It was only recently that Microsoft introduced the Surface Pro 9, and sure enough, it's the best Windows tablet you can buy right now, on top of being one of the best Surface PCs on the market. Still, it's far from a perfect device. But as is typical in the tech world, we're always looking forward to the next thing. We've already got our sights on the Surface Pro 10, even if it's likely a whole year away.
While we still have a while to wait, we already have some ideas for what we'd like to see done differently next time around. Here's what we want to see with the Surface Pro 10 when it eventually makes its debut.
Feature parity on the 5G model
With the Surface Pro 9, Microsoft merged it with the Surface Pro X brand. Because of this, the chassis had to be made thicker so the Arm model could use the same cases as the Intel model. Despite that change, it missed out on some improvements.
For example, the Intel model comes with Thunderbolt 4 and LPDDR5 memory. While it might be too much to ask for a Windows on Arm PC to have Thunderbolt 4, USB4 would be a nice touch. The problem is that the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 that’s under the hood is an older processor than Intel 12th-gen or AMD Ryzen 6000, so it doesn’t support USB4 or LPDDR5. That should change with the chipset that goes in the next model. -Rich Woods
Colors for the 5G version
On the topic of parity between the 5G and Wi-Fi models, it would be great if Microsoft brought colors to the Surface Pro 10's 5G model. Think about it; the first Surface Pro model to come in a color other than Platinum was the Arm-based Pro X. In fact, it was initially only available in black, with a Platinum model coming later.
Microsoft has, unfortunately, removed that option if you want to stick with Arm processors. The beautiful new colors that Microsoft added to the Wi-Fi model aren't available on the 5G option, either. It makes even less sense when you consider Microsoft went through the trouble of having the 5G version match the Intel model, which should mean the chassis is essentially the same. Yet, only the Intel model gives you color options. Colors make this a much more fun device, and hopefully, the 5G version will have them next time. -João Carrasqueira
More ports
When Microsoft redesigned the Surface Pro line with the Pro 8, the new design had some drawbacks. In an attempt to modernize the tablet, Microsoft got rid of the classic USB Type-A ports in favor of going all-in on Thunderbolt support, but some of us aren't quite ready to make that shift. Many peripherals still use USB Type-A, and we'd love to be able to use them with the Surface Pro 10 without needing adapters. After all, the Surface Pro 8 and 9 are thicker than the Pro 7, so there should be enough space for them.
It's not just USB Type-A. Microsoft also removed the headphone jack with the Surface Pro 9, and it didn't even need to. The Surface Pro 9 has essentially the same chassis as the Pro 8, which did have a headphone jack, yet Microsoft removed it for some reason. It would be great to have that back, even if it's unlikely that will happen. Microsoft could at least give users the option to get an adapter for a 3.5mm headphone jack or a traditional display output like HDMI since the Mini DisplayPort was removed with the Pro 7. On that note, we also expect Microsoft to adopt the next generation of Thunderbolt, which will likely debut with the 13th-generation Intel Core processors for laptops. -João Carrasqueira, Arif Bacchus
A better keyboard
The Surface Type Cover is the signature feature of the Surface Pro lineup, but it's controversial. While the Type Cover is great to use for typing on a desk, it's not exactly comfortable to use in your lap. Microsoft would consider a Surface-Book-like detachable keyboard for the Surface Pro 10. Making the keyboard deck and surface thicker will certainly help with that.
Brydge, which makes accessories like keyboards for laptops and tablets, showed this was possible with the Brydge SP Max+ for the Surface Pro 8. That keyboard used a pin for direct connection with the tablet and combined a case and keyboard for a more rugged experience. If Brydge can do it, why can't Microsoft? Sure, it would come at the sacrifice of weight and portability, but a premium keyboard option for the Surface Pro 10 would be appealing to a lot of users. -Arif Bacchus
More power!
Well, more graphics power, that is. With the Surface Pro 7 and Surface Pro 7+, Microsoft added Intel 10th- and 11th-gen processors, respectively. Aside from big 10nm CPU improvements, Intel also made massive improvements to integrated graphics with Iris Plus in 10th-gen processors and Iris Xe in 11th-gen models. With the 12th-gen processors in the Surface Pro 9, the Iris Xe graphics in the chips are mostly the same as their predecessors.
The good news is that Intel's 13th-generation chips are rumored to be another big leap forward in integrated graphics performance. With a boost like that, it unlocks new use cases for such a thin and light device, so it’ll be better at gaming, video editing, and more. -Rich Woods
Final thoughts
Those are the biggest things we'd really like to see in the Surface Pro 10 when it does come to the market. Of course, there's likely to be something you'd like to see that wasn't mentioned here. It's important for Microsoft to keep its target audience in mind, so something like a discrete GPU wouldn't make much sense here but might in a more niche device.
But with these changes, the Surface Pro 10 could be a truly excellent device. Whether or not our wishes will end up coming true is something we'll have to wait to find out. Based on past trends, we'll likely see the next-generation Surface Pro model in late 2023.