Microsoft Surface Pro 9 13" i5 256GB/16GB (Graphite)
The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 combines the flexibility of a laptop and tablet, encouraging you to work in the way that best suits you. You can tap into this productivity anywhere, thanks to its slim design making it easy to slot into your bag, with a 12th Generation Intel Core i5 processor ensuring that your performance is smooth when you're ready to tackle tasks. Don't fear the struggle of setting up when you're out and about, thanks to the built-in kickstand commencing work time, any time.
The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 combines the flexibility of a laptop and tablet, encouraging you to work in the way that best suits you. You can tap into this productivity anywhere, thanks to its slim design making it easy to slot into your bag, with a 12th Generation Intel Core i5 processor ensuring that your performance is smooth when you're ready to tackle tasks. Don't fear the struggle of setting up when you're out and about, thanks to the built-in kickstand commencing work time, any time.
The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 combines the flexibility of a laptop and tablet, encouraging you to work in the way that best suits you. You can tap into this productivity anywhere, thanks to its slim design making it easy to slot into your bag, with a 12th Generation Intel Core i5 processor ensuring that your performance is smooth when you're ready to tackle tasks. Don't fear the struggle of setting up when you're out and about, thanks to the built-in kickstand commencing work time, any time.
The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 combines the flexibility of a laptop and tablet, encouraging you to work in the way that best suits you. You can tap into this productivity anywhere, thanks to its slim design making it easy to slot into your bag, with a 12th Generation Intel Core i5 processor ensuring that your performance is smooth when you're ready to tackle tasks. Don't fear the struggle of setting up when you're out and about, thanks to the built-in kickstand commencing work time, any time.
in 31 offers
The lowest price for Microsoft Surface Pro 9 13" i5 256GB/16GB (Graphite) right now is $899.00 at Phonebot, compared across 17 retailers.
The all-time low was $899.00 on 20 June 2026. That's the lowest price we've ever tracked — a great time to buy.
Prices last updated 20 June 2026.
Last updated at 20/06/2026 23:10:13
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 i5 (8GB 256GB) [Grade A]
Free delivery
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 i5 (8GB 256GB) [Like New]
Free delivery
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 i5 (8GB 256GB) [Open Box]
Free delivery
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 2-in-1 with Keyboard | Core i5-1245U | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD | Windows 11
Free delivery
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 2-in-1 with Keyboard | Core i5-1245U | 16GB RAM | 512GB/1TB SSD | Windows 11 16GB / 1TB SSD
Free delivery
Microsoft Surface Pro 11 2-in-1 with Keyboard | Core Ultra 5 | 16GB RAM | 256GB SSD | Windows 11
Free delivery
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 - 256GB - WiFi - Graphite
Free delivery between Mon – Wed
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 - Intel Core i5/8GB RAM/256GB (Good Condition)(B-) Renewed - Graphite
Free delivery
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 - 13.8" /Intel Core i5/8GB RAM/256GB (Near New)(A) Renewed - Graphite
Free delivery
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 2 in 1 Device (13", i5, 256GB/8GB) - Forest
Free delivery between Mon – Tue
originally posted on bestbuy.com
I manage a software development team and I travel a good bit, so a portable and powerful computer is a must. This is my first Surface tablet. I looked at one years ago when they first came out but went with a “convertible” touchscreen notebook computer instead. Over the years, I’ve had several different convertible notebooks, but I find them a bit bulky to use in some situations, like on airplanes, bistro tables, etc. I found this new Surface Pro 9 and decided to give it a try.There are many things I like about this tablet. It is small, so it makes it easier to use when traveling. The infinitely adjustable “kickstand” panel on the back works very well to keep the tablet at most any desired angle, and it makes it feel fairly stable. The touch screen works well, and ... MoreI manage a software development team and I travel a good bit, so a portable and powerful computer is a must. This is my first Surface tablet. I looked at one years ago when they first came out but went with a “convertible” touchscreen notebook computer instead. Over the years, I’ve had several different convertible notebooks, but I find them a bit bulky to use in some situations, like on airplanes, bistro tables, etc. I found this new Surface Pro 9 and decided to give it a try.There are many things I like about this tablet. It is small, so it makes it easier to use when traveling. The infinitely adjustable “kickstand” panel on the back works very well to keep the tablet at most any desired angle, and it makes it feel fairly stable. The touch screen works well, and it has a good resolution. Battery life is reasonable. I can get through most of a day on a single charge. Audio quality is good, too, but most of the time I’m using Bluetooth earbuds. Really, this tablet has all the latest features and works well – Thunderbolt ports, Wifi6, Bluetooth, a clear high-res screen and good audio.While it can be used as-is in tablet mode, it’s best when paired with a keyboard or pen. That makes it nearly as functional as a traditional laptop. I say “nearly” because it requires the kickstand to be extended and that makes it somewhat of a balancing act to hold on a lap. If sitting at a table, then that’s not an issue. When not at a table, it’s easier use it in tablet mode with the keyboard folded behind it. The on-screen keyboard in Windows 11 is decent, and the handwriting recognition using the optional pen works well, too.Performance is excellent. It easily runs all the Windows applications I need, including Microsoft Office as well as MS-SQL Server. I like that the SSD hard drive is easily accessible for an upgrade should I need more storage space, though the included 256GB is likely enough. I have noticed that a few programs are slow to launch, like Google Chrome. Also, the SSD is not as fast as what you can get with the high-end Samsung EVO models for a desktop or full-sized laptop, but it’s not noticeably slow.My two biggest gripes that prevent me from rating the Surface 9 Pro with 5 stars are the power button and the weight. With the power button being located right near the top corner (when held in landscape mode), it’s easy to accidentally press when holding the tablet. It would have been better if the volume buttons and power button positions were swapped. While the Surface is not as heavy as a full-blown laptop, it’s much heavier than an iPad or Samsung tablet. In fact, there are some super-light notebook computers out that weight less keyboard and all. The weight is not noticeable when using the table at a table or on a lap, but it is when carrying it around and using it while standing.Other than those two issues, I like the Surface Pro 9 and use it quite often. I would recommend it to anyone needing a powerful but compact portable Windows computer.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
The Surface Pro 9 is the main choice for a tablet/laptop and handles itself well. With amazing screen resolution and a precise touch screen, it makes working a breeze and relaxing the most enjoyable.Out of the box is the Surface Pro, A charging brick and cables, and a little bit of paperwork. The Surface Pro comes with a solid brown screen protector that needs to be removed before use. On the protector though it does point out all of the locations of your accessory ports and buttons. You will probably want to fully charge the tablet once removing it from the box. It has a proprietary charging adapter that plugs in from either direction and can not be used on other devices, but it is small and easy to move and plug in. It uses magnets to seat itself and hold itself ... MoreThe Surface Pro 9 is the main choice for a tablet/laptop and handles itself well. With amazing screen resolution and a precise touch screen, it makes working a breeze and relaxing the most enjoyable.Out of the box is the Surface Pro, A charging brick and cables, and a little bit of paperwork. The Surface Pro comes with a solid brown screen protector that needs to be removed before use. On the protector though it does point out all of the locations of your accessory ports and buttons. You will probably want to fully charge the tablet once removing it from the box. It has a proprietary charging adapter that plugs in from either direction and can not be used on other devices, but it is small and easy to move and plug in. It uses magnets to seat itself and hold itself to the charging port. It works really well. The power brick is a bit smaller than a laptops, but is also handy as it comes with a USB port for charging. The Surface Pro is a bit lacking on peripherals, as it only has 2 thunderbolt ports (which is used for charging), and a mini sd card slot. You are only going to be able to use a bluetooth mouse to connect that way if you are wanting to use a mouse.Overall the Surface Pro 9 manages mostly like a laptop but with Windows 11, you can switch into tablet mode easily and switch back when you want to use it as a laptop with a connected keyboard. The back of the Surface pro folds open into a kickstand which is great for working or watching movies. One downside is that you can not download games like an android device as it is a windows device so even though it is a tablet, you can not access play store android games. There are some really good apps for using the tablet features and make using the Surface Pro an ease. The sound quality of the tablet is pretty decent and can get fairly loud. I like to say with any tablet or laptop that a bluetooth audio source is going to be your best friend if you are wanting good audio output. The Surface pro also has a front and rearward facing camera and mic which looks good and has a good resolution for zoom calls or just taking pictures. This Surface Pro only comes with an Intel I5 which is on the lower side of computing but handles pretty well being put through its paces. You can do some gaming on it that is not very graphics intensive, but mostly this is used for office and productivity work.Overall I would greatly recommend the Surface Pro 9 if you want to enjoy the benefits of a tablet and a laptop, while keeping a minimal workspace footprint. I highly recommend also adding the keyboard accessory which turns the tablet into a portfolio for screen protection and has a stylus pen with it as well.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
This quite honestly has to be the best feeling and best looking windows based tablet on the market and assuming your just using it for general usage/very light gaming this is probably the best windows experience you can get in such a small form factor.Starting with the display, it's absolutely beautiful IPS touch screen with an almost 4k display. Really can't overstate how good this screen looks in comparison to my 2 other laptops that use a TN panel and VA panel respectively.The display is also 120hz capable to my surprise which makes motion and inputs feel very fluid.Moving on to the rest of the system specs, the system I have comes a 12 gen Intel i5 processor with iris xe graphics, 8GB ddr5 ram, 256GB SSD, wifi 6e nic, and 2 thunderbolt 4 ports along with ... MoreThis quite honestly has to be the best feeling and best looking windows based tablet on the market and assuming your just using it for general usage/very light gaming this is probably the best windows experience you can get in such a small form factor.Starting with the display, it's absolutely beautiful IPS touch screen with an almost 4k display. Really can't overstate how good this screen looks in comparison to my 2 other laptops that use a TN panel and VA panel respectively.The display is also 120hz capable to my surprise which makes motion and inputs feel very fluid.Moving on to the rest of the system specs, the system I have comes a 12 gen Intel i5 processor with iris xe graphics, 8GB ddr5 ram, 256GB SSD, wifi 6e nic, and 2 thunderbolt 4 ports along with the proprietary connector ports for the charger/keyboard attachment.Staring with the good here I love that the device actually comes with a wifi 6e card.The surface pro connect to my wifi 6e router at a link speed of 1.9Gbps on the 6hz band which is vastly better than my old laptop and well above the speeds of what my isp actually delivers to me which is fantastic.The 256GB SSD is a good size and should be good enough for most people though and you can easily use a usb-c external drive for more if needed.Moving onto the OS, Windows 11 is by far much better than W10 especially for tablet usage and I think at this screen size it's really nailed usability and scale with practicality.I am disappointed with the 8GB RAM a bit. It hasn't impacted my usage yet and likely won't matter if you're not a power user however it can definitely cause some issues if you're a content creator or trying to game with it and in 2022 16GB should be considered the minimum standard to shoot for.Speaking of gaming, the Intel iris xe graphics here simply aren't up to snuff unfortunately. For the vast majority of games you're going to be limited to 1080p low settings for older games at 30fps with newer games requiring 720p to get anywhere near playable framerates.I would've much rather had an amd based APU since they offer much better performance especially for gaming for a miniscule loss in efficiency overall tho I understand why they went with Intel since it has better integration with how Windows 11 works.The Intel xe igpu might be good enough however for emulators if you wanna play older games from the GameCube or even 3ds era. The thunderbolt 4 capability does open the door for possible eGPU usage however I do not have the means at this time to actually test if it would work well.Moving onto the peripherals the optional keyboard attachment is something I would deem essential and Microsoft really should include it with the tablet rather than making you pay extra for it, especially if it's marketed as a 2 in 1 laptop and not as just a tablet.Overall though I think if you're in the market for a new laptop and you're not concerned with gaming performance, this is a top tier buy.
| Storage Size | 256GB |
| Screen Size | 13 inches |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E- 802.11ax compatible |
| Display Resolution | 2880 x 1920 |
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 i5 (8GB 256GB) [Grade A]
Free delivery
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 i5 (8GB 256GB) [Like New]
Free delivery
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 i5 (8GB 256GB) [Open Box]
Free delivery
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 2-in-1 with Keyboard | Core i5-1245U | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD | Windows 11
Free delivery
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 2-in-1 with Keyboard | Core i5-1245U | 16GB RAM | 512GB/1TB SSD | Windows 11 16GB / 1TB SSD
Free delivery
I manage a software development team and I travel a good bit, so a portable and powerful computer is a must. This is my first Surface tablet. I looked at one years ago when they first came out but went with a “convertible” touchscreen notebook computer instead. Over the years, I’ve had several different convertible notebooks, but I find them a bit bulky to use in some situations, like on airplanes, bistro tables, etc. I found this new Surface Pro 9 and decided to give it a try.There are many things I like about this tablet. It is small, so it makes it easier to use when traveling. The infinitely adjustable “kickstand” panel on the back works very well to keep the tablet at most any desired angle, and it makes it feel fairly stable. The touch screen works well, and ... MoreI manage a software development team and I travel a good bit, so a portable and powerful computer is a must. This is my first Surface tablet. I looked at one years ago when they first came out but went with a “convertible” touchscreen notebook computer instead. Over the years, I’ve had several different convertible notebooks, but I find them a bit bulky to use in some situations, like on airplanes, bistro tables, etc. I found this new Surface Pro 9 and decided to give it a try.There are many things I like about this tablet. It is small, so it makes it easier to use when traveling. The infinitely adjustable “kickstand” panel on the back works very well to keep the tablet at most any desired angle, and it makes it feel fairly stable. The touch screen works well, and it has a good resolution. Battery life is reasonable. I can get through most of a day on a single charge. Audio quality is good, too, but most of the time I’m using Bluetooth earbuds. Really, this tablet has all the latest features and works well – Thunderbolt ports, Wifi6, Bluetooth, a clear high-res screen and good audio.While it can be used as-is in tablet mode, it’s best when paired with a keyboard or pen. That makes it nearly as functional as a traditional laptop. I say “nearly” because it requires the kickstand to be extended and that makes it somewhat of a balancing act to hold on a lap. If sitting at a table, then that’s not an issue. When not at a table, it’s easier use it in tablet mode with the keyboard folded behind it. The on-screen keyboard in Windows 11 is decent, and the handwriting recognition using the optional pen works well, too.Performance is excellent. It easily runs all the Windows applications I need, including Microsoft Office as well as MS-SQL Server. I like that the SSD hard drive is easily accessible for an upgrade should I need more storage space, though the included 256GB is likely enough. I have noticed that a few programs are slow to launch, like Google Chrome. Also, the SSD is not as fast as what you can get with the high-end Samsung EVO models for a desktop or full-sized laptop, but it’s not noticeably slow.My two biggest gripes that prevent me from rating the Surface 9 Pro with 5 stars are the power button and the weight. With the power button being located right near the top corner (when held in landscape mode), it’s easy to accidentally press when holding the tablet. It would have been better if the volume buttons and power button positions were swapped. While the Surface is not as heavy as a full-blown laptop, it’s much heavier than an iPad or Samsung tablet. In fact, there are some super-light notebook computers out that weight less keyboard and all. The weight is not noticeable when using the table at a table or on a lap, but it is when carrying it around and using it while standing.Other than those two issues, I like the Surface Pro 9 and use it quite often. I would recommend it to anyone needing a powerful but compact portable Windows computer.
The Surface Pro 9 is the main choice for a tablet/laptop and handles itself well. With amazing screen resolution and a precise touch screen, it makes working a breeze and relaxing the most enjoyable.Out of the box is the Surface Pro, A charging brick and cables, and a little bit of paperwork. The Surface Pro comes with a solid brown screen protector that needs to be removed before use. On the protector though it does point out all of the locations of your accessory ports and buttons. You will probably want to fully charge the tablet once removing it from the box. It has a proprietary charging adapter that plugs in from either direction and can not be used on other devices, but it is small and easy to move and plug in. It uses magnets to seat itself and hold itself ... MoreThe Surface Pro 9 is the main choice for a tablet/laptop and handles itself well. With amazing screen resolution and a precise touch screen, it makes working a breeze and relaxing the most enjoyable.Out of the box is the Surface Pro, A charging brick and cables, and a little bit of paperwork. The Surface Pro comes with a solid brown screen protector that needs to be removed before use. On the protector though it does point out all of the locations of your accessory ports and buttons. You will probably want to fully charge the tablet once removing it from the box. It has a proprietary charging adapter that plugs in from either direction and can not be used on other devices, but it is small and easy to move and plug in. It uses magnets to seat itself and hold itself to the charging port. It works really well. The power brick is a bit smaller than a laptops, but is also handy as it comes with a USB port for charging. The Surface Pro is a bit lacking on peripherals, as it only has 2 thunderbolt ports (which is used for charging), and a mini sd card slot. You are only going to be able to use a bluetooth mouse to connect that way if you are wanting to use a mouse.Overall the Surface Pro 9 manages mostly like a laptop but with Windows 11, you can switch into tablet mode easily and switch back when you want to use it as a laptop with a connected keyboard. The back of the Surface pro folds open into a kickstand which is great for working or watching movies. One downside is that you can not download games like an android device as it is a windows device so even though it is a tablet, you can not access play store android games. There are some really good apps for using the tablet features and make using the Surface Pro an ease. The sound quality of the tablet is pretty decent and can get fairly loud. I like to say with any tablet or laptop that a bluetooth audio source is going to be your best friend if you are wanting good audio output. The Surface pro also has a front and rearward facing camera and mic which looks good and has a good resolution for zoom calls or just taking pictures. This Surface Pro only comes with an Intel I5 which is on the lower side of computing but handles pretty well being put through its paces. You can do some gaming on it that is not very graphics intensive, but mostly this is used for office and productivity work.Overall I would greatly recommend the Surface Pro 9 if you want to enjoy the benefits of a tablet and a laptop, while keeping a minimal workspace footprint. I highly recommend also adding the keyboard accessory which turns the tablet into a portfolio for screen protection and has a stylus pen with it as well.
This quite honestly has to be the best feeling and best looking windows based tablet on the market and assuming your just using it for general usage/very light gaming this is probably the best windows experience you can get in such a small form factor.Starting with the display, it's absolutely beautiful IPS touch screen with an almost 4k display. Really can't overstate how good this screen looks in comparison to my 2 other laptops that use a TN panel and VA panel respectively.The display is also 120hz capable to my surprise which makes motion and inputs feel very fluid.Moving on to the rest of the system specs, the system I have comes a 12 gen Intel i5 processor with iris xe graphics, 8GB ddr5 ram, 256GB SSD, wifi 6e nic, and 2 thunderbolt 4 ports along with ... MoreThis quite honestly has to be the best feeling and best looking windows based tablet on the market and assuming your just using it for general usage/very light gaming this is probably the best windows experience you can get in such a small form factor.Starting with the display, it's absolutely beautiful IPS touch screen with an almost 4k display. Really can't overstate how good this screen looks in comparison to my 2 other laptops that use a TN panel and VA panel respectively.The display is also 120hz capable to my surprise which makes motion and inputs feel very fluid.Moving on to the rest of the system specs, the system I have comes a 12 gen Intel i5 processor with iris xe graphics, 8GB ddr5 ram, 256GB SSD, wifi 6e nic, and 2 thunderbolt 4 ports along with the proprietary connector ports for the charger/keyboard attachment.Staring with the good here I love that the device actually comes with a wifi 6e card.The surface pro connect to my wifi 6e router at a link speed of 1.9Gbps on the 6hz band which is vastly better than my old laptop and well above the speeds of what my isp actually delivers to me which is fantastic.The 256GB SSD is a good size and should be good enough for most people though and you can easily use a usb-c external drive for more if needed.Moving onto the OS, Windows 11 is by far much better than W10 especially for tablet usage and I think at this screen size it's really nailed usability and scale with practicality.I am disappointed with the 8GB RAM a bit. It hasn't impacted my usage yet and likely won't matter if you're not a power user however it can definitely cause some issues if you're a content creator or trying to game with it and in 2022 16GB should be considered the minimum standard to shoot for.Speaking of gaming, the Intel iris xe graphics here simply aren't up to snuff unfortunately. For the vast majority of games you're going to be limited to 1080p low settings for older games at 30fps with newer games requiring 720p to get anywhere near playable framerates.I would've much rather had an amd based APU since they offer much better performance especially for gaming for a miniscule loss in efficiency overall tho I understand why they went with Intel since it has better integration with how Windows 11 works.The Intel xe igpu might be good enough however for emulators if you wanna play older games from the GameCube or even 3ds era. The thunderbolt 4 capability does open the door for possible eGPU usage however I do not have the means at this time to actually test if it would work well.Moving onto the peripherals the optional keyboard attachment is something I would deem essential and Microsoft really should include it with the tablet rather than making you pay extra for it, especially if it's marketed as a 2 in 1 laptop and not as just a tablet.Overall though I think if you're in the market for a new laptop and you're not concerned with gaming performance, this is a top tier buy.
The Surface 9 Pro comes out of the box with very little fanfare--a tablet with a power adapter, cable and charger. I was surprised at how quick it booted up and began the "birth" routine, unlike the last new Windows device I witnessed. No endless "Please wait--setting up your device" stuff. I was also happily surprised at the quality of the display. Nothing tablet-like about it--it looked every bit as good as a laptop with all the bells and whistles. It's a touchscreen that is super-sensitive and looks good at side angles too.You will want to acquire a USB adapter or a hub so that you can connect thumb drives and cards to one of the USB-C ports on it, as there is no SD card slot or standard USB ports. This seemed annoying at first, but I found a great one for less ... MoreThe Surface 9 Pro comes out of the box with very little fanfare--a tablet with a power adapter, cable and charger. I was surprised at how quick it booted up and began the "birth" routine, unlike the last new Windows device I witnessed. No endless "Please wait--setting up your device" stuff. I was also happily surprised at the quality of the display. Nothing tablet-like about it--it looked every bit as good as a laptop with all the bells and whistles. It's a touchscreen that is super-sensitive and looks good at side angles too.You will want to acquire a USB adapter or a hub so that you can connect thumb drives and cards to one of the USB-C ports on it, as there is no SD card slot or standard USB ports. This seemed annoying at first, but I found a great one for less than $15 and also realize that the way of the world is wireless transfer. Likewise--there is no audio out (or in) jack, but since 99% of everything is Bluetooth now that also doesn't seem to matter. It paired my Sony phones instantly and wowed me with the sound quality. It is equipped with Dolby Atmos sound tech, and the two speakers actually produce really good sound with even some bass, and are nearly impossible to find on the tablet itself. I had the phones on while watching music videos and decided right there and then that this tablet (and seperately sold keyboard) will be primarily devoted to entertainment. I love the video and audio quality of this device.The charger is a proprietary type unique to this Surface tablet line as far as I know. It has two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt for fast transfer. You can't charge it through those ports, and it is a concern that someone may mistakenly try that.It has an i5 Intel processor, 8Gb of RAM, 256GB SSD storage, pretty much a powerhouse for something this small and this light. It's fast. And of course it's quiet. It handled the new version of Photoshop Elements with ease. If this combination of tablet and keyboard is in your budget, this would make a great Christmas gift. For yourself even.
I decided to test the new Surface Pro 9 to see how much Microsoft had improved the product over the older versions. Out of the box, the unit looks similar in size to an older model I had several years ago, but the Surface Pro 9 is more sleek, a bit thinner, and definitely lighter than my previous model. The one thing I noticed almost immediately is that there's no headphone jack; the case is thick enough for a jack, but for whatever reason, they chose to remove it. Granted, a Bluetooth headset can be used, but I always liked using a corded setup on my older model. The other glaring 'elephant in the room' is that Microsoft doesn't include a keyboard or pen with the unit. I really don't understand this decision; sure, you can use the device as a tablet, but to get ... MoreI decided to test the new Surface Pro 9 to see how much Microsoft had improved the product over the older versions. Out of the box, the unit looks similar in size to an older model I had several years ago, but the Surface Pro 9 is more sleek, a bit thinner, and definitely lighter than my previous model. The one thing I noticed almost immediately is that there's no headphone jack; the case is thick enough for a jack, but for whatever reason, they chose to remove it. Granted, a Bluetooth headset can be used, but I always liked using a corded setup on my older model. The other glaring 'elephant in the room' is that Microsoft doesn't include a keyboard or pen with the unit. I really don't understand this decision; sure, you can use the device as a tablet, but to get full use out of it as a lightweight laptop, you really need a keyboard and pen. Luckily, I was able to pick a keyboard/pen to test as well, but that would be an added cost for someone buying the Surface. The screen, as expected, is very nice, and the i5 configuration that I received has enough power and ram to handle about anything you'd expect to throw at it. I've averaged about 9-10 hours of battery life while working remotely and streaming content in the background. The app I've found the most use for is MS Whiteboard; I've found this app extremely helpful, but again, that is based, at least for me, primarily on the fact that I have a pen to use.Overall, I think this product makes a great work laptop, but in order for that to happen, you need to spend more and get the keyboard and pen. The Surface Pro 9 is a nice product... if it came with a keyboard and pen it would be a true home-run.
Microsoft Surface Pro 9The Good:• Great Portability vs Performance ratio• Ultra-Clear Display with 120Hz refresh rate (Optional)• Sturdy Keyboard and great feeling pen that integrate with the Surface• Quick, Snappy hardware and software make for an overall excellent experienceThe Bad:• Keyboard and Pen cost extra and are not included.• No headphone, HDMI or SD card port on the device.• Cost of specs vs form factor.So far in the time I have used my surface pro 9, I can honestly say I have been reaching for it more and more, not only to test it out and see how well it can handle anything I throw at it, but because its truly a fun experience. The full power of a computer in such a small, sleek and portable form factor just inspires you to use it. I have ... MoreMicrosoft Surface Pro 9The Good:• Great Portability vs Performance ratio• Ultra-Clear Display with 120Hz refresh rate (Optional)• Sturdy Keyboard and great feeling pen that integrate with the Surface• Quick, Snappy hardware and software make for an overall excellent experienceThe Bad:• Keyboard and Pen cost extra and are not included.• No headphone, HDMI or SD card port on the device.• Cost of specs vs form factor.So far in the time I have used my surface pro 9, I can honestly say I have been reaching for it more and more, not only to test it out and see how well it can handle anything I throw at it, but because its truly a fun experience. The full power of a computer in such a small, sleek and portable form factor just inspires you to use it. I have plenty of other devices that are close to the size of the surface, but none compared to the capabilities and just overall experience that this delivers.Using the surface to sign into my work environment to work on some of my projects is super cool because its something I normally would have to use a regular computer. I also love having the full power of office 365 at my fingertips because normally its some scaled down version on ay or my other portable devices that I normally carry with me.Since I have gotten the surface, it’s been my daily carry and with it, there’s nothing that I feel I cannot do while being on the road and at the same time I do not even notice I’m carrying it because of the small footprint it has when folded up. Its truly like having a small notepad with you.In the last week I have literally thrown everything I can think of at this device and it has handled it very well. Only in 3 areas have I noticed problems that could hinder the experience of using this device.1. The speakers have exhibited a static crunchy sound when listening to music and the CPU is under load. I have tried to replicate it and it does seem to happen when the Surface is working hard on multiple tasks at the same time.2. The windows hello login with face. I have experienced multiple times where I’m right in front of the camera perfectly centered and plenty of light and the computer says I couldn’t be recognized, and I have to use a PIN. This has been able to be resolved by a simple restart of the computer, but none the less it is something I have delt with more than a few times.3. The Kickstand has some free play in it. This may be by design or it may not be, but for the price point I would think the amount it has, is too much and gives a feeling of, this might be a problem in the future. Without the kickstand I have to say the device is simply not the same device. You would lose the ability to use this as a computer with the screen propped up in front of you while you use the keyboard.The Pen on this device I have to say I was skeptical about because my experience in the past just hasn’t been that great, However I can say it’s a pretty good experience. Microsoft did a good job with the pen. Its comfortable in the hand to hold and has haptic feedback that makes it feel as if you are actually writing on paper with that little bit of resistance you normally experience from tip to paper. It has customizable buttons that you can set to open different applications and has great battery life as well, though the design of the keyboard type cover is another amazing this because the pen neatly and magically tucks inside and disappears when not in use. You will always have it with you when you need it.The Keyboard type cover as mentioned above is one of my favorite features of this computer and honestly if this wasn’t done correctly the entire experience would be different with this computer so I feel if they didn’t get this right, the device would of suffered greatly. You see there are so many devices on the market that offer this computer and tablet convertibility while also trying to do it in a small form factor. But because of the way the surface type cover interacts with the device itself and the end user, I believe its what makes this such a nice device to use. I truly love it and while I am typing on it now, I cant wait to use it for my next task.GamingA lot of users will wonder how gaming on the surface pro 9, can it handle it and what’s it like?I have used it mainly with the included XBOX app and I have streamed games from the cloud using Microsoft’s cloud gaming feature and everything on that has worked perfectly. The games load fast and are fast and fluid. I have also downloaded some games right to the Surface HDD and played them and again games like Need For Speed and Call Of Duty WW2 have played fine with only small hiccups in framerates, the overall experience has been good, but because the surface is using integrated graphics your only going to be able to push it so hard when it comes to gaming. Its very fun still.The Surface Pro 9 has so many features that make it a cool device. The magnetic charging adapter is nice and has a LED light on it to tell you when its charging and connected to the device. The Refresh rate of the screen can be set to 60 or 120Hz, depending on how much battery life you need, I would say leave it on 60Hz if you need to maximize time away from the charger and 120Hz if power is not an issue. The 120Hz setting I have to say changes the entire experience. The screen is like liquid and is pleasing to the eyes.The Surface Pro 9 has the latest in wireless technology featuring Wi-Fi 6E 802.11ax and Bluetooth 5.1The wireless experience has also been great. The device is super snappy opening up webpages and browsing. Its never skipped a beat so far. I’ve also connected via Bluetooth my Xbox game controller in order to play the games I have mentioned and pairing that device was fast and painless. No complaints in the connectivity department until we get to the ports on this device.Where I feel they should of left some things is when it comes to the Headphone jack and the SD Card reader. Both ports take up very minimal space and being that they did not change the form factor from the 8 to the 9, I do not see why those ports were removed as I know a lot of people were not happy with that decision. I feel like people still use headphones with wires, especially when it comes to audio accuracy projects, wireless just isn’t something you use when your editing audio or video files with audio for a project. I also feel a lot of photographers could use the SD Card slot while they are on the go. Yes you can fix this by using a dongle but its one more thing the end user needs to remember to bring with them.So to wrap things up, I just want to say I think this device is awesome, and I believe it will be my go to daily carry for the future. The small things I mentioned above could all be better, but everything in life is going to have an upside and a downside. In the end I believe this device is fun, useful and unique.If your in the market for one of these devices, I say give it a try, you might just love it!
The Microsoft Surface 9 is compelling, which bills itself as the best of a thin and light laptop, with the features that only a touch screen tablet might offer. It runs a full version of Windows 11 rather than a separate tablet operating system.The Surface 9 (Intel 12th gen. Core i5-1235U) weighs 2.6 lbs, and it comes with 8GB of RAM and 256 GB of SSD storage. It has 2 USB C (Thunderbolt 4) ports. The Surface 9 comes supplied with a proprietary (non-USB) charger with non-USB plug. However, you can charge via the USB-C ports and it will support fast charging if you have a USB-C cable and a PD charging source of sufficient power (generally over 60 W). If you have a Type-C PD charger, you could leave the Microsoft charger at home when you travel, and not have to carry ... MoreThe Microsoft Surface 9 is compelling, which bills itself as the best of a thin and light laptop, with the features that only a touch screen tablet might offer. It runs a full version of Windows 11 rather than a separate tablet operating system.The Surface 9 (Intel 12th gen. Core i5-1235U) weighs 2.6 lbs, and it comes with 8GB of RAM and 256 GB of SSD storage. It has 2 USB C (Thunderbolt 4) ports. The Surface 9 comes supplied with a proprietary (non-USB) charger with non-USB plug. However, you can charge via the USB-C ports and it will support fast charging if you have a USB-C cable and a PD charging source of sufficient power (generally over 60 W). If you have a Type-C PD charger, you could leave the Microsoft charger at home when you travel, and not have to carry any extra weight in chargers with you.Surface signs you in with either a facial recognition (Windows Hello), or use of a self selected PIN. The facial recognition was brisk and accurate, but if wearing a face mask I got a “Couldn’t recognize you” response. Other options exist, using the Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone, or a prior password to sign in to your Microsoft account. This model does not have fingerprint recognition, a feature that some of the Surface add on keyboards do incorporate. FaceID on iPhone with current versions of iOS will work with even an N-95 mask, which was an update with iOS 16.Using the Surface as a laptop, with the accessory keyboard, is a bit challenging in low light situations, since the keyboard is not backlit. This is similar to using the accessory keyboard for an iPad, which also is not backlit. The keyboard for an iPad from Apple does not have a trackpad, whereas the Surface keyboard has a generously sized touchpad. There are third party keyboards for an iPad that do have very serviceable trackpads.Microsoft Slim Pen charges wirelessly while stored in a small recessed slot in the attached screen protector / keyboard. More secure and always handy; the Apple Pencil2 charges when magnetically attached to the edges of the iPad. Both devices seem to work equally well, and quite precise and dependable.Headphone jack. The MacBook indeed has a headphone jack which is missing from the Surface 9. This is a trend that has been accelerating in the past few years, with phones dropping a headphone jacks, as well as other tablets. The move to Bluetooth connection seems to be the wave of the future across the board. If you feel deprived for this lack of output, an optional USB-C to 3.5mm Audio Adapter lets you connect 3.5mm audio accessories, like earbuds or headphones, to your Surface using one of the USB-C portsThe Surface’s tablet heritage is apparent with having 2 cameras: forward facing and a rear camera, just like your phone. Unlike the iPad line (until the 10th gen iPad was just released) the camera has always been on the top when held in the portrait orientation. For videoconferencing, the laptop is usually in a landscape / horizontal stance, and indeed that is how the Surface is set up: with the camera at the top when in the horizontal position.Since the Surface is running on Windows 11, the software universe available is extensive. Unlike a dedicated tablet such as the iPad, the PadOS offerings are large, but entering columns of numbers, etc. can be tedious.f you are using the Surface Pro as a laptop replacement, then the Signature Keyboard and bundled Slim Pen 2 are important additions, at a cost of $280 additional. The keyboard is sturdy and affixes securely to the Surface, and utilizes the kickstand whether you have it on a desk or perched on your knees. The is a generous trackpad, and has a full row of function keys at the top. Just beneath the lower edge of the screen is a magnetic hinge that covers the storage and charging slot for the stylus. It is light in the hand, comfortable to use, and has two push buttons to switch commands. I found the stylus as a handy tool for noting changes or add annotations, without having to move the cursor to that spot.I found the built in kick-stand to be surprisingly delightful. It was secure, so making entries on the screen with the stylus did not shift the angle or collapse the laptop. It was adjustable easily, but held its position.The speakers were also a nice surprise; generous enough volume to serve up a streamed movie for a small audience without distortion. As a source for background dinner music at a lower volume, it would also excel.
Let me begin this review of the Surface Pro 9 with my initial impression of the packaging and appearance of the device. The packaging is typical of other Microsoft products that I have had, and by that I mean it was very good. The box was sturdy, and not damaged in any way, and neither was the tablet. No parts were missing or damaged. I saw no scratches, dents or other surface (no pun intended) problems. There are no dead or stuck pixels.I have to state here, that any comparisons that I make to this device, are made in relation to the Surface Pro 7 that I also own. I believe this new Pro 9 is a very nice and worthy upgrade to the Pro 7. I really like the large 13 inch screen real estate, with its great image quality, high brightness, and 120Hz refresh rate (which ... MoreLet me begin this review of the Surface Pro 9 with my initial impression of the packaging and appearance of the device. The packaging is typical of other Microsoft products that I have had, and by that I mean it was very good. The box was sturdy, and not damaged in any way, and neither was the tablet. No parts were missing or damaged. I saw no scratches, dents or other surface (no pun intended) problems. There are no dead or stuck pixels.I have to state here, that any comparisons that I make to this device, are made in relation to the Surface Pro 7 that I also own. I believe this new Pro 9 is a very nice and worthy upgrade to the Pro 7. I really like the large 13 inch screen real estate, with its great image quality, high brightness, and 120Hz refresh rate (which by the way was set to 60Hz initially). The speaker quality is excellent, with good clarity and punchy bass. The volume is good and somewhat higher than most tablets. On the slight negative side, there is no headphone jack, which is very common with much of todays high end tablets and phones.The initial device set up procedure, including Windows and app updates was completed in about an hour and 15 minutes. Later, I transferred approximately 75Gb of data including MP3s, videos, and photos and this was done in about an hour.My normal use for the Pro 9 consists of internet browsing, YouTube and other streaming video and music services, viewing and editing photos, listening to MP3s, etc. I am a casual gamer, and I am a non-professional, retired individual. I say this to let you know that I believe that most users will find the Surface Pro 9 an extremely fast, smooth performer and capable of most anything the average person needs.
This is the second Surface Pro I have owned. I think mine was one of the first Surface laptops and it came with an Intel Atom processor. That processor was not really much of a performer but I really liked that overall package. Almost ten years later mobile CPUs have gotten much better for both performance and battery life. I had to retire that Surface laptop this year as the battery finally gave up. Still it was one of my favorite computers. The Surface Pro 9 is much the same. This formfactor has held up well over the years and it’s a pleasure to use the Surface 9. This model is equipped with the new Intel 12th Gen i5. And it runs everything I need just great. It has 10 total CPU cores. That is divided into 2 performance cores and 8 efficient cores. This is similar ... MoreThis is the second Surface Pro I have owned. I think mine was one of the first Surface laptops and it came with an Intel Atom processor. That processor was not really much of a performer but I really liked that overall package. Almost ten years later mobile CPUs have gotten much better for both performance and battery life. I had to retire that Surface laptop this year as the battery finally gave up. Still it was one of my favorite computers. The Surface Pro 9 is much the same. This formfactor has held up well over the years and it’s a pleasure to use the Surface 9. This model is equipped with the new Intel 12th Gen i5. And it runs everything I need just great. It has 10 total CPU cores. That is divided into 2 performance cores and 8 efficient cores. This is similar to the desktop CPUs that Intel is doing very well with. What this means is you are getting desktop-like performance with great battery life. And in this small package it works very well. In very real world use, with constant web browsing and watching videos I got six hours of battery life and still had 20% left. This was using the out of box defaults with just a bit higher brightness for the display. I never really got where I felt the battery life was a problem. But the good news is that with the efficient performance of this new mobile processor I never felt it slow down even with 12 browser tabs active. Not bad with only 8GBs of ram. That’s one of the great stories of these newer processors and Windows. Even though more ram is better for most use cases it’s not really needed. If you are doing more enterprise level work getting a model with more ram is a good idea, but for basic lite use and office tasks it's not necessary. Also for me I find the 256 SSD to be plenty of storage for my use case. If this is your only computer you might benefit from a bigger SSD. The display is crisp and clear which is typically of the Surface family. The Sapphire color is quite nice and adds a touch of class that my older gray aluminum Surface can’t match. But my favorite feature here is the addition of two USB 4.0/Thunderbolt 4 ports. This adds a ton of options for connectivity that to me is a game changer in such a small device. USB 4.0/Thunderbolt 4 allows high speed connections to a world of devices and is part of the Intel Evo branding. I am typing this review on a 4K monitor, using a full size keyboard and mouse. I am connected to a single USB Type C hub that has two HDMI connections, ethernet and USB type A. The hub is sending power to the Surface so I am charging all while connected using only one cable. I can just disconnect the one USB Type C cable and walk away with the Surface laptop. Just a great package for full on desktop use and sitting on the couch all in this small package. As with my first Surface the build quality is very good and I expect to get years of service. If you are doing heavier work loads then you might look for a bit more ram and SSD storage. But if you're doing lighter office work and the typical web browsing this package is just fine the way it’s currently specked. The Windows 11 home install found here is just fine for all but the enterprise folks. But if your needs include connecting to a network domain or you have to access this computer using a remote desktop, upgrading to Windows 11 professional is very easy. This is a competitive market but the Surface family still stands out for the formfactor and overall quality of this laptop. It's a pleasure to use and carry about and with the addition of the 12th Gen Intel CPU and USB 4.0/Thunderbolt 4 it is now a true desktop replacement for most users with the added benefit of being one of the most portable laptops available.
I'm grudgingly moving back to the Windows platform but this looks like it will really help the transition!I have been using a Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus for quite a few years. It has been a tireless tool in my classroom but is showing its age more and more. Unfortunately, the newer Galaxy Chromebook I picked up doesn't work with a precise pen (despite the claim otherwise in advertising and several support techs, only to have it elevated to someone who "corrected" my misunderstanding of their literature), so my diagrams and illustration in Chemistry and Physics are out the window.Then along came the Surface Pro 9. I was a little hesitant in moving but got an incredible deal on it and decided to give it a try. I have used Windows since Windows 286 and every ... MoreI'm grudgingly moving back to the Windows platform but this looks like it will really help the transition!I have been using a Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus for quite a few years. It has been a tireless tool in my classroom but is showing its age more and more. Unfortunately, the newer Galaxy Chromebook I picked up doesn't work with a precise pen (despite the claim otherwise in advertising and several support techs, only to have it elevated to someone who "corrected" my misunderstanding of their literature), so my diagrams and illustration in Chemistry and Physics are out the window.Then along came the Surface Pro 9. I was a little hesitant in moving but got an incredible deal on it and decided to give it a try. I have used Windows since Windows 286 and every version since, so the setup and getting started was very simple. Once everything was updated, it was time to put it through its paces. I ran several programs I use often on my desktop and then tried the Whiteboard program looks like it will be a perfect replacement for Squid, with many of the same features I have come to rely on with the Chromebook. The pen and keyboard work seamlessly, giving me almost as convenient a setup as my trusty Chromebook Plus.Battery life seems to be very good, but I am comparing to a very old device that I had to plug in almost constantly at this point, but I have been using it all day for several school days and it hold up well. I hate having a dead battery, so I do plug it in from time to time between classes and at lunch, just in case one of those unplanned parent-teacher conferences comes up!There are just a couple of little complaints I have found, but neither would break the deal for me if I had known about them before picking this up. First, the "kickstand" is kind of a pain after all the years of just opening and folding the keyboard back on the Chromebook Plus. It takes just a bit more effort but It will take practice to open it with one hand like I can do with the Plus. I do like the ability to hide the pen, but the Plus clipped it inside the case.Second, Microsoft doesn't bundle any decent apps for actually using the machine for productivity. Sure, there are tons of ads for Microsoft 365, but they only give you a week to use it before it locks you out of most features. At this price, I would expect at least a longer-term trial, if not a full year or more included. I have gotten used to Google Docs for school, so will probably just go to that exclusively on this machine and save the heavy lifting for my desktop.Other than those little things, I am very happy with the new machine and look forward to using it for my classes. It is incredible to think of how far we have come from the chalkboards I started teaching on! I love the ability to save and share my notes with students who need extra help or are absent.I have held out for quite a while, hoping to get every last drop of use out of my trusty old Chromebook, the Surface Pro 9 looks to be a worthy replacement. Now, I hope it will last as long!
| Storage Size | 256GB |
| Screen Size | 13 inches |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E- 802.11ax compatible |
| Display Resolution | 2880 x 1920 |
