Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Review: There's Lot To Love Here, With A Little Bit Of Hate

When you think about portable Windows laptops, one machine that definitely comes to our mind is the beautiful Surface Pro. Ever since its first iteration, the design has looked way ahead of its time, and it started the trend of light and flexible machines that don¡¯t compromise on performance.

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During this lockdown, I got to spend time with the newest and fastest Surface Pro out there, the Surface Pro 7. And Here¡¯s what I liked and disliked about this ultra-portable workhorse.

What I Liked

A beautifully constructed machine

The first thing that will make you fall in love with the device is its immaculate minimal design. The whole machine is built in an aluminium unibody chassis. We got our hands on the black variant and it looked clean AF.

The kickstand is just as advertised, smooth and flexible and light. The top holds a power button with volume rockers while to the right you have a rather disappointing I/O -- a full-sized USB port, a USB-C Port as well as a magnetic charging connector. You also get a headphone jack to the left.

A bright and vivid display

One of the most powerful features of the device is the display. We¡¯re looking at a 12.3-inch QHD panel with a resolution of 2736x1824 pixels (267 PPI) which is pretty sharp.

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I surely hated the thick bezels to the edges, maybe adopt something Apple is doing with its iPad Pro. But apart from that, the panel is solid and thoroughly fun to watch shows or movies on.

Crazy fast performance under the hood

While Surface Pro 7 has its own share of cool features to tempt you, the biggest one has to be the hardware under the hood. We¡¯re looking at Intel¡¯s latest and greatest 10th generation Core i7 1065G7 Processor. The G7 at the end also means that the CPU comes with Iris Pro graphics under the hood. Sure this doesn¡¯t mean you can game heavy titles on highest resolutions possible, but it is helpful in graphics-intensive tasks like photo editing.

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Paired with 16GB of RAM, the machine was snappy to boot and open apps. While working with over 13-15 tabs on Chrome, Adobe Photoshop and Spotify app running in the background, the machine didn¡¯t break a sweat. Switching between desktops and apps on Windows 10 was a breeze too. A perfect productivity laptop that doesn¡¯t compromise on performance.

What I Disliked

Can be a bit clumsy to use

One of the cool things of using a laptop on the go is that you can literally rest it on your lap and work -- especially when you¡¯re working while commuting or while working on your bed without a table. The ever-so-versatile kickstand surely fails here as it doesn¡¯t sit as firmly as you¡¯d want it to stay on your lap. I even accidentally dropped it, with the magnetic keyboard detaching easily. Using the Surface Pro 7 on your lap is definitely a challenge.

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The camera setup is basic

Looking at the price point that it sits in, you¡¯d expect the cameras on the front and the back to be good for basic photography. The front gets a 5.0-megapixel shooter capable of shooting at full-HD resolutions, while the rear gets a not so fancy 8-megapixel shooter, that just seems dated, with poor low-light performance. Looking at what Apple is offering with the iPad Pro, it is definitely a step down.

Stereo speakers not loud enough

Microsoft has got a pair of 1.6W speakers at the front, which is a neat addition -- they're good for personal entertainment, but not as loud if you're playing something for the entire room. If you really want to enjoy watching something, you¡¯re better off with a wired or a wireless headset.

Keyboard and stylus are separate as an accessory

Another thing that really hurts is that even with its hefty price tag, you only get the tablet for that. Much like the iPad Pro, the keyboard cover and the stylus are an add-on accessory for Rs 10,999, whereas the stylus can cost you around Rs 7,500. Without the keyboard, the machine feels incomplete, like a very expensive tablet.

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Bottom Line

All said and done, there's still a lot to like about the Microsoft Surface Pro 7, which remains a fine, elegant-looking machine that is ultra-portable, with very good core performance that keeps it all going pretty well.

The star of the show is the Intel Core i7 processor that doesn't give up on you, even under extreme loads -- something you really don't expect from a device with such form-factor.

It definitely has one of the best displays on a tablet-laptop hybrid, and it's only let down with a set of accessories that don't come bundled with the standard device -- you'll need to pay extra to get them.

At a price tag of Rs 1,37,990 without a keyboard cover, (Rs 1,48,340 with), the Surface Pro 7 is one premium performer that stands tall in a class of its own, only if you don¡¯t mind paying the hefty price.