Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ review | Laptop Mag
Our Verdict
Microsoft's Surface Pro 7+ improves upon the consumer model with faster operation and a few usability features, but this business tablet has some drawbacks.
For
- Bright, vivid display
- Faster CPU and graphics performance
- Swappable SSD
- Fanless chassis
- Skilful webcam
Against
- Battery life could be better
- Thick display bezels
- Accessories sold separately
- No Thunderbolt ports or 5G
Laptop Mag Verdict
Microsoft'south Surface Pro 7+ improves upon the consumer model with faster performance and a few usability features, merely this concern tablet has some drawbacks.
Pros
- +
Bright, vivid brandish
- +
Faster CPU and graphics performance
- +
Swappable SSD
- +
Fanless chassis
- +
Good webcam
Cons
- -
Bombardment life could exist better
- -
Thick brandish bezels
- -
Accessories sold separately
- -
No Thunderbolt ports or 5G
Surface Pro 7+ specs
Toll: $1,486
CPU: Intel Cadre i5-1135G7
GPU: Iris Xe
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 256GB
Brandish: 12.3 inches, 2736 x 1824-pixel
Bombardment: 8:49
Size: 11.five x 7.9 x 0.iii
Weight: ane.8 pounds
The Surface Pro 7+ (starting at $912; reviewed at $1,486) isn't the tablet hybrid I was expecting, or even one I was eager to see. Nonetheless, it does meliorate upon the Surface Pro seven in a few meaningful ways. Built for and sold exclusively to business organization users, the Pro 7+ adds a swappable SSD, 4G LTE (on some models), and some improved thermals (our Cadre i5 unit is fanless).
But the real reasons to buy the Surface Pro 7+, autonomously from it running Windows 10 Pro, are for the 11th Gen Intel CPUs, which deliver meaning performance gains over the original, and the extended battery life. It makes those upgrades while maintaining the bright and vivid display, capable cameras and fantabulous accessories.
Unfortunately, the Surface Pro 7+ suffers from many of the same issues we flagged with the consumer model; the design is weighed down past chunky bezels and the aforementioned accessories (Type Embrace keyboard and Surface Pen) cost extra. Also, the bombardment life, while improved, remains below average.
Surface Pro 7+ cost and configurations
Y'all can only buy the Surface Pro 7+ from IT retailers, like CDW, Staples Advantage, Verizon and Connection.
Pricing varies depending on the retailer, just the cheapest model starts at around $912 and comes with an Intel Core i3-1115G4 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD.
If y'all desire 4G LTE connectivity, you need a Cadre i5 model. Our review unit of measurement, equipped with a Core i5-11357 CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD goes for $1,486. Opting for only 8GB of RAM lowers the toll to $1,288.
The tiptop models cost an arm and a leg, also, the Core i7 model has a fan while the others do not. You lot will need to spend $1,936 for a Core i7-1165G7 CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.
Surface Pro vii+ blueprint
The simply noteworthy design change fabricated to the Surface Pro 7+ is a pocket-size rectangular door hiding under the kickstand.
Here, you tin easily remove and replace the included M.ii SSD using simply a SIM menu squirt tool. Just place the tip of the needle into the tiny hole and the small door will popular out. You tin can and so supplant the SSD in case you're running low on storage or your Information technology department can switch one out for some other or make repairs if needed.
The Surface Pro 7+ is, for better or worse, otherwise unchanged from the Surface Pro seven. The detachable tablet has a stylish pearlescent silver magnesium alloy chassis with clean lines and an attractive chrome Microsoft logo on the rear.
It has a boxy shape with correct-angled corners and a slim gap between the torso and dorsum panel for ventilation. On the top, are volume and power buttons and on the bottom is a magnetic six-pin connector for attaching the keyboard accessory (sold separately).
On the lesser of the back panel is the kickstand, what Microsoft considers the Pro seven+'s coup de maître. I, nonetheless, have mixed feelings almost the flap. Starting with the skillful, the kickstand extends a generous 165 degrees, allowing you lot to conform the tablet however you need to go the perfect viewing angle. You can set the tablet so it stands perfectly straight or lean it back into cartoon fashion. I found the hinge was durable enough to withstand pressure level from my palm as I drew on the screen.
Where the kickstand fails equally a concept is when using the Surface Pro 7+ on anything just a flat surface. Considering the point of contact on the bottom of the kickstand is so small, the Pro seven doesn't feel stable on soft or uneven surfaces. Using the tablet on your thighs while sitting is fine, using it on your tum while laying downwardly is a nightmare.
The other trouble with the design is those cruddy bezels surrounding the display. Those thick black bars need to be taken to the barber and given a trim. Microsoft already released a tablet that looks exactly like our dream numbered Surface Pro in the Surface Pro X, and so permit'southward hope the Surface Pro 8 gets the same treatment.
Weighing in at 1.viii pounds with an eleven.5 10 vii.ix x 0.iii-inch chassis, the Surface Pro vii+ is near the same size as the original version (1.7 pounds, 0.3 inches) and the Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable (1.7 pounds, 0.three inches). Every bit expected, the MacBook Air (two.viii pounds, 0.6 inches) is heavier and larger. The Surface Pro X (i.7 pounds, 0.3 inches), nonetheless, is smaller and slightly thinner.
Surface Pro vii+ security and immovability
As a tablet meant for business, the Surface Pro 7+ should come with all the security and immovability reassurances needed by professionals. While information technology delivers on the basics, there are a few things missing.
Above the brandish is an IR webcam for facial recognition login via Windows Hullo. Information technology's a secure biometric authentication method that makes logging into your arrangement a cakewalk. There is no fingerprint sensor on the Surface Pro 7+ itself, though Microsoft sells a Surface Pro Blazon Comprehend with a built-in fingerprint scanner.
On the inside of the Surface Pro 7+ is a TPM ii.0 security chip, which ensures all data coming and going from the tablet is encrypted. Interestingly, the Surface Pro seven+ does not have Intel vPro compatible chips for enhanced security and remote manageability.
It may not accept passed any military-form immovability tests but the Surface Pro 7+ feels sturdy withal — the fit and cease are top-notch and I didn't hear any creaking as I practical light pressure level to the chassis.
Surface Pro 7+ ports
For a tablet, the Surface Pro vii+ has a decent array of ports.
On the right side is a USB Blazon-C input (withal no Thunderbolt 4) aslope a USB 3.0 Type-A port and a magnetic Surface Connect port for charging and docking.
Await to the left border and you'll spot a lonely 3.5mm headphone jack. There is also a SIM carte du jour slot for 4G LTE connectivity simply higher up the SD card door under the kickstand.
Surface Pro 7+ brandish
The 12.3-inch, 2736 x 1824-pixel display on the Surface Pro 7+ is excellent. The panel is vivid, bright and the 3:two attribute ratio is ideal for work. Information technology's because of this screen that the Surface Pro 7+ should be considered past content creators, like photo or video editors, likewise as those who run simulations or edit spreadsheets.
What struck me first when watching a trailer for Nobody, was how I could run across fifty-fifty the most minute details, similar each grain in Bob Odenkirk'due south common salt-and-pepper beard. The console was vivid plenty to catch the chocolate-brown shade in his modestly tanned face and the scene of cash catching fire covered the screen in fiery orangish.
Covering 75.5% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, the Pro vii+ is more than brilliant than the Surface Pro 7 (68.vii%) and the Surface Pro X (72.7%). The panel on the Microsoft isn't as colorful as the 1 on the MacBook Air (80.9%) or the average laptop (85.5%), but it edges out the ThinkPad X12 Detachable (74.9%).
The Surface Pro 7+'s display reached a maximum average of 358 nits of brightness, making information technology visible outdoors under sunlight. However, the Surface Pro 7 (395 nits), MacBook Air (366 nits), Surface Pro 10 (420 nits), ThinkPad X12 Detachable (376 nits) and average premium laptop (392 nits) all outshone the Surface Pro vii+.
Surface Pro 7+ keyboard and touchpad
Effortlessly springing my digits from one letter to the next, the keys on the detachable Type Embrace keyboard are wonderfully comfortable to type on. They're so skilful, I can type faster and more accurately on this accompaniment than I can on most other laptop keyboards and fifty-fifty some mechanical gaming keyboards.
What makes this such a good keyboard is a combination of expert spacing, bouncy keys, and a relatively low actuation force that yet provides a pleasant click with every letter or number you press. The keyboard is also backlit and in that location are no notably undersized keys apart from the left Tab. I also like the soft-touch palm rest, which gave respite to my overworked wrists.
Before I go also overboard with praise, the keys might be slightly small for those with larger hands and the non-rigid construction means information technology works best on a sturdy surface.
I typed at 124 words per minute with an accurate rate of 98% on the 10fastfingers.com typing test, a result that is among the best I've ever achieved and well higher up my typical 109-wpm average.
The four x 2.1-inch touchpad is on the smaller side and so those with pudgy fingers will need to make precise movements. Everyone else will appreciate the satin-like finish and excellent responsiveness of the surface and its Precision drivers. Windows 10 gestures, similar three-finger swiping to one side to switch programs, were a cinch to execute.
Surface Pro 7+ sound
The pair of front-firing speakers flanking the Surface Pro vii+'s display produce expert sound quality capable of filling a medium-sized room. I was caught off baby-sit by the power behind these speakers every bit I listened to Rhye'south "Open," a slow ballad with smooth male vocals guided by uncomplicated percussion. The vocals were detailed throughout and never distorted, even at the maximum volume level.
Switching to Glass Animals' "Space Ghost Declension to Coast" revealed the weak bass I was anticipating from the tablet, although there was the softest of thuds to keep this funky runway feeling dynamic.
Surface Pro vii+ functioning
Armed with an 11th Gen (Tiger Lake) Intel CPU, the Surface Pro 7+ has a functioning advantage over its consumer-focused predecessor.
I had no problems running my demanding workload on the former model, and I haven't run into any issues with the new ane. Configured with a Core i5-1135G7 CPU and 16GB of RAM, the Pro 7+ powering up 20 Google Chrome tabs, a few Edge windows, a handful of 1080p YouTube videos, and a Champions League lucifer on Paramount+ without batting an center. I didn't experience any stuttering or lag, indicating that the Pro seven+ is gear up for all simply the most demanding workloads.
Scoring a four,825 on the Geekbench 5.3 overall functioning exam, the Surface Pro vii+ topped the Surface Pro X (iii,077, Microsoft SQ2), the ThinkPad X12 Detachable (4,778, Core i5-1130G7) and the Surface Pro 7 (4,443). The MacBook Air demolished these competitors, at 7,575, but the Pro 7+ did beat the premium laptop average (iv,160).
On our real-world test, the Surface Pro seven+ needed 23 minutes and 41 seconds to convert a 4K video to 1080p resolution using the Handbrake app. That is a full 10 minutes faster than the Surface Pro 7 (32:47) but a hair slower than the X12 Detachable (22:56). The MacBook Air (ix:xv) demolished this test, beating the 16:48 category average.
The 256GB SSD housed within our Surface Pro vii+ unit is sluggish compared with other products in this price range. The storage drive took 1 minute and 17 seconds to convert a 25GB file, equating to a 348.3 megabytes per 2d transfer rate. That is quicker than the Surface Pro 10 (267.2 MBps) merely behind the ThinkPad X12 Detachable (408.39) and the average (600.8 MBps).
Surface Pro seven+ graphics
With integrated Iris Xe graphics, the Pro 7+ will exist fine for basic 3D modeling or to run older games. Only as nosotros found in our testing, the tablet isn't meant for running graphics-demanding apps.
Nosotros tried to run Sid Meier's Culture 6: Gathering Storm at 1080p resolution simply the Pro seven+ reached a laggy xv frames per 2nd. Upping the resolution to the native 2736 x 1824 resolution dropped the game downwardly to 12 fps, well below our thirty-fps threshold. The Surface Pro 7+ did ameliorate than the ThinkPad X12 Detachable (12 fps) on the 1080p examination, but got nowhere most the laptop average (28 fps).
On the 3DMark Fire Strike synthetic benchmark, the Pro seven+ hit 3,215, falling brusque of the ThinkPad X12 Detachable (three,706) and the 4,701 average.
Surface Pro vii+ battery life
When I await back at the Surface Pro 7, my biggest takeaway is that the next model needs to have better endurance. The Surface Pro vii+ does, but bombardment life still remains a thorn in the side of these tablets.
The Surface Pro 7+ lasted for eight hours and 49 minutes on the Laptop Mag Bombardment Test, which involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits. The Surface Pro 7 powered down after 7:30 while the MacBook Air endured for an astonishing xiv:41. The Surface Pro 7+ didn't reach the premium laptop boilerplate (x:05) or our ix-hour preference.
Surface Pro vii+ webcam
The 5-megapixel front-facing camera on the Surface Pro vii+ is definitely amidst the ameliorate webcams you'll find on a laptop or tablet. A selfie I snapped in my dimly lit function was abrupt and had first-class color accuracy to the signal where you lot could see my rosy complexion and the subtle blond color in my hair.
There was some visual noise, as expected, but the selfie I snapped was good enough that, for the first time in a while, I don't need to recommend visiting our best webcams page.
On the back of the Surface Pro 7+ is an 8-megapixel photographic camera that takes decent photos. You're meliorate off using your smartphone, not simply for meliorate image quality, but so people don't gauge you equally y'all concur up a 12.3-inch slate to snapshots.
Surface Pro 7+ software and warranty
There isn't much to say, the Surface Pro 7+ runs on Windows 10 Pro and comes with only a scattering of first-party apps you won't find on other laptops. One of those is the Microsoft Whiteboard, a cloud-based collaboration tool where you tin describe with team members.
I was surprised to discover an app chosen "Surface," which shows the details of your tablet and has tabs for accessories and Pen settings and SIM & Data options. Additionally, a Surface Diagnostic Toolkit app runs a examination to see if anything is going wrong with your tablet.
Skype for Business is also pre-installed on the tablet along with the Your Phone app and several other Windows 10 mainstays, similar the Xbox Game Bar, the Office suite and Microsoft Teams.
The Surface Pro 7+ comes with a one-year limited warranty. See how Microsoft performed on our Tech Support Showdown and Best and Worst Brands ranking.
Bottom line
The Surface Pro vii+ is a fine tablet that addresses some of the bug we had with the consumer model. Its 11th Gen Intel chips deliver faster speeds and much improve graphics functioning, and the tablet lasts about an 60 minutes longer on a accuse than before. Those enhancements join a bright, brilliant display, excellent keyboard accessory, and good cameras.
New to the Surface Pro 7+ is the swappable SSD, 4G LTE support and Windows x Pro Os — all useful additions for business organisation users.
I wish I could stop hither, but there are problems the Surface Pro 7+ doesn't fix, like the mesomorphic bezels around the display, the slow SSD, and the lack of Thunderbolt ports. And while the battery life is improved this fourth dimension effectually, it nevertheless lags behind competitors. I'd still recommend the Surface Pro 7+ if I could wait by the price. Every bit it stands, the Surface Pro vii+ is much pricier than the Surface Pro 7, which tin exist found at a steep discount. Does it add enough value to justify the price hike? That's up for you or your It admin to decide. I'd personally become with the older model if I had to choose betwixt them — or expect for the Surface Pro eight if I didn't.
Source: https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/microsoft-surface-pro-7-plus
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