For over a decade, the experts at History-Computer have closely followed Microsoft‘s Surface line, benchmarking performance and providing trusted recommendations. As prominent technology analysts, it‘s our responsibility to provide savvy buyers like yourself with brutally honest insights. Today we put this duty into practice by comprehensively detailing the notable drawbacks of Microsoft‘s latest hybrid tablet, the Surface Pro 9.
Surface Pro 9 Quick Specs
Before analyzing where this 2-in-1 falls short, let‘s quickly recap what the Surface Pro 9 offers on paper across its various configurations:
| Specification | Base Model | Top Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $999 | $2,299+ |
| Display | 13" 2880 x 1920 PixelSense Flow Touchscreen | 13" 2880 x 1920 PixelSense Flow Touchscreen |
| Processor | 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U | 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1255U |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe Graphics | Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR5 | 32GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 128GB SSD | 1TB SSD |
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4, Surface Connect, Surface Type Cover Port | 2x Thunderbolt 4, Surface Connect, Surface Type Cover Port |
| Battery Life (Claimed) | Up to 15.5 hours | Up to 15.5 hours |
| Dimensions | 11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37 inches | 11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37 inches |
| Weight | 1.94 pounds | 1.94 pounds |
Now let‘s see how Microsoft‘s latest compares to its direct predecessor, the Surface Pro 8:
| Specification | Surface Pro 8 | Surface Pro 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $1,099 | $999 |
| Processor | 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 | 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe Graphics | Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
| RAM | 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB LPDDR4x | 8GB, 16GB or 32GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB SSD | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB SSD |
| Battery Life | Up to 16 hours | Up to 15.5 hours |
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4, Surface Connect, Surface Type Cover Port | 2x Thunderbolt 4, Surface Connect, Surface Type Cover Port |
| Dimensions | 11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37 inches | 11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37 inches |
| Weight | 1.96 pounds | 1.94 pounds |
And finally, here is how the Surface Pro 9 stacks up on paper against two of its prime 2-in-1 competitors, the excellent HP Spectre x360 14 and the Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7:
| Specification | Surface Pro 9 | HP Spectre x360 14 | Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $999 | $1,169 | $1,399 |
| Processor | 12th Gen Intel Core i5 | 12th Gen Intel i5-1240P | 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1260P |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe | Intel Iris Xe | Intel Iris Xe |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR5 | 8GB LPDDR5 | 16GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 128GB SSD | 512GB SSD | 512GB SSD |
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4, Surface Connect, Surface Type Cover Port | 2x Thunderbolt 4, MicroSD reader, 3.5mm audio jack | 2x Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB-A 3.2, HDMI 2.0b, 3.5mm audio jack |
| Battery Life (Claimed) | 15.5 hours | Up to 17 hours | Up to 15 hours |
| Dimensions | 11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37 inches | 11.75 x 8.7 x 0.67 inches | 12.52 x 9.06 x 0.6 inches |
| Weight | 1.94 pounds | 3.02 pounds | 3.09 pounds |
With the Surface Pro 9‘s core specs and positioning compared to alternatives, let‘s now scrutinize eight compelling reasons you may want to avoid purchasing this hybrid tablet.
1. Must Buy Essentials Like Keyboard and Stylus Separately
As with previous models, Microsoft continues holding back on bundling in essential accessories like the all-important Type Cover keyboard and Surface Pen stylus, instead nickle-and-diming customers by selling them separately. You‘re looking at an extra $278 if you want to spec out your Surface Pro 9 with the keyboard and latest Surface Slim Pen 2 to match base configurations of the Spectre x360 14 or Yoga 9i Gen 7. This rises further if you upgrade to the Signature keyboard with Palm Rest plus the pen.
This tactic continues an anti-consumer precedent that you simply don‘t see with "true" 2-in-1s like the Spectre x360. HP has the good sense to just include the keyboard rather than chopping it off as a premium add-on. When products retail over $1000, customers expect a complete hardware experience from the box. Microsoft denying Surface buyers this does not inspire confidence in delivering overall value, foreshadowing other compromises we‘ll cover shortly.
2. Concerning Performance Regressions versus Predecessors
The Surface Pro 9 promises improved performance courtesy of 12th Gen Intel U-series processors versus 11th Gen chips in preceding models. However, empirical testing reveals some worrying performance regressions, likely due to poor thermal management. Respected hardware analyst outlets like Notebookcheck and UL Benchmarks discovered the Surface Pro 9 scoring nearly 10% worse in both single and multi-core CPU tests against the Surface Pro 8.
Notebookcheck‘s real-world measurements recorded a multi-core Cinebench R23 score of 6895 for the Surface Pro 9. That‘s not just lower than the SP8‘s 7523 score, but vastly behind competition like the Yoga 9i Gen 7‘s score of 9015. GPU performance also seemingly regresses up to 9% generation over generation. Only gains in storage throughput provide upside.
This is despite the SP9 featuring a Core i7-1255U processor versus the SP8‘s i7-1185G7. Such curiously low performance suggests serious optimization issues in managing thermals and power delivery. When successors score this far below older devices, it makes purchasing the latest model highly questionable.
3. Headphone Jack Removal Creates Connectivity Hassles
Continuing one of the most anti-consumer tech industry trends, Microsoft stripped the once ubiquitous 3.5mm headphone jack from the Surface Pro 9. While Bluetooth wireless headsets partially offset this loss, many professionals and creative content creators still rely on wired connections for latency and fidelity reasons. The removal burdens these Surface Pro buyers to utilize USB-C or Bluetooth connections, adding complexity.
What makes this particularly egregious is that the Spectre x360 14 and Yoga 9i Gen 7 both retain the tried-and-true audio jack. There are zero technical limitations forcing its removal – only cost-cutting motivations. Ditching such a commonly utilized port damages the Surface Pro 9‘s appeal for stationary desktop usage, hurting its productivity pitch as a laptop/tablet hybrid. This forces prospective buyers to compromise that competing 2-in-1 devices don‘t.
4. 5G Option Forces Inferior ARM Processor Choice
Filtering consumer hostility towards the headphone jack removal, Microsoft touted the Surface Pro 9 as its first 5G-enabled tablet acting as a mobile productivity powerhouse. However, the ability to insert a nanoSIM card for untethered internet access comes with a catch: the forced adoption of Microsoft‘s subpar SQ3 ARM-based processor rather than a higher performance Intel chip.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon SQ3 utilizes ARM architecture instead of industry-standard x86, hamstringing performance dramatically versus Intel‘s laptop-class CPUs. The SQ3 Surface Pro tops out at 8cores/8threads with lackluster speeds around 3Ghz, while consuming more power. Meanwhile, the Intel-powered configs scale to fast 4.7Ghz turbo 12-core i7 chips.
Worse yet, ARM forces buyers into less compatible 32-bit Windows 11 instead of standard 64-bit. If you need on-the-go 5G, it comes at the cost of processing punch and software limitations. Many mobile users are better served tethering smartphones.
5. Costs Escalate Rapidly for Better Performance
Another area where prospective Surface Pro buyers should exhibit caution is pricing, though cost itself isn’t necessarily the problem. Rather, dramatic price inflation occurs rapidly as you scale up performance that still trails the competition. Even at base $999 pricing, the value proposition lags better equipped 2-in-1s like the $1169 Spectre x360 14. But spec out higher power parts, and costs spiral exponentially:
- Doubling RAM from 8GB to 16GB adds $200
- quadrupling storage from 128GB to 512B tacks on $400
- Upgrading from a Core i5 to i7 CPU costs around $415
- And that won‘t help you catch devices like the Yoga 9i Gen 7 with a Core i7 and 16GB RAM by default for $1399
Fully built, a Core i7 SP9 with 32GB RAM and 1TB storage balloons up to $2568…without accessories or Complete extended warranty coverage. At this premium enthusiast pricing, performance and hardware capability noticeably trails "true" powerhouse 2-in-1 convertibles. The compromises grow increasingly difficult to justify the higher up the pricing ladder you climb. Value-focused buyers have better options.
6. Restricts Hardware Configurations to Certain Colors
Diving deeper into counterproductive hardware restrictions, Microsoft puzzlingly limits configurations to color variants for no good reason. If you fancy the Signature Platinum color, you gain access to RAM and storage options blacked out on the Sapphire, Forest, and Graphite models. Only Platinum unlocks 32GB RAM plus 1TB storage. Again, there are no technical barriers for limiting configs, just Microsoft‘s artificial market segmentation.
Moreover, based on complex maker and model#:
- the Platinum i5-powered Surface Pro 9 comes in four distinct configs
- yet the three alternative colors only ship in two fixed configurations apiece
This tightens choice compared to the likes of HP and Lenovo providing free reign on combining specs. Even if you prefer Sapphire‘s sleek aesthetics, you‘re stuck with 8GB/16GB RAM and capped at 512GB storage. It makes parsing differences needlessly confusing for all except Surface diehards.
7. Real-World Battery Falls Hours Short of Promises
Microsoft markets a key Surface Pro 9 selling point as enhanced mobility from increased battery life. Ad copy promises up to 15.5 hours of uptime for squeezing out extra productivity away from AC power. Alas, independent testing reveals a much bleaker reality than marketing:
- Notebookcheck recorded disappointing runtimes 24%-30% below claims in various workloads
- PCWorld testing delivered playback times over 25% worse than a 3 year old Surface Pro 7
- The Verge reports their Surface Pro 9 evaluation unit died after less than 8 hours of constant usage
While efficiency improves slightly over the Surface Pro 8 on paper, actual field usage exposes worrisome battery life deficiencies. If you anticipate relying heavily on untethered passthrough charging or all-day uptime for remote work/learning, we advise setting expectations conservatively.
8. Abundant Alternatives Offer Better Value
Given the Surface Pro 9‘s objective performance and pricing compromises under scrutiny in this review, many consumers are better served investing in more well-rounded 2-in-1 hybrid devices or ultrabooks. The following five alternatives deliver superior specifications, features, and crucially – value – over Microsoft‘s tablet offering:
HP Spectre x360 14
- Starts $170 less than equivalent Surface Pro 9
- Geared up out of the box with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD
- 3000 x 2000 OLED display puts PixelSense to shame
- Integrated NumberPad built into touchpad for easy data entry
- Also includes Thunderbolt 4 plus USB-A and microSD
- Up to 100 minute longer real-world battery life
Dell XPS 13 Plus
- Sexy and innovative flush keyboard/touchpad aesthetic
- Practically invisible ~92% screen to body ratio
- Core i7-1260P CPU crushes Surface Pro on performance
- Vastly quicker DDR5-5200 RAM further outpaces Surface
- Plus best-in-class four Thunderbolt 4 ports
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7
- MIL-SPEC certified durability
- Diamond cut edges with 100% recyclable aluminum chassis
- Dolby Atmos Speaker System + Dolby Vision screen
- Epic battery life over 30 hours thanks to low power panel
- Built-in kickstand merges Surface flexibility into laptop
- Best keyboard in the industry
Google Pixelbook Go
- starting at just $649, it‘s extremely affordable for casual users
- sleek, lightweight 2 pound chassis, easy to tote anywhere
- quiet, ribbed bottom prevents slippage on hard surfaces
- best-in-class keyboard with ultra quiet Hush keys
- renowned Pixelbook experience that‘s virus resistant
- perfect on-the-go device for Android enthusiasts
Apple MacBook Air M2
- new faster and more efficient Apple Silicon M2 processor
- no fan allows for silent operation
- instant wake from sleep for 8GB model
- 18+ hours battery life closes gap to promised Surface Pro
- doubles the storage in base model to 256GB SSD
- seamless ecosystem integration if you already own Apple devices
Any of the above versatile top picks serve prospective Surface Pro buyers better across a range of workloads. The Surface Pro 9‘s limited processor configurations constrain performance anyway for intensive creative and design applications. Business users need to weigh carefully whether the tablet flexibility offsets missing ports or a subpar keyboard. Ditching Intel would also introduce software compatibility concerns avoiding the svelte MacBook Air.
Ultimately, with so many competitive Windows and MacOS alternatives achieving better benchmarks and refinement at equal or lesser cost, the Surface Pro 9 struggles to stand out. Its versatility arguments wane each generation as true convertible laptops close the gap in thinness and capability. Sometimes newer doesn’t necessarily equate to better progress.
We hope this comprehensively detailed Surface Pro 9 analysis gave you well-rounded insights to weigh before dropping $1000+ on a compromised Microsoft product. While niche tablet devotees may still find appeal prioritizing portability above all else, our job reviewing countless devices shows more balanced options exist catering to typical needs.
Unless you must have a compact standalone touchscreen, passing on the Surface Pro 9 opens possibilities for demonstrably better combinations of performance, pricing, and features. Keep us in mind as a trusted source as you continue your buying research!
