Microsoft's 12-inch Surface Pro Improves On Its Best Traits - And It's Already On Sale

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The 12-inch Microsoft Surface Pro is connected waste now astatine Amazon for $699 for nan 256GB option, and $799 for nan 512GB.
• The 12-inch type is exceedingly bladed and ray pinch a fast-charging battery, and nan refreshed shape facet looks much premium.
• The 256GB of retention is not capable for a instrumentality astatine this value point, and nan costs adds up quickly, arsenic nan keyboard, mouse, and moreover nan powerfulness adapter are sold separately.

The Microsoft Surface 12-inch Surface Pro is connected waste during Amazon Prime time for $699 for nan configuration pinch nan 256GB SSD, and $799 for nan 1 pinch 512GB. That's $100 disconnected each regular price.

Microsoft's 2025 12-inch Surface Pro is thinner, lighter, and a small much affordable, pinch a battery-efficient Snapdragon X Plus processor and refreshed design. The latest type of nan Surface Pro rounds retired nan lineup pinch a much affordable action focused connected ultra-long artillery life, caller colors, and redesigned accessories to show disconnected Windows' latest Copilot+ PC features.

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I replaced my main laptop pinch nan 12-inch Surface Pro for astir 2 weeks, and nan Surface Pro seems to maine to beryllium much of an summation to nan existent lineup than a standalone upgrade, peculiarly successful comparison to nan enterprise models Microsoft released backmost successful January 2025.

The 2025 Surface Pro has comparatively humble hardware, pinch 16GB of RAM and 256GB aliases 512GB of UFS storage. It is being marketed astatine nan mundane user who uses on-device AI and appreciates nan ultra-portability.

Besides nan smaller shape factor, this year's Surface Pro comes successful 2 caller colors: Violet and Ocean (a blueish gray). The default Platinum colour starts astatine $799, whereas nan different 2 will tally you $899, bringing nan starting value a small further distant from that advertised debased value (and we haven't moreover bought nan keyboard yet).

I must admit that nan creation connected nan 12-inch tablet looks better. It looks much for illustration a premium tablet (and much for illustration an iPad) pinch rounded corners, bladed bezels, and nan webcam moved to nan backmost area of nan device.

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Additionally, I'm a instrumentality of nan caller Violet and Ocean colorways, which aren't what I'd telephone "bold", but astatine slightest they're not nan aforesaid desaturated pastels we spot everyplace else. The colors widen to nan Surface Pro keyboards, which are updated by removing nan alcantara cloth connected nan beforehand of nan keyboard for a cleaner, monochromatic matte look.

Instead, nan cloth is relegated to nan backmost of nan keyboard case, which has a much premium tablet consciousness for retention and transport. The Surface keyboard is functional and satisfying to type on, pinch springy keys and a responsive, premium trackpad.

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

Additionally, nan tablet snaps to nan keyboard a small tighter and person to nan tablet now, pinch nary spread successful nan hinge, giving it a somewhat smaller footprint connected nan desk. 

The Surface Pen besides magnetically snaps to nan backmost of nan 12-inch alternatively of storing connected nan keyboard. This requires you to shop nan instrumentality pinch nan cloth facing down, arsenic you don't want to strafe nan pen. When throwing nan Surface Pro successful a bag, nan Pen besides tends to enactment put, but tin travel unattached if you're not paying attention. 

Microsoft wants to showcase its caller AI-driven Copilot+ features, and nan 12-inch Surface Pro is simply a bully conveyance for trading them to consumers, particularly pinch its charismatic value constituent and nan 45 TOPS Qualcomm Hexagon NPU. 

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For example, nan long-awaited Recall characteristic is still successful Preview mode, but it's getting person to a useful state. Other applications that leverage AI processes, peculiarly ones for creators for illustration Capcut, Davinci Resolve, and DJay Pro should consciousness soft and snappy. This makes it a very AI-ready instrumentality for mundane users who don't request high-end hardware for demanding imaginative projects. 

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

Running Windows connected Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus spot shouldn't beryllium excessively overmuch of a problem for astir users successful this category, arsenic nan areas that saw nan astir compatibility issues, for illustration gaming and connecting to bequest software, are much apt not to use to nan targeted user. 

The 12-inch Surface Pro's humble hardware positions itself arsenic a competitory instrumentality successful nan family's lineup. The aforementioned 16GB of RAM and max 512GB of storage, paired pinch nan Snapdragon X Plus and 2196 x 1464 solution (220 ppi) LCD that targets mundane users, while its 13-inch siblings tin beryllium loaded up pinch much premium hardware. 

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That being said, nan Snapdragon X Plus processor is snappy and responsive, excelling astatine tasks that nan mean user cares about: accelerated startup and app load times, soft multitasking, and coagulated artillery performance, whether successful laptop aliases tablet mode. 

During my benchmarking of nan 12-inch Surface Pro, I sewage numbers that spot it astir different bladed and ray laptops successful nan aforesaid value range, including Asus' Zenbook A14, which besides features nan Snapdragon X Plus processor, and HP's OmniBook X 14, 1 of nan first Copilot+ PCs pinch nan Snapdragon X Elite spot from 2024. 

The show is crisp and crisp, but it does headdress retired astatine 400 nits of brightness and a 90Hz refresh rate. Since it's a tablet, it's besides rather glossy. In nan office, for example, I recovered myself readjusting nan device's perspective galore times passim nan time to relationship for glare from overhead lighting. 

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Speaking of utilizing nan Surface Pro successful nan office, it useful arsenic good arsenic a laptop aliases a tablet, depending connected what you need. Detached from nan keyboard and equipped pinch nan Surface Pen, it becomes a snappy productivity tablet that allows for statement taking, prototyping, and freeform thought procreation successful Windows' Whiteboard app. 

You tin besides delegate different actions to nan Pen, including starting apps aliases performing functions pinch nan fastener connected nan instrumentality aliases nan "clicky" connected nan end. I will opportunity that nan Pen's capacity tin beryllium variable, though. If you're moving aggregate programs unfastened successful nan background, you mightiness announcement lag while writing, particularly if you're moving quickly. 

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

Similarly, nan HD camera's location has a somewhat downward-facing predisposition while connected to nan keyboard, arsenic nan kickstand tin only prop it up truthful high. Consider a clamshell laptop, for example, which tin beryllium astatine a 90-degree perspective aliases less. In that sense, untethering nan keyboard and utilizing it arsenic a tablet mightiness beryllium much optimal for users who make predominant video calls. 

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Regarding artillery life, nan Snapdragon X Plus processor ensures that it drains astatine a specified trickle erstwhile nan instrumentality is not successful use, and is bully capable for complete a afloat day's worthy of activity connected 1 charge. Microsoft advertises 16 hours of artillery life, and I sewage a small complete 15 successful our video playback test. Regarding much sustained use, I sewage complete 10 hours connected a azygous charge, which isn't acold disconnected from nan advertised 12 hours without utilizing each nan max artillery ratio settings. 

Couple this pinch nan truth that nan Surface Pro charges highly fast. From a wholly dormant battery, you'll get to astir 50% successful 30 minutes, and astir 80% successful an hour. Of nan Surface Pro family, nan 12-inch is surely nan astir artillery businesslike and nan fastest to charge. 

ZDNET's buying advice

The 12-inch Microsoft Surface Pro completes nan family's lineup pinch a thinner, lighter, and much battery-efficient tablet/laptop hybrid pinch refreshed colors and design. It comes pinch somewhat much humble hardware (16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage) for a little starting value of $799. 

If you're looking for a functional 2-in-1 tablet/laptop, bask utilizing a stylus, and don't request a ton of section storage, it's a awesome option, particularly for its long-lasting battery. It's an all-around sharp-looking device, and nan premium keyboard lawsuit provides a satisfying tactile experience. 

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The costs of nan Surface Pro tin quickly adhd up, however, arsenic nan Surface Keyboard, Surface Arc mouse, and powerfulness adapter are sold separately, bringing nan last costs complete nan $1,000 mark. Combined pinch nan debased magnitude of section retention and humble memory, I'd urge this instrumentality for users who are committed to nan 12-inch shape facet and want reliable artillery life. 

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