Microsoft Surface Pro 9 review: A cheap iPad Pro alternative?

The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 with pen and keyboard did well in my test – but it has one major disadvantage.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is Microsoft’s latest flagship tablet. For the first time, they combine the Intel version and the Surface Pro X in one device – so you can get the Surface Pro 9 with an Intel processor or with an ARM chipset. Compared to the Pro 8, almost only the internal hardware has changed. And that’s why we start this test with that. 

hardware and performance

You can get the Surface Pro 9 with a 12th Gen Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor, or with a Microsoft SQ3 ARM chipset, which they co-developed with Qualcomm. You can choose between 8GB and 32GB RAM, as well as between a 128GB and 1TB SSD. Although only the ARM version supports 5G, you can quickly and easily change the SSD yourself on all of them.

My Surface Pro 9 is the cheapest version at 1299 euros with the Core i5, 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD. As you can see, there can be no talk of cheap, because I spent 1479 euros with a keyboard and pen. It is interesting that Microsoft has not raised prices as much as Apple. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro costs EUR 1449 without accessories and EUR 2027 with the Magic Keyboard and pen.

So the Surface Pro 9 is cheaper than the iPad Pro. It is also weaker than the Apple tablet in benchmarks such as Geekbench 5 and the 3D Mark Wild Life test, and noticeably so. At the same time, it’s only slightly more powerful than last year’s Surface Pro 8 . This makes it the fastest Windows tablet on the market, but only by a small margin.

My video render test confirms the benchmarks. It renders a 9 minute 4K video marginally faster than the Surface Pro 8 in Adobe Premiere Rush. At the same time, the iPad Pro and Air are faster. The iPad 10 is just as fast.

I recommend the Surface Pro 9 more as an office tablet for someone who wants a premium device with Windows. It is wonderfully suited for Microsoft Office including Excel and OneNote, but also Google Chrome and comparable apps. Even with intensive multitasking. Everything runs fast and smoothly.

Of course, you can also install and use more demanding programs such as Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. Both work well, and yes, even when using the stylus. But for intensive Photoshop work and especially if you want to edit videos with Premiere Pro, I recommend choosing at least 16GB RAM.

Read: The best tablets for photographers

If you don’t necessarily want to play Windows games, then I wouldn’t recommend it as a gaming tablet. Nevertheless, you can of course play games on the Surface Pro 9. I tried Apex Legend and it runs really smooth with default settings and 720p resolution. The frame rate there is between 30 and 60 FPS.

I also find it playable if I increase the resolution to 1440 x 900 pixels. Then it’s usually between 25 and 40 FPS, which is only too little for demanding gamers. However, the graphics performance is too weak for a FullHD resolution, because then the frame rate often falls below 24 FPS. Of course, the tablet gets very warm when playing games and you can also hear the active fans.

ARM or Intel?

Such games, like Adobe Premiere Pro or Rush, only work with the Intel version. Many games as well as some traditional Windows programs will not run on the ARM version and this may include drivers.

Others such as Google Chrome and Adobe Photoshop run in an emulator and thus perform significantly worse. The system itself runs flawlessly on the ARM version of Windows, as do Microsoft Office and many apps from the Microsoft Store. In general, however, one can say that programs that you download from the Internet only run as emulations.

I chose the Intel version because I recently tested a Windows ARM tablet with the Xiaomi Book S 12.4 . It’s a bit weaker, but the problems are the same. I think it’s a real shame that only the ARM version has 5G. But I think most people who use a Windows tablet also want to use normal Windows 11 and not the ARM version.

The ARM version can be interesting if you need 5G, love the Windows interface and Microsoft apps, but don’t want to install any or almost any traditional Windows programs. I advise everyone else to go with the Intel version, because it behaves just like a classic Windows PC or laptop.

design and processing

The Surface Pro 9 looks almost exactly like its predecessor. Microsoft no longer uses magnesium alloy. Instead, the case is made entirely of aluminum. I have the green version, but you can also get it in light grey, dark gray and blue. Without accessories, it weighs 879g and is 9.3mm thin.

Very nice, it looks like a typical Microsoft tablet and has a very high quality finish. On the back there is a folding stand, which you can easily extend very far. There is no longer a MicroSD card slot under this one – it has been completely missing since the last generation. Instead, you can easily replace the built-in SSD.

Read: The best Surface Pro alternatives compared

At the top are the power button, the speaker rocker and you can see how elegantly the active fans are hidden in the case. The Surface Connect connection is installed on the left, with which you can charge it with the supplied power adapter. You can also connect accessories like the Surface Dock.

On the other hand, we get two USB C 4.0 ports with Thunderbolt 4. You can also use it to charge the tablet. You can connect other docks or hubs, external SSDs, but also external monitors via the USB C 4.0 ports. I often have a 4K monitor connected and it works beautifully with the Pro 9.

It is important to know that the ARM version does not support USB C 4.0, only USB C 3.2.

On the back sits a 10-megapixel camera, with which you can take quite good photos and videos. The 5-megapixel front camera is also particularly suitable for video chats. There we also get an infrared sensor, thanks to which it can be unlocked very quickly and safely with Windows Hello face recognition. Even in dark rooms.

Microsoft Signature Keyboard

You can buy the black Surface Pro Keyboard for 150 euros and a slightly higher quality Surface Pro Signature Keyboard for 180 euros. You can get the latter in blue, light grey, black, red and green. It’s the exact same keyboards that are compatible with the Pro 8 and Pro X. The type covers of the predecessors no longer work.

I have the green Signature Keyboard. These are made from an Alcantara material that feels quite premium. It connects magnetically to the tablet, so when folded it protects the display. There is space at the top for the Slim Pen 2, which charges while sitting inside.

Read: The best tablets with a keyboard in the test

As usual, the keyboard is very well implemented. Since we have such a large display here, the keyboard can be nice and big, which makes it comfortable. A backlight is built in. I think it’s the best tablet keyboard you can buy. Too bad it only works with the Surface.

The touchpad is made of glass and is relatively large for a tablet keyboard. It’s a good one that works flawlessly and of course also reproduces Windows 11’s multi-touch gestures well.

display and speakers

The Surface Pro 9 has a 13-inch display that Microsoft calls the PixelSense Flow screen. It has an aspect ratio of 3:2, which is very good for office work. The resolution is nice and high with 2880 x 1920 pixels and everything looks sharp. I also think it’s great that it supports 120Hz, which makes animations and drawing with the Slim Pen 2 look very smooth.

Overall, it’s a very good display with good color reproduction, high contrast, and wide viewing angles. It is of course fully laminated. At 450 nits, it’s fairly bright for a Windows tablet , but slightly dimmer than an iPad Air. Still, I was able to work well with it outdoors.

If you are specifically looking for an entertainment tablet, I would rather choose one with Android or a cheaper iPad for cost reasons. But if you want, you can watch Netflix or YouTube with the Pro 9 thanks to the good display. The two speakers on the sides of the display are surprisingly good. Not as good as the iPad Pro, but definitely good enough for watching movies.

Microsoft Slim Pen 2

You can get the Surface Pro 9 with the Slim Pen 2, which you can buy for 130 euros. Here it is important to know that the Slim Pen 2 does not work alone with the tablet, because you have to charge it somehow. This is done either via the keyboard cover, which I recommend anyway, or via a separate charger. That costs another 35 euros extra.

Alternatively, it is of course also compatible with the first Slim Pen and with the Surface Pen. So if you have a predecessor, you can use exactly the same pens on the Pro 9.

The Slim Pen 2 is newer and slightly better. You can draw better with it, you don’t have to change batteries anymore, and it gives haptic feedback. There is a vibration motor built into the pen that only vibrates very gently, but this sometimes makes it feel more like writing on paper. At least that’s the meaning behind it.

Especially with OneNote, the Surface Pro 9 is ideal for writing down handwritten notes. This is exactly what the Slim Pen 2 seems to be made for. Thanks to the 120Hz display, the pen reacts very quickly and the digital ink appears almost immediately. I’ve also used the pen in Adobe Photoshop and it works beautifully.

Ultimately, if you want to use an active pen, the Pro 9 is a good choice. But that was already the case with the predecessor, there are no changes here.

battery life

In my battery test, the Pro 9 ran for a rather weak 4.5 hours. For this, a YouTube HD video always runs at maximum brightness in the Chrome browser and at 120Hz in an endless loop. It is possible to get more than 6 hours with office work, but only with 60Hz and if you reduce the display brightness.

Microsoft Surface Pro 9 review: my conclusion

My conclusion is clear, the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is an excellent tablet and, in my opinion, the best Windows tablet currently available. It offers the latest Intel processors, a very high-quality design, a good display, as well as a great keyboard and a good pen.

It is particularly interesting if you want to use Windows 11 and are looking for a high-quality tablet, especially for office tasks. Sure, Photoshop and other demanding programs also run. But the more and the more frequently you want to use such apps, it makes sense to choose the more expensive models with better hardware.

I wouldn’t buy the ARM version and I think it’s only interesting for a very small target group. If I’m going to choose Windows, I want 100% traditional Windows. Otherwise I would rather take an iPad or Android tablet.

If you already have the Surface Pro 8, there’s no point in upgrading because they’re almost the same tablets. And if you can find a good deal on the Pro 8, I’d take the savings and go for the Pro 8 too.

The most exciting alternative is of course the new Apple iPad Pro with the M2 chipset , which I have also just tested. In fact, the processor performance is clearly superior to the Pro 9. If you don’t need Windows, be sure to check out my review of it. Apple has improved a lot in recent years, making it a very serious tablet even for pro users.

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In my opinion

The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is the best Windows tablet on the market. It offers high-quality workmanship, the latest Intel processors, a great 120Hz display and, with the Slim Pen 2 and Signature Keyboard, excellent accessories. It’s just a shame that the battery life is so short and that hardly anything has changed compared to the predecessor.

PROS	CONS
Quality design	Short battery life
Chic 120Hz display	–
face recognition	–
Chic 120Hz display	–
Slim Pen 2	–
Class keyboard	–
Current software	–