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Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (Model 2038) with Signature Keyboard and Slim Pen 2 review

Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (Model 2038) with Signature Keyboard and Slim Pen 2

CHOICE Expert Rating

71%
What is the CHOICE Expert Rating?
Good points

Good Points

  • Very good keyboard
  • Very good webcam quality in bright conditions
  • Very good screen luminance
  • Short time to charge to 80 per cent
  • Excellent viewing angles
  • Very good screen
  • Can replace or upgrade components (SSD)
Bad points

Bad Points

  • Small touchpad
  • Lacks an SD card slot
  • No headphone port
  • Can be hard to rest in lap due to kickstand and loose keyboard
  • Low amount of usable storage space

Type

Ultraportable
Ultrabook
Tablet mode
Operating system
Windows 11 Home

Recommended products

Recommended
Not recommended
Recommended for tablet use

Test results

CHOICE Expert Rating
71%
Performance score
58%
Tablet use score
78%
Ease of use score
75%
Battery life score
69%
Display score
83%
Audio score
70%
Wi-Fi score
64%
Storage write-speed (MBps)
1277
Storage read-speed (MBps)
3325
Wi-Fi speed (MBps)
35
Average battery life – heavy usage (hours)
5:07
Charging time to 80% full (h:min)
1:08
Expert tester comments
Like the Surface Pro 8, Microsoft's Surface Pro 9 is one of the only tablets on the market with two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, which when paired with a Microsoft Signature Keyboard, can make for a useful laptop-like experience. Unfortunately, only slight changes under the hood mean there is barely any advantage to buying a Pro 9 over a Pro 8, and its battery life is even a bit shorter, so if you already have a Surface pro 8, you've still got a formidable unit.

Sustainability

Shop Ethical rating
C
Warranty (years)
1
Replaceable battery
Replace/upgrade RAM
Slots for additional RAM
Replace/upgrade storage
Slot for additional storage
Replace/upgrade Wi-Fi
Country of origin
China

Related products

Availability
Discontinued model

Cost

Price
$2,079.00

Specifications

Screen size (inches)
13
Native screen resolution (pixels)
2880 x 1920
Processor (CPU) type
Intel Core i5-1235U
CPU frequency (GHz)
2.5
RAM (GB)
8
Video graphics type
Intel Iris Xe
Storage capacity (GB)
128
Available user space (GB)
82
Storage type
SSD
Wi-Fi version
6E
Weight of laptop (kg)
1.2
Weight of power supply (kg)
0.26
Size (mm, H x D x W)
17 x 215 x 288

Features

Screen finish
Glossy
Touchscreen
USB-C
USB 2.0 ports
0
USB 3.0 ports
0
USB 4 as USB-C port
0
USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1 or 2, not Thunderbolt 3 or 4) ports
0
Thunderbolt 3 or 4 (as USB-C) ports
2
SD card slot (full-size)
SD card slot (micro)
HDMI port
Gigabit ethernet port
Rear camera
Backlit keyboard levels of brightness
3

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