The discussion about tablets is not as lively today as it was a few years ago, but the question comes back like a boomerang: has a tablet replaced your laptop? In some circumstances, a more portable device works great, but there are many situations where it is difficult to talk about the actual advantage of a device designed in this way. From the beginning, Microsoft had really good ideas on how to transform a tablet into a work tool – equipping it with an attachable keyboard and stand is not an ideal solution, but properly developed it rises to the challenge.
Over the years, the Surface Pro has gained more and more features that help it overtake or catch up with the competition, so in terms of ports, performance, screen size and quality, and speakers, Microsoft’s tablet is better than good today. There have been smaller or larger changes in the design, but the end result remains virtually unchanged – you can increasingly work on the Surface Pro just like you would on a laptop, and yet in other situations, you will have more handy and mobile equipment at your disposal that will also replace a notebook or sketchbook.
Surface Pro 10 for Business – Review
The set that I received from Microsoft contained only the Surface Pro 10 tablet for businesses and a dedicated keyboard. Unfortunately, there was no Surface Pen, but a large portion of potential customers for this model may not consider such a variant. The computer itself does not differ from what we saw in the previous generation – heck! At first glance, you could even confuse them. Compared to how the Surface Pro looked before, these devices now have more rounded shapes and rounded edges. The bezels around the screen are narrower, but not like those of several major competitors. The display itself has grown slightly and gained better parameters.
Surface Pro 10 for Business – Specifications
- CPU Intel Core Ultra 5 135U or 7 165U
- NPU Intel AI Boost
- RAM 8 to 64 GB
- SSD memory up to 1 TB (swappable)
- Screen 13 inches, 2880 x 1920 px, 3:2, up to 12 Hz, Dolby Vision IQ, up to 600 nits (SDR)
- Front camera 1440p ultrawide, rear camera 10.5 MP
- Dual microphones, 2W stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos support
- NFC, Windows Hello,
- 2 x USB-C ports with USB-4/Thunderbolt 4
- Charging 45W, battery life up to 19 hours (according to manufacturer)
- Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC
- Stand with 165 degree tilt angle
A very important aspect of the Surface Pro 10 for businesses is also the level of serviceability, because the list of components that can be replaced without significant interference is quite extensive: display module, removable SSD hard drive, battery, motherboard (including the main processor and main memory), Surface Connect connector, thermal module, microphone module, SSD access door, speakers, housing, front camera, rear camera, power and volume buttons, and stand.
The 13-inch PixelSense™ Flow touchscreen has a resolution of 2880 x 1920 pixels, which gives a pixel density of 267 PPI. It has a 3:2 aspect ratio and a 1300:1 contrast ratio. The refresh rate can be up to 120Hz and supports dynamic refresh. The display supports Dolby Vision IQ and is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 5. It is anti-reflective with a maximum brightness in SDR of 600 nits. Ultimately, we are dealing with a computer that lacks nothing in terms of hardware – RAM can reach 64 GB, built-in memory up to 1 TB, and the whole thing is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 5 or 7 system. To top it off, we have an Intel AI Boost NPU system dedicated to functions based on artificial intelligence.
The new systems slightly raise the bar in terms of performance, and are also supposed to be more energy efficient. 19 hours of work without a charger are declared, but this is a value achievable in very specific conditions. Typical use of the Surface Pro 10 for businesses means that the tablet should be charged after 8-9 hours. It is very important how much we load the tablet and whether we decide to, for example, reduce the screen brightness, which of course will allow us to get a little more out of the battery. The Surface Pro 10 for businesses will not be as good as a tablet with a platform and a system typical for tablets, but considering the conditions it has, these almost 9 hours of work should be sufficient for most users of such equipment.
The built-in front camera has been improved, now offering 1440p resolution and is ultra-wide-angle. It supports the Studio Effects function built into Windows 11, thanks to which you can adjust the image you share with others during video calls from the system level. Automatic centering, background blurring or maintaining eye contact are available in the options and that’s really all we need to adjust the look of the frame for the duration of the call. The camera copes much better in darker conditions, and the higher resolution adds some sharpness, but the ultra-wide lens can sometimes be problematic, because it introduces its typical curvatures and the image we send will not always be fully natural.
Using Surface Pro 10 for Business doesn’t pose any challenges, but it definitely requires getting used to it if you haven’t used such a device before. In my opinion, a touchscreen is always an added value, because you can definitely do many tasks much faster and more conveniently using your own fingers, instead of tapping the keyboard or using the touchpad (we’ll come back to it). Windows 11 has built-in improvements in tablet mode, which, among other things, increases the size of interface elements, while the set of navigation gestures is sufficient to use Surface Pro 10 for Business almost completely comfortably as a typical tablet. However, there are places, such as the context menu, where it is still a bit more difficult, but Microsoft will probably never say goodbye to this feature in the traditional version of Windows.
In addition to the great screen, the speakers also make a very good impression, which are loud and clear enough for online conversations, as well as watching movies and series. The sound they emit even bears the signs of a bit of bass, which is always very welcome, and the proper arrangement of the speakers means that when using the device in horizontal orientation, we can experience a stereo effect and a substitute for surround sound. It will not replace headphones or a solid Bluetooth speaker, but the situation today is much better than it was 4-5 years ago.
I mentioned that I would return to the topic of the touchpad, and that’s because the dedicated Surface Pro 10 (for businesses) keyboard, which also serves as a case, deserves a separate paragraph. It protects the entire screen, and the magnetic attachment is strong enough that you shouldn’t have to worry about it falling off or coming off at the least expected moment. The principle of operation is the same as it has almost always been – in addition to the attachment point, additional magnets allow you to gently lift the keyboard and hook it under the screen, which creates a small angle of inclination that allows for more comfortable use of the keys and touchpad. In this way, we also increase the attachment force, which can be important, for example, when using the tablet on the go (working with the device on your lap).
I really have nothing to complain about the keyboard, because the key travel and the spaces between them are sufficient to be able to talk about full comfort of text entry. There is also a new key with the Copilot logo, which will activate the AI assistant when it is widely available to users in our country. In 2024, however, I would expect something more from the touchpad, which is reminiscent of systems from a few years ago. The mechanism of operation is reliable so far, but traditional and because of this the click is quite loud. I would be happy to see a new version of the keyboard with a built-in haptic engine, which has already appeared in the Surface Laptop Studio. It’s time for more devices and accessories from the Surface line – that’s just how it is, dear Microsoft.
I know and see a lot of people who rely on Surface computers, including Surface Pro, which for many users is the only right choice due to the specific features of this machine. Apple’s ecosystem still forces us to have two devices to fully use a tablet and a computer, because iPadOS and macOS are two completely different entities. Windows 11 has taken a few steps to work better on tablets than Windows 10, but there was no revolution, so the biggest advantage of Surface Pro is still a PC environment for work and play, and a nice addition is the tablet-like design, which allows you to combine two contradictory worlds and try to use the advantages of both on a daily basis. For people who need this, it is probably the best solution on the market.
