabilities

The processor decides everything

We found that the 16GB consumer-grade i7 Surface Pro 9 delivers excellent performance for everything from browsing to photo editing. In terms of RAM, the optional 64GB of RAM in the Surface Pro 10 Business Edition is significantly larger than the maximum 32GB in the Surface Pro 9, which may be useful if you use the Surface Pro for intensive tasks, although it may be a bit overkill. normal consumer.

In addition, since the Surface Pro 10 Business Edition is equipped with an NPU in all models to handle some AI calculations, it should run more smoothly when using AI functions. We’re looking forward to testing the latest Copilot integration and seeing how the NPU with the improved processor actually performs once we get our hands on a Surface Pro 10.

Battery life and charging

Microsoft claims improvement of three hours

Surface Pro 9 Business is rated for up to 16 hours of charging time, but that time will decrease if you use the device frequently. In fact, we found that when used extensively like a laptop, the Surface Pro 9’s battery life was about half of its rated 16 hours. Still, that’s enough for most people’s needs. Surface Pro 9 takes approximately 90 minutes to fully charge.

The Surface Pro 10 is rated for 19 hours of typical use, which is significantly longer than the Surface Pro 9. We haven’t gotten our hands on the device yet, but stay tuned for our full hands-on review where we’ll learn more about how long the battery lasts with use.

Surface Pro 10 vs Surface Pro 9: Is it worth upgrading?

The Surface Pro 10 Business Edition may not be a huge upgrade over the Surface Pro 9 Business Edition, but the superior processor, improved camera, and longer battery life mean it’s a more capable device, especially when you use it with In business. If you plan to use the Surface Pro as a console, the Surface Pro 10 is better able to handle intensive use, and the dedicated NPU chip should also improve performance when using AI.

If you already own the Surface Pro 9 Business Edition, the Surface Pro 10 Business Edition is not enough to warrant an upgrade. The same display, same design, and performance and camera improvements may not be enough to make it worth switching to the Surface Pro 9, especially for general use. If your Surface Pro 9 is going strong, you might have a better idea of ​​what the consumer version of the Surface Pro 10 has to offer when it finally arrives, or skip a generation entirely and wait for the Surface Pro 11.