Desktops and laptops

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
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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