$1,000 Microsoft Surface Pro X Tablet is Powered by Microsoft SQ1 Arm Processor

Arm Windows 10 laptops, tablets, and 2-in-1 hybrids have been around for a couple of years all powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon processors so far. Now Microsoft is launching Surface Pro X Windows 10 tablet powered by its own Microsoft SQ1 Arm processor.

It sells for $999 with 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, and a 13″ 2880 x 1920 x pixel touchscreen display in the default configuration, but you can also customize your order with up to 16GB RAM,  512GB SSD storage, optional keyboard and stylus for over $2,000.

Microsoft Surface Pro X Specification

Microsoft Surface Pro X
Keyboard and Stylus not Included by Default

Microsoft Surface Pro X specification:

  • SoC – Microsoft SQ1 Arm processor @ 3.0 GHz with Adreno 685 GPU
  • System Memory – 8GB or 16GB LPDDR4x RAM at 3733Mbps (option for 16GB)
  • Storage – Removable 128, 256, or 512GB M.2 SSD
  • Display – 13” PixelSense Display with 2880 x 1920 resolution (3:2 aspect ratio), 10 point multi-touch, 450 nits brightness
  • Audio –  Dual far-field Studio Mics; 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Audio Premium
  • Cameras
    • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p full HD video, Microsoft Hello support
    • 10.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p HD and 4k video
  • Connectivity
    • Wi-Fi 5 802.11ac compatible
    • Bluetooth 5.0
    • Cellular
      • Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 LTE Modem
      • Up to Gigabit LTE Advanced Pro with nanoSIM and eSIM support.
      • LTE Bands supported: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66
      • 1x nanoSIM slot
    • GNSS – Assisted GPS and GLONASS support
  • USB – 2x USB-C ports
  • User input – 1 x Surface Connect port for optional keyboard, optional pressure-sensitive stylus
  • Sensors – Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer, Ambient light sensor
  • Security – Firmware TPM; enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
  • Misc – Volume & power buttons
  • Battery – Up to 13 hours of typical device usage
  • Dimensions – 287 x 208 x 7.3 mm ( anodized aluminum with carbon composite fanless thermal cooling)
  • Weight – 774 grams (tablet only)
Microsoft Surface Pro X Keyboard & Stylus
Microsoft Surface Pro X Keyboard & Stylus – Click to Enlarge

Surface Pro X runs Windows 10 Home with a 30-day trial for Microsoft Office 365 30. The tablet ships with a power supply,  a Quick Start Guide, as well as
Safety and warranty documents. If you’d like both the keyboard and stylus above it will cost you $269.99 extra.

Microsoft notes the tablet enables “ultimate mobility” for working and connecting without an office, browsing, sketching on-screen, and streaming Netflix.

Microsoft SQ1

Microsoft SQ1

Microsoft did not exactly design a new Arm processor from the ground up, and instead, collaborated with Qualcomm. Microsoft SQ1 looks like a custom version of the Snapdragon 8cx processor with eight Kryo 495 cores clocked up to 3.0 GHz, an Adreno 685 GPU with 2 TFLOPS of processing power, and an integrated Snapdragon X24 modem allowing for Gigabit LTE connectivity. There’s also a 9 TOPS AI accelerator in the chip.

Microsoft Surface Pro X Reviews

Several larger news outlets and blogs have already posted reviews about the Surface Pro X including CNet, Engadget, and The Verge.

All reviewers really like the hardware design, but also note the Arm processor hurts software compatibility, stability, and performance. That’s quite a big issue for a $1,000+ machine.

Microsoft programs all work fairly well, but third-party apps such as benchmarks or Photoshop CC may not run at all. While many graphics benchmarks failed, Engadget’s reviewer was able to run Overcooked game smoothly. So it’s hit-and-miss, and you may want to double-check if the programs you intend to run are compatible before purchasing the tablet.

Via Liliputing

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