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The 7 Biggest Complaints About the Surface Pro

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The 7 Biggest Complaints About the Surface Pro

Online critiques and reviews for products don’t often highlight the flaws of a product. While certain products, like the Surface Pro 9, launch to rave reviews and critical acclaim, they still have their own unique flaws.

If you’ve been on the fence about purchasing a new Surface Pro, it pays to know what you’re getting. Especially when considering the overall cost of Microsoft’s tablet/ laptop hybrid. All told, the Surface Pro 9 is a wonderful device on its own but has some distinct drawbacks.

If you’ve been curious as to whether the latest offering from Microsoft is worth purchasing, then you’re in the right place. Let’s take a closer look at the seven most common complaints about the Surface Pro 9 to help guide your next purchase.

Overview

The Surface Pro 9 is the latest in the lineup from Microsoft, having been launched in 2022. The hybrid tablet/ laptop is unique in that it offers up both Intel-based processors and a more mobile-friendly ARM processor.

Compared to its predecessor, the improvements on the Surface Pro 9 are largely marginal. Performance has increased but at the expense of other facets of the device’s day-to-day operation.

Specs

ProcessorIntel i5 1235U, Intel i7 1255U, Microsoft SQ 3 Processor
Graphics ProcessorIntel Iris Xe, Microsoft SQ3 Adreno 8CX
Memory8GB, 16GB, 32GB for Intel models, 8GB or 16GB for SQ 3 models
Storage128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB for Intel models, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB for SQ 3 models
Display Size13 inches
Display Resolution2880 x 1920
Battery Life15 hours for the Intel model on Wi-Fi, 19 hours for SQ 3 model on 5G
Length11.3 inches
Height0.37 inches
Width8.2 inches
Weight1.94 pounds
CamerasFront-facing camera with 1080p resolution, rear-facing camera with 10-megapixel resolution
Connectivity2 USB-C Ports, Surface Connect, Surface Cover port

Surface Pro Complaint #7 — Keyboard Cover and Surface Pen

For however many years in a row, the Keyboard Cover and Surface Pen are still separate purchases. This would be fine if they were affordable, but they are expensive purchases on top of the already pricey Surface Pro 9.

One could argue that you don’t need these to coax the full functionality out of your Surface Pro, but they extend functionality in a massive way. This is especially glaring when considering the overall price of the accessories and peripherals for the iPad Pro from Apple.

The Apple Pencil and Smart Cover together retail for roughly the same as the Surface Pen and official Surface Keyboard Cover. That said, you’re also spending a fair bit less on an iPad Pro than on the i7 Surface Pro.

It is a device that is supposed to be the midpoint between a laptop and a tablet, but it finds itself lacking in both categories due to a lack of functionality.

Surface Pro Complaint #6 — Trackpad Size

If you do opt for a keyboard cover, you may find yourself questioning the size of the trackpad. The trackpad placed on the Surface Pro 9’s keyboard cover is far smaller than on the average models on the market.

It is certainly responsive and works well, but the actual space it occupies is minuscule. Now, sure, you could augment this with the Surface Pen or an additional mouse. But that overlooks the fact that you’ve spent money on extended functionality and now need to look at additional purchases to get acceptable usage out of it.

Best Dual-Purpose Option
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 – SQ3 Model
$1,191.23
  • Microsoft SQ® 3 processor
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 13-inch PixelSense Flow Display
  • Up to 19 hours of battery life
  • Enhanced security with Microsoft Pluton
  • USB-C ports
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
03/11/2024 05:37 pm GMT

You could always use the touchscreen display, as many do. Users experienced with tablets can attest to how inaccurate using your finger for most mouse-based work can be, however.

Given the overall price of the peripheral, it’s a small wonder Microsoft has left such a small trackpad installed. They do offer up an Arc Mouse, and you can certainly use any number of Bluetooth mice on the market. However, if you’re looking for an all-in-one device, you’ll be left disappointed.

Surface Pro Complaint #5 — GPU Performance and App Compatibility

The GPU performance of the Surface Pro 9 is nothing to write home about. It can handle most typical tasks just fine, like word processing, streaming media, and web browsing. Anything graphically intensive, however, is where the device begins to falter.

The Intel models use the Iris GPU, which is fine for most uses. If you’re looking for a little light gaming, like Microsoft advertises with this device, you might be left wondering where the power is.

The GPU performance of the ARM-based SQ 3 processor is, likewise, middling to fair. With the Apple line of tablets, as this is the closest analog to the Surface Pro, you get stellar graphical performance in spite of its premium cost.

The Surface Pro 9, however, has a distinct lack of compatibility with most Windows apps in the ARM-based processor. Windows 10 and 11 have been ARM-compatible for a while, but the actual apps you can run are quite a slim selection.

Surface Pro Complaint #4 — Battery Life

The Surface Pro 9’s battery life isn’t quite as robust as previous models. One can attribute this to the use of less power-efficient processors in the Intel-based models. Numerous critics and technical reviewers have noted that the overall performance is far less than the estimated 15 hours given by Microsoft.

Testing found that the Intel model battery lasts for around eight hours. Now, a few years ago, this would’ve been a massive amount of battery life for such a device. However, compared to the previous model, it only has a 20% increase in battery life when using power-saver modes.

Surface Pro Complaint #3 — Lack of Ports

You’ll find that your Surface Pro 9 has shockingly few ports. While making thinner devices has been a goal for many manufacturers, there’s no reason they can’t sling a few more ports in there. The Surface Pro 9 has a whopping total of four ports, two of which are used for official Microsoft accessories.

Users will find a Surface Connect and Surface Keyboard port, which are, thankfully, solely for those devices. If you have a plethora of other devices to connect to your device, you’ll need to look into a USB-C hub of some sort.

Best Dual-Purpose Option
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 – SQ3 Model
$1,191.23
  • Microsoft SQ® 3 processor
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 13-inch PixelSense Flow Display
  • Up to 19 hours of battery life
  • Enhanced security with Microsoft Pluton
  • USB-C ports
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
03/11/2024 05:37 pm GMT

The device itself only has two USB-C ports, which is fine if you’re looking to use it solely as a tablet. If you’re looking at this as a laptop replacement, you’ll need to invest in some other accessories to get parity with other actual laptops on the market. This is especially disappointing given the steep price tag of even the basic i5 model.

Surface Pro Complaint #2 — Missing Headphone Jack

Going with the distinct lack of ports, Microsoft no longer has a standard 3.5mm stereo headphone jack for users. Now, you can certainly use Bluetooth headphones with the Surface Pro 9; it helps not to have yet another device to worry about charging.

The omission of headphone jacks is a growing issue with portable tech, especially when so many of the more stellar headphone choices out there are very much wired devices.

That said, if you’ve got a suitable pair of Bluetooth headphones, then you’re in luck. If you want to use your fancy audiophile headphones with the Surface, you might have to look into an audio adapter and take up one of the two ports you have on the physical device just to use them.

Surface Pro Complaint #1 — No Clear Use Case

The mission statement of the Surface Pro 9 is an odd one. It has more than enough power to function as a laptop, but it needs a handful of expensive accessories to do it.

Recent Windows versions have been designed with the touch screen in mind, but it is still far less intuitive than a purpose-built tablet operating system. As such, this leaves the Surface Pro 9 in an odd place. It doesn’t inherently excel as a laptop or a tablet.

It doesn’t have the stellar battery life and robust touchscreen apps to function as a tablet and it is missing a packaged keyboard and suitable trackpad to work as a laptop. The Surface Pro 9 sits firmly in-between both camps, providing functionality while not excelling at either.

Closing Thoughts

The Surface Pro 9 isn’t a bad device by any means, but it is missing core functionality to be truly ready for the big leagues as a tablet or laptop. It may very well suit your use case, though, depending on what you need out of a portable device.

That said, as with any major investment, it pays to do your homework before committing to a purchase. You might just find something you like far better before committing to the Surface Pro 9.

Best Dual-Purpose Option
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 – SQ3 Model
$1,191.23
  • Microsoft SQ® 3 processor
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 13-inch PixelSense Flow Display
  • Up to 19 hours of battery life
  • Enhanced security with Microsoft Pluton
  • USB-C ports
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
03/11/2024 05:37 pm GMT

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you game on the Surface Pro 9?

Lighter or older games should work just fine. Don’t expect to run the latest titles with ease, however.

Does the Intel Surface Pro 9 have 5G?

5G access is exclusive to the Microsoft SQ 3 model of the Surface Pro 9.

Can I use Word with the Surface Pro 9?

Yes, it runs Word quite well.

Can I upgrade the RAM on my Surface Pro 9?

No, you don’t have access to the inner case to actually remove and replace RAM modules.

Can I use a mouse with the Surface Pro 9?

If it has a USB-C connection or you have the requisite adapter, yes.

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