Surface Pro 4 in 2020 review: the past to power futures

The Surface pro 4 was the surface that marked the beginning of a serious business for Microsoft. Some would even say it was the first genuinely great surface device, but it had its shortcomings like all devices, but for a device to be great it needs to transcend time and age to be of true value. Did the Surface Pro 4 achieve those high marks? Let's find out; This is the BenTechCode Surface Pro 4 2020 review. 

Let's start at design; the Surface Pro has pioneered the 2-in-1 design language. As a tablet that turns into laptop that design has been incredibly durable. Surface hardware has and always will be extremely well built and styled, you're paying 50% for the actual hardware and the rest for the style. Thin and lightweight coming in at 2.37 pounds with keyboard and 1.73 without; the tablet part of the Surface Pro feels manageable as a tablet, the built-in kickstand also makes it great to watch movies on a table. Slap on the Type cover and you got a full-on Windows laptop, the type cover itself is marvelous. Key travel is stupendous, and it just looks and feels exactly right, it even sounds like you're sending a company-changing email when in reality you're just blogging about tech. The glass trackpad is also equally smooth, gestures are very responsive as well, the only problem I have. Now Surface pros have always had questionable...lapability? Ok so I personally mostly sit down at a desk and start working on....whatever; but I personally know too many people who work on their couch, roof, and even at the park where they allow nature to boost their workflow.  

Mobility is what made them buy a Laptop in the first place, and that is why it is so important to be able to use your device anytime, anywhere. Results have varied but I find the Surface to be comfortable on both desks, couches, and most places in between; although extreme angles can make the trackpad a little bit harder to click. The reason I am able to place the Surface at so many different angles is because of its sturdy built in hinge, this supplies massive stability gains. The form-factor is not for everyone but for me it works great. 

Now although it is not necessary the Surface pen is a great accessory for artists and pros alike. Granted, I'm using the Surface pen included with the Surface pro 4, with newer versions of the Pro you need to buy the pen at an extra 99$. Although I'm not an artist I do take notes and not once did the pen ever lag, it was smooth and responsive for everything I did. It clips onto the side of the tablet with magnets strong enough to drag the device. Stowing the pen on the side allows me to use the surface as a sort of clipboard for notes, tasks, and even minimal sketching while walking. 

Performance however is not as stellar, I'm using the 6h generation Dual-core Core i5 model of the Surface Pro 4 with 8GB or RAM and 256GB SSD. Basic tasks such as Web browsing, writing, and juggling other apps perform fine but when you get to heavy lifting it starts to falter. When Photo and Video editing the Surface, Pro does start to falter, it runs fine but it will be slow at times, granted it will get the job done it just takes longer to do so. Playing games such as Minecraft does make it dissipate heat and drain battery life drastically, the fans are quite loud, and the outer shell starts to heat up fast. 

Complete specifications:

Display

12.3" · 2736 x 1824p · LCD (~267 ppi density)

Storage

128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB, microSD, (up to 931.3GB)

RAM

4GB, 8GB, 16GB

Battery

5547 mAh · Up to 9 hours (Web on WiFi)

Rear Camera

8 MP · AutoFocus

Front Camera

5 MP · AutoFocus

Video

HD · 1080p, 30fps

Audio

Dual microphones, Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby Audio, Stereo microphone, Stereo speakers

Processor

Intel Core i5 Dual Core 2.2 GHz, Intel Core i5 Dual Core 2.4 GHz, Intel Core i7 Dual Core 2.2 GHz, Intel Core m3 Dual Core 0.9 GHz

Graphics

Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel HD graphics 540, Intel Iris graphics 540

Features

TPM chip for enterprise security

Wireless Interface

802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth

Operating System

Windows

Connectors

Headset jack, Mini Display Port

Color

Silver

Dimensions (HWD)

0.30" x 11.50" x 7.90"

Weight

1.70 lbs

Overall performance is great for Basic office tasks but when you get to serious work the processor simply cannot handle it smoothly. Let us get to the screen; the screen is a glorious 382 nit,12.3-inch PixelSense Display at 2763 x 1824 (267 PPI) with a Contrast ratio of 1300:1 and an Aspect Ratio of 3:2(which is the best aspect ratio In my opinion).  This screen is amazing and has spoiled me, whenever I go to fix something on my Mom's computer with a lower-res screen It feels awful and disgusting.  

The Surface Pro is still getting Windows 10 updates and the OS runs smoothly overall. I've been using a mix of PWA's, Win32, and UWP apps. I've found that all three runs fine, I have also been using the new edge browser and it is an absolute delight, I love how easy it is to install any website as an App. The only place the software is lacking is in tablet mode which is ok but not great by any means. It does not do much to make the apps themselves more touch friendly it just makes the OS a little bit better on tablets but not by much. 

I still need to talk about the biggest stain on the Surface Pro 4; it is battery life. When I first got it, I was getting about 6 to 7 hours while switching to battery saver at times. Now I get about 3-4 hours on normal battery mode and 4-5 on battery saving mode. That is almost unacceptable battery life, if it weren't for an outlet being close to wherever I am in my house this would be preposterous. I will cut it some slack due to the Surface pro 4 being released in 2015 when middling battery life was a sacrifice you needed to make to get into the form-factor. Microsoft did eventually figure it out and battery life is much better in more recent Surface devices. 

That battery life is the main reason I have to say that the Surface Pro 4 just is not worth it even when bought used. You can find them for about 300-400$ for the model I carry and even less for the coreM3 version. The 7th gen Surface pro can be had for about the same price but with better performance and better battery life. If you can snag a great deal the Surface Pro 4 is still a great device truly worthy of transcending time. It will continue to be the device from the past that powers my future.