One
would not be wrong if we say Windows 10 seems to have turned Microsoft's
fortune. Microsoft had bought Nokia a few years ago for billions of
dollars and it did not go down well with the critics. However, we saw a
brilliant phone coming from camp Microsoft in the form of Lumia 950 XL
that runs Windows 10 OS. Yes, there are few chinks in the armour of
Windows 10, but we are sure Microsoft is trying hard to get rid of
those.
After the Microsoft Lumia 950 XL, the American giant has launched Microsoft Surface Pro 4 in India, which came to us for a review. We ran it through our 'stressful' test bench and it impressed us at every step. This is what we could make of this lovely tablet PC.
Design and display
Right out of the box we fell for the stunning looks of the Microsoft Surface Pro 4. Yes, they are very similar to the previous editions of the tablet; however, the design still is very modern. To top it off, the stunning 12.3-inch 2,736x1,824 pixels display just took our breath away. It is nothing short of a marvel. The text is crisp and colours are vibrant. The touch screen responds well with the finger and the Microsoft pen on the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, but more on that later.
Coming back to the aesthetics of the Microsoft Surface Pro, apart from the brilliant touch screen, users get dual cameras on the machine; one at the front powered by a 5MP sensor and the other at back with an 8MP sensor. While the power button and volume rocker keys are located on the top, when the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is held in landscape mode, the micro display, USB and charging ports are located on the right.
The left side is kept plain to magnetically hold the Microsoft Pen.
The kickstand is located at the bottom part of the rear panel and can be taken down to almost a flat angle. This is something that we loved about the Microsoft Surface Pro 4. You can change the viewing angle of the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 according to your needs. This is something other tablets like Apple iPad Pro cannot do.
Skipping to the display, we loved every bit of it. Users get a large area to play and make use of. Video and games look exceptional on this machine. The response time is minimal however, when scribbling with the Microsoft Pen, there was a slight lag in the display.
Performance and cameras
There is another base version of the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 available in the global markets that has the Intel Core M3 CPU inside, however, in India Microsoft has not brought that version, but the Intel Core i5 variant is the base option in India, which we got to play around with. The clock speed of the CPU is 2.4 GHz and is paired with 4 GB RAM along with 128 GB on-board SSD. For graphics, Microsoft has put in Intel HD Graphics 520 GPU in the Microsoft Surface Pro 4.
Other features include Bluetooth 4.0 that enables the Microsoft Surface Pen, Wi-Fi and USB connectivity. This is another factor that gives the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 the edge. Users can connect a USB drive to the machine to easily transfer data or an external mouse as well. Which in most cases would not be required as the superb PixelSence touchscreen is good enough.
Microsoft Surface Pro 4's cameras were fun to work with as well. While the rear 8 MP camera took great shots, indoors and outdoors, the front 5 MP one wasn't too shabby either. LED flash is missing on this device, but considering that this machine is built for professional use, one would rarely take a lowlight shot with it. Videos too were close-to-life along with video chat capabilities. Except for the internet lag our experience here was top notch.
Stereo sound through twin speakers hidden nicely on the sides of the screen can produce good loud sound. To top that, sound is supported by Dolby to take it to the next level. But, do not expect thumping sound output as heard on some of the laptops in this price bracket.
Surface pen and keyboard
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 comes with a Surface Pen in the box. The Surface Pen has pressure sensitive tip and clickable top button. This button can be used to open MS One Note, grab a screenshot or simply turn on Cortana (Microsoft's Virtual Assistant). The Surface Pen is not rechargeable and uses a single AAA battery to power it. This is a bit of a disappointment, as when you run out of battery juice you would be scrambling to find a battery as well. Moving past, the pen works fabulously and has 1,024 pressure points. Moreover, the pen also has the right click button located on the side of the stylus and is very easy to use.
An accessory that is not part of the box is the detachable Microsoft Surface Pro 4 Type cover, which has backlit keys. Microsoft sent the keyboard to us as well, for the full experience. The keyboard retails for Rs 12,490 and is an additional cost, users would need to incur. We strongly recommend it as this accessory enhances the experience by many folds. The chicklet type keys are large and easy to operate. Most functions are available on the keyboard except the screen brightness. However, the keyboard brightness can be moderated with the keyboard itself.
A trackpad is also available on the keyboard and when stuck together with the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, it gives the user a seamless feel. We have to hand it to the designers at Microsoft for building such a beautiful piece of accessory that blends very well with the Microsoft Surface Pro 4.
Verdict
All in all, we for one were quite happy with the Microsoft Surface Pro 4. With the Type keyboard attachment and the Microsoft Surface Pen, this tablet gave us over 8 hours of battery life. On our test bench this tablet fared better than some of the mid to high end full time laptops. On PC Mark 7 it scored 4,773 points indicating very good performance and on 3D Mark Vantage it scored 5,362 points showcasing mediocre performance.
So, to test it out further, we played DOTA 2 with medium settings on this machine and it did not break into a sweat. To take care of the heating issues Microsoft has placed a fan within the enclosure that kicks in whenever the tablet needs it. The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 starts from Rs 89,900, which is the only big displeasure we came across when reviewing this neat machine.
The US price of Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is USD 999 (which is roughly Rs 70,000), but Microsoft is selling it for Rs 20K more in India. Combined with the 12,490 keyboard attachment the price goes over a lakh. However, when you compare it to the Apple iPad Pro (in India), the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is still cheaper (with the stylus and keyboard) and has much more to offer with a brilliant Windows 10 OS.
After the Microsoft Lumia 950 XL, the American giant has launched Microsoft Surface Pro 4 in India, which came to us for a review. We ran it through our 'stressful' test bench and it impressed us at every step. This is what we could make of this lovely tablet PC.
Design and display
Right out of the box we fell for the stunning looks of the Microsoft Surface Pro 4. Yes, they are very similar to the previous editions of the tablet; however, the design still is very modern. To top it off, the stunning 12.3-inch 2,736x1,824 pixels display just took our breath away. It is nothing short of a marvel. The text is crisp and colours are vibrant. The touch screen responds well with the finger and the Microsoft pen on the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, but more on that later.
Coming back to the aesthetics of the Microsoft Surface Pro, apart from the brilliant touch screen, users get dual cameras on the machine; one at the front powered by a 5MP sensor and the other at back with an 8MP sensor. While the power button and volume rocker keys are located on the top, when the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is held in landscape mode, the micro display, USB and charging ports are located on the right.
The left side is kept plain to magnetically hold the Microsoft Pen.
The kickstand is located at the bottom part of the rear panel and can be taken down to almost a flat angle. This is something that we loved about the Microsoft Surface Pro 4. You can change the viewing angle of the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 according to your needs. This is something other tablets like Apple iPad Pro cannot do.
Skipping to the display, we loved every bit of it. Users get a large area to play and make use of. Video and games look exceptional on this machine. The response time is minimal however, when scribbling with the Microsoft Pen, there was a slight lag in the display.
Performance and cameras
There is another base version of the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 available in the global markets that has the Intel Core M3 CPU inside, however, in India Microsoft has not brought that version, but the Intel Core i5 variant is the base option in India, which we got to play around with. The clock speed of the CPU is 2.4 GHz and is paired with 4 GB RAM along with 128 GB on-board SSD. For graphics, Microsoft has put in Intel HD Graphics 520 GPU in the Microsoft Surface Pro 4.
Other features include Bluetooth 4.0 that enables the Microsoft Surface Pen, Wi-Fi and USB connectivity. This is another factor that gives the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 the edge. Users can connect a USB drive to the machine to easily transfer data or an external mouse as well. Which in most cases would not be required as the superb PixelSence touchscreen is good enough.
Microsoft Surface Pro 4's cameras were fun to work with as well. While the rear 8 MP camera took great shots, indoors and outdoors, the front 5 MP one wasn't too shabby either. LED flash is missing on this device, but considering that this machine is built for professional use, one would rarely take a lowlight shot with it. Videos too were close-to-life along with video chat capabilities. Except for the internet lag our experience here was top notch.
Stereo sound through twin speakers hidden nicely on the sides of the screen can produce good loud sound. To top that, sound is supported by Dolby to take it to the next level. But, do not expect thumping sound output as heard on some of the laptops in this price bracket.
Surface pen and keyboard
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 comes with a Surface Pen in the box. The Surface Pen has pressure sensitive tip and clickable top button. This button can be used to open MS One Note, grab a screenshot or simply turn on Cortana (Microsoft's Virtual Assistant). The Surface Pen is not rechargeable and uses a single AAA battery to power it. This is a bit of a disappointment, as when you run out of battery juice you would be scrambling to find a battery as well. Moving past, the pen works fabulously and has 1,024 pressure points. Moreover, the pen also has the right click button located on the side of the stylus and is very easy to use.
An accessory that is not part of the box is the detachable Microsoft Surface Pro 4 Type cover, which has backlit keys. Microsoft sent the keyboard to us as well, for the full experience. The keyboard retails for Rs 12,490 and is an additional cost, users would need to incur. We strongly recommend it as this accessory enhances the experience by many folds. The chicklet type keys are large and easy to operate. Most functions are available on the keyboard except the screen brightness. However, the keyboard brightness can be moderated with the keyboard itself.
A trackpad is also available on the keyboard and when stuck together with the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, it gives the user a seamless feel. We have to hand it to the designers at Microsoft for building such a beautiful piece of accessory that blends very well with the Microsoft Surface Pro 4.
Verdict
All in all, we for one were quite happy with the Microsoft Surface Pro 4. With the Type keyboard attachment and the Microsoft Surface Pen, this tablet gave us over 8 hours of battery life. On our test bench this tablet fared better than some of the mid to high end full time laptops. On PC Mark 7 it scored 4,773 points indicating very good performance and on 3D Mark Vantage it scored 5,362 points showcasing mediocre performance.
So, to test it out further, we played DOTA 2 with medium settings on this machine and it did not break into a sweat. To take care of the heating issues Microsoft has placed a fan within the enclosure that kicks in whenever the tablet needs it. The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 starts from Rs 89,900, which is the only big displeasure we came across when reviewing this neat machine.
The US price of Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is USD 999 (which is roughly Rs 70,000), but Microsoft is selling it for Rs 20K more in India. Combined with the 12,490 keyboard attachment the price goes over a lakh. However, when you compare it to the Apple iPad Pro (in India), the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is still cheaper (with the stylus and keyboard) and has much more to offer with a brilliant Windows 10 OS.
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