The device was introduced by Surface chief Panos Panay. In his usually buoyant style, the executive was quick to point out how popular the Surface brands has become. More importantly, the hardware line has become an increasingly important part of Microsoft’s output. To emphasize the point, Panay walked amongst the media gathered in the crowd and highlighted how many of them were using Surface. As we mentioned last week, Microsoft’s new device is called the Surface Pro 6, despite the company dropping the numbering method for last year’s Surface Pro. That’s because the 2017 model was an incremental update on the Surface Pro 4… the Surface Pro 4.5 if you will.
Details and Specs
The Surface Pro 6 is a more seismic leap, and Panay was eager to discuss its abilities. The device comes with Intel’s 8th generation Core CPU and a 267ppi screen. Elsewhere, the Surface Pro 6 can be configured with up to 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. Microsoft says it enhanced thermal control to allow the first implementation of a quad-core CPU in a razor-thin device. Weighing just 1.7 pounds, the Surface Pro 6 is sleek. However, Microsoft has still managed to get 13.5 hours of battery life from the 2-in-1. As we have reported several times in the last month, Microsoft’s Surface devices now has a Black Edition. The company announced the Pro 6 will be available in matte black case, which Panay says he was obsessive about. Other colors for the device are blue, red, and grey. Microsoft was quick to compare the new Surface Pro 6 to Apple’s MacBook Air. It is worth noting the MacBook Air has not been updated in some time, but either way the Pro 6 is head and shoulders above. With a huge 67% performance boost over the Surface Pro, the device delivers 50% better graphics and 3.8x more pixels than the MacBook Air. The Surface Pro 6 is available to purchase from October 16 and will cost $899 for the base model. Interestingly, that’s the most affordable Surface Pro model launch ever.
