Review: Microsoft Surface Pro 12

Last year, the Surface Pro was reinvented in a rather glorious way. For the first time, Microsoft’s 2-in-1 tablet had the performance and battery life it needed to be a truly mobile device that could compete with the iPad Pro. Thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon X chips inside, the Surface Pro 11th Edition came into its own.

Photograph: Luke Larsen

Now, there’s a surprise new model available: the Surface Pro 12. The slightly smaller tablet is a great idea in theory, offering a more compact design and a lower starting price. Unfortunately, some pricing wonkiness makes the Surface Pro 12 a lot less attractive an offer than it should be, even compared to other Surface devices you can buy.

The Price Matters

Photograph: Luke Larsen

When the Surface Pro 11th Edition launched in 2024, it started at $999 with 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. However, that’s not the price today. Microsoft now sells the Surface Pro 11th Edition for $1,199, which also comes with a 10-core Snapdragon X Plus CPU. Microsoft hasn't officially explained the $200 price increase (a year after its release!), but it might be safe to assume it's tariff-related. It may have made more sense for Microsoft to have opted for the lower-powered Snapdragon X chip to drop the price, as we've seen in laptops like the Asus Vivobook 14.

Then the Surface Pro 12 slides in with a retail price of $799, despite coming with many of the same specs, including the same memory and storage. The only performance difference is its 8-core Snapdragon X Plus chip versus the 10-core chip in the 13-inch model. But wait, it gets weirder. You can currently buy the Surface Pro 11th Edition for just $800 at Best Buy (Microsoft also has it “discounted” to the original $999 price). You read that right. You can buy last year’s 13-inch model and the new 12-inch model for the same price, despite the older model being more premium.

Photograph: Luke Larsen

To make things worse, the Surface Pro 12 might be the first laptop I’ve ever reviewed that doesn’t come with a charger included in the price. Microsoft is charging $70 to add on the tiny 45-watt power cable. While it’s true that some people will have a leftover USB-C power cable and adapter they can use, most people may end up paying at least $870 for this machine, and that’s not even including the extra $150 for the keyboard you’ll want. You could reuse an older Surface Pro keyboard with newer devices in the past, but the Surface Pro 12 isn't compatible with them.

What’s Different?

Photograph: Luke Larsen

The display is the primary difference between the Surface Pro 12 and its larger sibling. The screen is an inch smaller diagonally, meaning less screen real estate and an overall more compact device. The bezels are a bit larger, though I wouldn’t want the footprint to be any smaller. Microsoft made the detachable keyboard as small as I would want it to ensure the keyboard and trackpad are still comfortable to use.

I like the idea of a smaller and lighter Surface Pro. The tablet is only 0.30 inches thick, which is not quite as thin as the iPad Pro 11-inch, but it's close. It's still a half-pound heavier, but compared to other Surface devices, it's far more usable in one hand, something Surface devices have always struggled with.

Photograph: Luke Larsen

Unfortunately, the screen is not just smaller. It is also 16 percent less pixel-dense (220 pixels per inch) and has a lower refresh rate of 90 Hz. I measured it at 351 nits, which is bright enough for even a glossy tablet like this. All in all, it's a great IPS screen, every bit as color-accurate and vibrant as the 13-inch model. Of course, it doesn't hold up to the OLED upgrade available on the Surface Pro 11th Edition, but that's to be expected.

Performance isn’t anything to write home about. A part of that is because the system comes in the Power Efficiency mode by default, even while plugged in. Changing it to Balanced boosted the multi-core performance by 23%, unlocking some extra performance for when you need it without adding fan noise. That's because the system is completely fanless, a notable change from the larger model. The great part about this, however, is that the Surface Pro 12 stays completely quiet at all times. That part I really like.

I also like the battery life, even if it's a step back from the Surface Pro 11th Edition. Microsoft says it gets seven hours less in local video playback, which lines up with my testing. The results are still better than previous Surface devices on the affordable end of the spectrum. I could get through a full workday away from the charger, making it long-lasting enough for a mobile device.

Photograph: Luke Larsen

One of my favorite features of the Surface Pro 11th Edition was the ability to use the keyboard when not physically connected to the device, which was handy in various situations. The Surface Pro 12 loses this feature. The keyboard no longer has a dedicated slot to store the Surface Slim Pen, though it can still magnetize (and wirelessly charge) to the back of the tablet.

A few other downgrades to the Surface Pro 12: It has a 1080p front-facing webcam rather than a 1440p webcam, and slower ports. There are only two USB-C ports, and they're USB-C 3.2 instead of USB4. Perhaps the most disappointing feature, however, is the lack of repairability. The Surface Pro 11th Edition made strides in this area, letting you access the internals easily and upgrade the storage via the microSD card slot, even earning an 8/10 iFixit score. The Surface Pro 12 undoes this trend, instead opting for a sealed-up chassis and soldered components. This is likely because it’s fanless, but having a microSD slot would have at least helped.

Apples and Oranges

Photograph: Luke Larsen

Maybe it’s not fair to only compare the Surface Pro 12 to the larger model. After all, it still compares favorably to the iPad Pro 11-inch, which is significantly more expensive. We should also keep in mind the comparison to the Surface Go 4, which came out in 2023. The cheaper 10.5-inch model seems to be defunct, meaning the Surface Pro 12 takes its place in many ways. While the Surface Go 4 had a much lower starting price, those configurations were quite underpowered, starting with just 8 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. When you line up the configurations, there’s only a $30 difference between the Surface Go 4 and the Surface Pro 12 at launch. Because Microsoft needs to ensure that its Surface devices are Copilot+ PCs, those lower-tier configurations have been cut.

There’s a lot to like about the device on its own. You won’t find a slicker 2-in-1, outside perhaps the iPad Pro 11-inch. The design is impeccable, and the keyboard and touchpad feel great to use. The palm rests are plastic and no longer Alcantara fabric, though they feel comfortable and rigid. Compared to the iPad, it’s still quite affordable, even with the additional $70 power supply.

But here’s what it comes down to: As long as the Surface Pro 11th Edition is sold for $799 at Best Buy or another retailer, you should buy that instead. It has faster performance, a higher-refresh-rate screen, more ports, and a better webcam, and it is far more serviceable. And yes, that one comes with the power supply included. The 12-inch does have it beat in portability, but until we see the pricing situation change, the larger sibling is the one to buy.