Surface Pro X review

The Surface Pro X is a middling Microsoft tablet that just doesn't tick the right boxes.

The Microsoft Surface Pro X on a wooden desk
(Image: © Future)

Our Verdict

The Microsoft Surface Pro X is a lightweight device for everyday browsing and general office work, but the lack of native support for creative applications for Windows on ARM makes it a very hard sell for people working in a creative industry. It makes for a sufficient secondary tool if you already have dedicated hardware to run the software you need, but even then it's outshined by older, Intel-powered Surface Pro devices.

For

  • Beautiful 13-inch display
  • Lightweight and ultra-portable
  • Fantastic cameras for a tablet

Against

  • Lack of app support for Windows on ARM
  • No Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4
  • Stylus and keyboard come sold separately

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The Surface Pro X is a hybrid style tablet device from Microsoft, much like its Surface Laptop Studio, created to appeal to consumers looking for all the benefits of an ultra-portable laptop, but with the battery life of a smartphone. This is thanks to Microsoft ditching Intel and instead, moving over to its own ARM-based chip, created in partnership with chipmaker Qualcomm (who typically create chips for mobile devices), but the resulting product fails to live up to the hype of what an ARM-based Windows device could really offer.

Let us explain. There are some great advantages in regards to devices being based on ARM rather than the x86 chip architecture that has been around for decades, such as the aforementioned increase to battery life, built-in 4G (or even 5G), and the ability to achieve an ultra-slim chassis, but this all comes at the cost of software compatibility.

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The Verdict
6

out of 10

Surface Pro X review

The Microsoft Surface Pro X is a lightweight device for everyday browsing and general office work, but the lack of native support for creative applications for Windows on ARM makes it a very hard sell for people working in a creative industry. It makes for a sufficient secondary tool if you already have dedicated hardware to run the software you need, but even then it's outshined by older, Intel-powered Surface Pro devices.

Jess Weatherbed
Freelancer

Jess is TechRadar's computing writer, covering hardware, PC gaming and peripherals, though she can be found freelancing for creative tech like 3D printers and graphics drawing tablets. She also likes to dabble in digital art and can often be found playing games of both the PC and Tabletop variety, occasionally streaming on Twitch to the disappointment of everyone.