With laptop makers unveiling new additions to their lineups at CES 2021, Microsoft has today joined the party with a Surface Pro 7 upgrade. The new Surface Pro 7+ features the exact same design as its predecessor, but with new hardware under the hood. It offers you the latest 11th-Gen Intel CPUs, LTE connectivity, and removable storage for enhanced security.
Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ Specifications
The primary design, display, and port selection aboard the Surface Pro 7+ remain the same as its predecessor. You have a 2-in-1 design with a 12.3-inch (2736 x 1824-pixel) PixelSense display. Nothing has changed on the outside, but you will now find Intel’s latest 11th-Gen Tiger Lake processors under the hood. You can choose between the Core i3 (1115G4), Core i5 (1135G7), or Core i7 (1165G7) variants.
The new processor is coupled with a new LTE modem in one of the configurations. The i5 variant includes the Snapdragon X20 LTE modem (which is also optional). It works with both eSIM and physical SIM cards in more than 180 countries. There’s lack of 5G support as the modem does not support it.
The highlight of the Surface Pro 7+ will have to be the removable SSD storage. The company, in its official press release, says enterprises need to be in control of data. It has added the removable SSD option (accessible via a slot under the stand) “for data retention, to support the security and privacy needs of business and educational organizations.”
To carve out space for the SSD slot, Microsoft also updated the internals. You will find an improved thermal design, larger vents, and a bigger battery onboard. Surface Pro 7+ comes equipped with a 50.4Wh battery pack as opposed to the 46.5Wh battery pack on its predecessor. This results in substantial battery life gains. The company promises up to 15-hours of battery life with this upgrade.
Price and Availability
While this sounds like a great upgrade, there’s a catch in store. Microsoft has unveiled the Surface Pro 7+ for enterprise and education customers. It will only be available to them at the moment. There’s no word on when everyone can buy one from Microsoft’s website.
As for the pricing, the Wi-Fi-only Surface Pro 7+ is priced at $899 (~Rs. 65,900) whereas the LTE-enabled variant will require you to shell out $1,149 (~Rs. 84,300) in the US. The laptop is up for order in “select markets across Asia, Europe, and North America” and will start shipping later this week.
