Microsoft’s vision of tablets as the future of Windows may not have fully materialized, but the company’s commitment to the Surface line remains strong. The latest iteration, the Microsoft Surface Pro (often referred to as the Surface Pro 12 or Surface Pro 2025), is a testament to this dedication. This compact tablet, powered by a Snapdragon X Plus chip, is engineered for casual browsing, office productivity, and leveraging the latest AI advancements. While not aiming for the high-end market, it delivers a refined, fanless experience that Windows tablets have often struggled to achieve, complete with impressively snappy AI capabilities thanks to Qualcomm’s Hexagon NPU. This Microsoft Surface Pro 2025 review delves into whether this device can finally make Windows tablets a mainstream success.
Quiet Performance and Cool Operation
The new Surface Pro operates with complete silence due to its fanless design, and impressively, it manages to stay comfortably cool even during extended use. While it might become lukewarm under heavy graphical loads, it’s never unpleasantly hot to handle. It’s important to note that graphics performance can throttle during prolonged 3D tasks, but this device isn’t primarily intended for gaming.
The base model, priced at $799, comes with 256GB of SSD storage, while a $899 configuration offers 512GB. Both versions include 16GB of RAM, which proves ample for typical office work, media streaming, basic photo editing, and communication tasks. Multitasking performance is generally smooth. During testing, running a Teams video call, browsing with multiple tabs, working on documents in Word, and syncing large video files simultaneously presented no significant slowdowns.
Microsoft Surface Pro 2025 displaying a vibrant abstract wallpaper, highlighting its screen and performance capabilities.
Connectivity is robust, with stable and fast Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi 6 support. However, there is no 5G or LTE version available for this model; users requiring cellular connectivity will need to consider larger and more expensive alternatives.
Sharp Display, Though Spatially Limited
While the display is sharp, the 12-inch screen area can feel restrictive for heavy multitasking. Even with its high resolution, managing numerous active windows and tabs can quickly lead to a cluttered workspace. Users might need to adopt a more traditional tablet approach, keeping one or two applications visible while others run in the background.
The screen itself is a semi-high brightness IPS panel with a 2196×1464 pixel resolution and a selectable 60Hz or 90Hz refresh rate (dynamic frequency adjustment is not supported). While not professional-grade in terms of color gamut (slightly exceeding sRGB), Microsoft’s pre-calibration ensures high color accuracy within the sRGB space. This, combined with relatively good black levels, contrast, and wide viewing angles, enhances the visual experience, making movie watching enjoyable despite the absence of HDR support. The audio experience is complemented by a solid set of speakers that deliver detailed and rich sound for music, speech, and films, provided the volume isn’t pushed to its absolute maximum.
The slim Microsoft Surface Pro 2025 resting on a wooden table, showcasing its compact and portable design.
The front-facing webcam provides an acceptable 1080p image quality, free from noise and with even, neutral colors. However, pale contrast and slightly soft details detract somewhat from the overall impression. It’s adequate for video meetings, especially when paired with good microphones and AI-backed noise filters, but the image could benefit from more vibrancy. The rear houses a simple 10-megapixel camera that captures decent daylight photos, though its occasionally erratic autofocus can be problematic for both video recording and AR applications.
Microsoft Surface Pro 2025 shown with its optional keyboard and Slim Pen, essential accessories for productivity.
Compact Design with Minimal Compromises
Featuring a 12-inch screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio, the tablet is noticeably compact and less wide than many alternatives. Its pleasantly rounded corners and edges, along with a matte aluminum back (reportedly made from 100% recycled aluminum), make the Surface Pro comfortable to hold. The integrated foldable kickstand is sturdy and practical for setting up the device as a small digital photo frame or for watching movies.
However, as a Windows computer, it truly shines with a keyboard and mouse. For full touchscreen utility, a pen is also recommended. The matching Slim Pen can be purchased separately or bundled with the keyboard for $249.99. The pen magnetically attaches to a slot on the keyboard for charging and storage. Accessories connect seamlessly, with no manual pairing or calibration required, offering excellent precision out of the box. The keyboard quality is also commendable, feeling surprisingly spacious despite its compact width.
The Microsoft Surface Pro 2025 with its keyboard cover closed, appearing like a sleek, compact notebook.
Connectivity and Battery Life
The Surface Pro is equipped with just two USB-C ports. These ports support DisplayPort output and charging, allowing users to connect a USB-C dock for expanded connectivity, including external mice, keyboards, and larger displays. Notably, a charger is not included in the box.
Microsoft doesn’t disclose the exact battery capacity, but real-world battery life is respectable. It ranges from approximately three hours under heavy load (generative AI tasks, 3D rendering) with maximum screen brightness, to around 10 hours of active mixed use, and up to 21 hours with frugal usage settings. For common tasks like web surfing, email, and light spreadsheet work, the Surface Pro performs admirably, on par with many small, ultralight laptops in terms of endurance, if not outright speed. It is certainly fast enough for these everyday activities and supports all Copilot Plus features.
Close-up of the Microsoft Surface Pro 2025 screen with the Slim Pen, demonstrating its precise touch and pen input capabilities for creative tasks.
Conclusion: A Capable and Portable Windows Device
With the right accessories, the new Microsoft Surface Pro transforms into a compact and competent laptop that also functions effectively as a touchscreen tablet with pen support. It’s an excellent device for streaming movies on the couch or for professionals and students needing a highly portable Windows machine. While the small screen can be a constraint for extensive multitasking and the lack of an included charger is a downside, its strong office performance, impressive battery life for typical use, and full Copilot Plus capabilities make it a compelling option. It may not single-handedly revive the Windows tablet concept for everyone, but for enthusiasts of this form factor, the Surface Pro (2025) is a significant step forward and a device that largely exceeds expectations for its class.
