5 Things To Know About Microsoft's Surface Pro 6

What's Next For The Surface Pro

For the next update to the Surface Pro line of 2-in-1 tablets, Microsoft is tweaking things rather than overhauling. And that may be just the right move, given the popularity of the Surface Pro with business users. "It's a good product already, and I think Microsoft just made it better," said Patrick Moorhead, president and principal analyst for Moor Insights and Strategy, speaking with CRN at Microsoft's launch event in New York Tuesday. A new color option and improved specs are among the highlights of the next-generation Surface Pro, while some elements—such as port options—did not get an update with the new version of the tablet.

What follows are five key things to know about Microsoft's Surface Pro 6.

Color

The most noticeable update is that Microsoft is introducing a new matte black color variant with the Surface Pro 6. "Our customers have been asking for black because it is professional and elegant," said Raphael Jose, Surface product manager at Microsoft, speaking with CRN at the launch event. The matte black color joins the platinum color option for the new version of the 2-in-1 tablet, which is being updated for the first time since June 2017.

Processor

Another major upgrade with the Surface Pro 6 is on the processing power. Microsoft will move up to eighth-generation Intel Core processors for the Surface Pro 6—either Core i5 or Core i7, both of which are quad core and part of Intel's U series. The company is touting up to a 67 percent improvement in performance for the tablet compared with the previous Surface Pro, which ran off seventh-gen Intel chips. According to Intel, processor choices for the Surface Pro 6 will include the Core i7-8650U (up to 4.2GHz), Core i5-8350U (up to 3.6GHz) and Core i5-8250U (up to 3.4GHz). The Surface Pro 6 won't be available with an eighth-gen Core m3 chip at the entry level.

Ports

Microsoft has held off from introducing USB-C connectivity with the Surface Pro 6. Instead, the tablet sticks with a USB-A port, along with a Mini DisplayPort and a microSDXC reader, as on the previous Surface Pro. "I think USB-C would've made the product more competitive," Moorhead said. "But I have to say that Microsoft does already have multiple ways to add an external display, which is really the biggest reason to have USB-C."

Other Specs

Many elements of the Surface Pro 6 are remaining the same compared with the previous model. The Surface Pro 6 display is staying at 12.3 inches with resolution of 2,736 x 1,824, and the battery life estimate is holding steady at 13.5 hours. The tablet is also keeping the same weight, at 1.7 pounds (without the Type Cover keyboard). One difference on internal specs is that the Surface Pro 6 won't have an entry-level option for 4 GB of RAM, instead coming just in 8-GB or 16-GB variants. On storage, the Surface Pro 6 will be configurable with 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB.

Price And Availability

The base model Microsoft Surface Pro 6 has a starting price of $899, which is for a model with eighth-gen Core i5, 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. For Core i7 and 256 GB of storage, the pricing of the Surface Pro 6 goes up to $1,499. Those prices don't include a Type Cover keyboard, which costs $159.99 for the "Signature" Type Cover (with Alcantara fabric around the keys) or $129.99 for the basic Type Cover.

Pre-orders have begun for the Microsoft Surface Pro 6, and the device release date is set for Oct. 16.