Mircosoft Surface 9 Pro: Excellent 2-in-1 at a sporty price
Like the previous model, the new Surface Pro 9 is made entirely of aluminum and also has the same dimensions of 28.8 x 20.9 x 0.93 centimeters (length/width/height). The only difference between the two models is in the weight: at 873 grams, the Surface 9 Pro is lighter than its predecessor and therefore a nicer companion than many comparable laptops.
The excellent battery performance also corresponds to this: with the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 you can watch videos for about nine hours, surf the Internet for about eight hours or work with your office software for four hours. The colors you can choose from are graphite, platinum, sapphire, and forest.
A particular highlight of the 2-in-1 is the first-class display. Our test team rated and praised the Pro 9 with a rating of 1.3 (very good). A dedicated graphics solution is not used in the Surface, but the GPU integrated into the processor, an Intel Iris Xe Graphics. This makes the 2-in-1 well suited for office applications, video streaming, and either casual gaming.
The integrated 13-inch panel has a resolution of 2880×1920 pixels in a 3 to 2 aspect ratio. Thanks to improved contrasts, there are fewer distracting reflections than with the Pro 8.
The Surface Pro 9’s equipment is also impressive. Although the model has fewer connections – the missing SD card reader and the USB Type-A connection are now joined by the 3.5mm jack – but the excellent cameras can make up for this shortcoming.
The quality of photos and videos is excellent, both from the main camera, which has a resolution of 4K, and from the selfie camera in Full HD.
Unfortunately, since neither the keyboard nor the stylus are included in the delivery, you have to invest around 300 euros more to turn the Surface Pro 9 into a complete 2-in-1. The illuminated “Signature Keyboard” costs around 180 euros (see on Amazon) and the Surface Slim Pen 2 sports 130 euros (see on Amazon).
Our verdict at the time of the test
“In our test, the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (QIL-00038) shows what performance is possible in the 2-in-1 segment. This is ensured by a twelfth generation Intel processor as well as 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of flash memory. Unfortunately, you still have to buy the Slim Pen2 and the Signature Keyboard separately, and that at an introductory price of around 1,900 euros.
