Microsoft Surface Pro 4 The Surface Pro 4 isn’t the prettiest or youngest Surface Pro on the block anymore, but it’s still worth cons...
Microsoft Surface Pro 4
The Surface Pro 4 isn’t the prettiest or youngest Surface Pro on the block anymore, but it’s still worth considering. Back in October 2015 when it launched, it was lauded as being the natural progression of the Surface Pro bloodline. Now, in 2018, it still holds up remarkably well, and even if you can’t buy it brand new out of the box anymore, a refurbished model is still absolutely worth picking up.
At the time of this writing, the new Surface Pro costs noticeably more than a similarly equipped Surface Pro 4 that’s been refurbished by the manufacturer, undoubtedly a selling point for the latter. For a 2017 model configured with an Intel Core m3 processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of solid-state drive, or SSD, storage, you can expect a price point of $799 (£799, AU$1,199).
The ageing Surface Pro 4, on the other hand, can be had for the same exact price on Amazon in the US and includes a more powerful 6th-generation Intel ‘Skylake’ Core i5, 4GB of memory and a 128GB storage drive. Even better, you can buy the entry-level, Core m3 model certified refurbished for $649 (£579, about AU$812), $150 (£120, about AU$387) less than the Surface Pro 2017 counterpart.
Arguably the best part about the Surface Pro 4, compared to its predecessor, is the change of software. Whereas the Surface Pro 3 was a little too comfortable with its use of the divisive Windows 8, its follow-up was keen on bringing the much-improved Windows 10 to the forefront, which is probably a big part of the Surface line’s new-found popularity.
All in all, the Surface Pro 4 is a slate that we’ve honored with a 4.5 star rating, accompanied by our ‘Recommended’ seal of approval. Praised for its bigger screen and sharper resolution, not to mention an improved keyboard and stylus, the Surface Pro 4 was Microsoft’s best crack at its winning tablet formula yet.
To catch you up with its history, the Surface Pro 4 managed to introduce more levels of pressure sensitivity and a host of buttons to the signature, but sold separately, Surface Pen. Likewise, the Type Cover keyboard is heavier and more satisfying to the touch, while the screen resolution was bumped all the way to 2,736 x 1,824, making it 216 pixels per inch (ppi), as opposed to the 128 ppi display of the 13-inch MacBook Air.
The only problem now is that it’s since been superseded by something better, namely the Microsoft Surface Pro, which we were introduced to back in May 2017. Baffling naming conventions aside, this new tablet is the closest thing to a Surface Pro 5 we’re going to get for quite some time.
With the Surface Pro 4, Microsoft was more concerned with perfecting an already-successful design rather than making any bombastic innovations. That’s why it basically retains a similar look and feel to that of the Surface Pro 3, albeit with a few minor refinements including a new chrome-laden Microsoft logo and a chassis more than half a millimeter thinner than the previous generation.
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