GadgetsLab: MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO 7 PLUS

REVIEWED BY ALYSSA JOJI SILVA

Better get ready as the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus brings out more surprises with new features that will surely upgrade your experience.

DESIGN 4.5 / 5

Microsoft introduced some changes in the Surface Pro 7 Plus. Under the kickstand, it now has a removable solid-state drive as well as an optional nano-sim card port for LTE connectivity when WiFi is inaccessible.

The screen display is still 12.3-inch PixelSense with a 3:2 aspect ratio. The power and volume buttons are located at the top left side of the monitor. Also on the left is the earphone jack along with the kickstand marker. On the right are the USB-C and USB-A ports with the magnetic charging port below. Magnetic sensors surround the monitor, so a Surface Pen can be attached to the left side of the monitor. The kickstand of the monitor is located at the back and below the tablet is where you attach the keyboard.

The full-size QWERTY keyboard has a full row of function keys, 4 directional keys, plus additional control keys, and has LED backlighting. This is perfectly complemented by a precision glass trackpad that supports multi-touch gesture.

HARDWARE 5 / 5

With the latest Windows 10 Pro operating system, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus is making its way to becoming faster with more memory and better performance for a smoother, multi-tasking experience. Powered by either a dual-core (Core i3) or quad-core (Core i5 to i7) 11th Gen Intel Core Processor, it is rated to be 2.1 times faster than the previous Surface Pro 7. It can handle heavy-weight applications such as the Adobe Creative Suite and game apps such as Valorant and League of Legends. There’s also a lot of memory for documents and videos since the Surface Pro 7 Plus has options to choose the capacity of the storage.

There are several options offered for the removable solid-state drive: 128GB or 256GB (WiFi or LTE) and 512GB or 1TB (WiFi). The 50.4Wh lithium-ion battery is able to deliver 15-hours of regular use, more than enough for a whole working day plus a bit of overtime. The 60W power supply supports fast charging, up to 80% in just an hour.

The Surface Pro 7 Plus comes with a 5MP front-facing HD camera and an 8MP rearfacing autofocus full HD video.

USER EXPERIENCE 5 / 5

Using the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus was new to me as I haven’t used any of their products except Windows 10 and, my goodness, this product took me by surprise. A 2-in-1 product, I can use this as a tablet or a laptop. Tablet mode was convenient for watching Netflix with my mom. I was also able to play around with Microsoft 3D Paint to create some digital art. This was also my first time using a stylus pen and found it surprisingly responsive to my strokes. The large-screen display and the kickstand were also very helpful for editing digital art, as I could position the tablet to be able to draw well without worrying about wrist pain.

For laptop mode, the keyboard attaches to the tablet easily. I mainly used it for writing articles and reviews, including this one. Typing on the keyboard is effortless, the backlit keys are great for working at night. A downside is that since the keyboard is quite light and thin so I can’t use it on my lap but that’s what the tablet mode is good for.

I downloaded some heavy games just to see how the Surface Pro 7 Plus would perform, and it was unexpectedly good. It was fast and responsive for both Valorant and League of Legends, delivering an enjoyable gaming experience.

Optional LTE connectivity is an advantage for students and employees, especially when WiFi is not available, as they can continue working on their tasks and from anywhere, with the Surface 7 Pro Plus. To try out this feature, I inserted my nano sim card in the slot underneath the kickstand and turned LTE on, and gladly it worked! I was able to get a strong signal with speeds similar to WiFi.

I attended seminars on the Surface 7 Pro Plus, and this was also my first experience with Microsoft Teams. I enjoyed the virtual classroom setting as well as the captions feature. The stereo speakers were also excellent, producing rich, clear sound. I also used the dual mics during work meetings and for video calls, and there were no complaints. My image on the front camera came across as very clear and

clean, automatically adjusting the lighting thanks to its ambient light sensor.

The battery was able to keep pace with my activities the entire day as I used the laptop for writing articles, streaming music, watching movies, and playing.

VALUE 3 / 5

The starting price of Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus is PHP74,690, and the accessories such as the keyboard and the Surface Pen are sold separately. You also need to purchase Microsoft Suite to gain full access and fully enjoy all its features.

It is very efficient for the Surface Pro 7 Plus to have a removable state drive and LTE Advanced. However, when it comes to convenience and practicality, the Surface Pro 7 Plus falls short other than the 2-in-1 laptops such as iPad Pro because in Surface Pro 7 Plus you still have to purchase their Microsoft Suite in order to gain its full access rather than having it built-in once you’ve purchased it.

WHAT'S HOT

• LTE nano-sim option

• Removable solid-state drive

• Faster processor

WHAT'S NOT

• Need to purchase Microsoft Suite to experience its full potential.

BOTTOMLINE

The all-new Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus offers more space, resiliency, and versatility.