Surface Pro with LTE Advanced review
The Surface Pro with LTE Advanced is the latest edition of Microsoft’s hybrid tablet-laptop brand. It features a sim card slot that allows for extensive online connectivity when not connected to a wifi network, and has been completely redesigned from its previous iterations.
The hardware
It’s a professional piece of hardware, with a simple yet stylish design. It boasts a crystal clear 12.3” PixelSense display and an overall resolution of 2736 x 1824 (267 PPI). However, this had little effect on the actual weight of the product and I found it easy to carry around and handle. It’s thin too, even with the keyboard attached, meaning that it can easily fit into a backpack or a messenger bag without taking up too much space.
The ability to snap the keyboard off and turn it into a tablet is a useful feature, and I found myself typing away one moment and then seamlessly swapping to its tablet form in an instant. The actual detaching/attaching process feels robust, and there was never a worry that I would break or damage the device when swapping from laptop to tablet mode.
The keyboard itself has a professional finish and feels comfortable and easy to type on. An issue I have often found in the past with other laptop keyboards is that they can often be uncomfortable to use for long periods of time. However the spacing and layout of the Surface Pro’s keyboard meant there was little discomfort when typing.
What’s inside?
It comes loaded with Windows 10 Pro as standard and features a large variety of apps, and a list of the most interesting ones have been posted below.
The main feature of the Surface Pro with LTE Advanced is a sim card slot that ensures extensive online connectivity. LTE is network connection similar to 4G network found on many mobile phones. This means that you are constantly connected to the internet, either through wifi or through the mobile sim. It allows users to be capable of working anywhere, no matter the connection.
It also has a fast operating speed and rarely were there any delays when opening apps or internet pages. That responsiveness is integral to the devices appeal, and creates an important sense of reliability when using it.
The extras
Along with the tablet and detachable keyboard the Surface Pro also comes equipped with a Surface Pen and Surface Dial attachment. The Surface Pen is self explanatory, but the dial is a unique piece of tech that I had not encountered up until my time with this device.
It’s a small dial that can be rotated and magnetically attached to the screen of the Surface Pro, opening up a wide variety of options when using the various apps on offer. For example, when using the Surface Dial with Sketchable, a digital sketchbook app, placing the dial on the screen will allow the user to select and modify the colour of the pen, done by turning the dial while drawing. They work in tandem to create a versatile tool set.
While I found less use for the dial, mainly using it to scroll through webpages and documents quickly, the pen was the far more enticing peripheral. It feels like an essential component to the device and was very satisfying to use, with little touches like putting extra pressure on the screen resulting in thicker lines when drawing.
Clicking a button located at the top of the pen opens up Windows Ink in an instant, allowing you to draw on whatever page you were currently working on and then saving it as an image. The Surface Pen also conveniently connects to the back of the keyboard magnetically.
Overall both attachments have impressive technology behind them and it really added to the overall quality of the package.
The only concern I have is a fairly steep price range. The Surface Pro with LTE Advanced is already available to purchase in the UK and prices range from £1,129 and £1,399 depending on the device’s technical specifications.
The device used in this review is a Surface Pro LTE with Intel® Core i5: 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Storage SSD, which can be purchased for £1,399.
