Microsoft Surface Pro 9 2-In-1 Laptop Comes In 11th Gen Intel And Microsoft SQ3 CPU Options: Specifications

At the Microsoft Ignite 2022 event last night, the Redmond-based tech giant launched a slew of new hardware. Microsoft’s latest lineup includes updates to the Surface Pro convertible tablet PCs, over from the Surface Pro 8, in the form of the Surface Pro 9. 

But a surprising news was that the ARM-powered Surface Pro X was merged with the Surface Pro 9. Technically, there is an update for the Surface Pro X, just that it’s now named under the same banner with Microsoft offering two options to users—either take the Intel route to access all apps and get better performance or take the ARM route to enjoy 5G speeds and longer battery life. 

This is likely due to the naming schemes of the two devices. The Surface Pro X could be seen as an upgrade over the Surface Pro 9, so in order to prevent confusion, they are now both part of the same lineup.

Microsoft Surface Pro 9: What’s Changed? 

There is now a vanilla Surface Pro 9 with the Intel processor under the hood, and the Surface Pro 9 with 5G that has an upgraded ARM processor, under the Microsoft banner. 

The Intel variant features the Alder Lake U-series processors, specifically the Core i5 1235U and the Core i7 1255U. This is coupled with 8GB, 16GB or 32GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB of removable storage. It’s been verified as an Intel Evo device. Meanwhile, the second variant features the ARM-based Microsoft SQ3 platform and comes with 5G connectivity. 

Apart from the processor differences, the Surface Pro 9 features a 13-inch display with 2880×1920 pixel resolution and dynamic refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The tablet is 0.37-inches thin and weighs 1.94 pounds. 

The Intel variant also features Thunderbolt 4 ports. Microsoft claimed a 50 percent improvement in performance in the Intel variant. 

Microsoft Surface Pro 9 Price And Availability 

The price of the Intel variant of the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 starts at $999.99 (roughly ₹82,000) while the 5G variant is priced at $1299.99 (roughly ₹1,07,000). The Intel variant gets new colours including Graphite, Forest, and Sapphire. Meanwhile, the 5G variant ships in only one colour, which is platinum.