Microsoft Surface Pro 6

VERDICT

Microsoft’s hybrid is as sleek and powerful as ever – we just wish both it and the Type Cover were better value

- Tom Bruce

MICROSOFT HASWISELY started numbering its Surface Pro devices again; after the fifth iteration dropped the 5, becomingly simply the Surface Pro (Shopper 355), the premier 2-in-1 series is back with the Surface Pro 6.

Surprisingly, this is one of the more significant changes from the 2017 Surface Pro. There have been the expected processor updates, but at least on the surface (for want of a better phrase) the only other apparent difference is the new matt black colour option.

PREMIUM PACKAGE

For the Surface Pro 6 spec we reviewed, you’ll need to pay £1,149. That gets you an Intel Core i5-8250U processor, Intel UHD Graphics 620, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. One thing it won’t get you is a keyboard; Microsoft charges an additional £125 for this nigh-essential add-on, while the magnetically attachable Surface Pen stylus is a further £100.

These are not small prices to pay, especially since the tablet itself is so costly. Even the most basic spec, which also includes the Core i5-8250U CPU and 8GB of RAM but settles for a 128GB SSD, is £979. A top-spec Core i7 model, meanwhile, will take a £2,199-sized chunk out of your savings. At that point, the more powerful Surface Book 2 laptop (page 32) starts to look like a much better idea.

The Surface Pro 6 won’t surprise anyone who’s laid hands on a Surface device in the past. The 12.3in display is surrounded with moderately chunky bezels, with a 5-megapixel webcam up top and centre. A fully adjustable kickstand folds out of the back to prop it up.

The Surface Pro 6 measures 201x292x8.5mm. It’s a real lean machine, about the same size as a glossy magazine. On its own, it weighs an ultra-light 770g. With the Type Cover, it’s still only 1.08kg, which means it can be easily held in the palm of your hand.