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Microsoft's Surface Pro 9, both the high-performance laptop/tablet hybrid built for the home or office and the rugged 5G 2-in-1 laptop designed to get work done anywhere, anytime, has had an in-depth week of experience. However, I found some noteworthy drawbacks to the laptop.

Whichever Surface Pro 9 you choose, you'll experience an upgraded version of my favorite 2-in-1 laptop with a great display, versatile design, and an excellent keyboard and stylus experience that's perfect for those willing to invest in accessories.

However, it is important to note that the various styles of this flexible laptop are not identical. If not chosen correctly, it can lead to some disappointing experiences.

Advantage: practical design that stands the test of time

The Surface Pro 9 continues the reliable design of last year's model as our beloved 2-in-1 laptop. Its sturdy yet lightweight aluminum body and flexible stand allow it to instantly go from laptop to nearly flat canvas, and for the first time, this tablet is available in a variety of fun color options.

The new Sapphire and Forest color options look stunning in photos. Considering that the new iPad Pro is still only available in silver tones, I'm glad to see that the Surface Pro 9 offers more popular options. For those who love the color blue, this is a boon.

I also like how the new Surface colors are paired with a range of matching optional Signature keyboards, allowing users to mix and match a unique look to their personal preference. Most older Surface Pro keyboards will still work if you choose to upgrade.

Microsoft's detachable keyboard, which attaches to the Surface via a simple but satisfying magnetic snap, continues to impress. Its flexible keys and soft Alcantara coating keep wrists comfortable during long typing sessions.

I also particularly appreciated the little nook at the top of the keyboard dedicated to the Surface Slim Pen 2. Not only does this provide a convenient way to charge the stylus and keep it neatly out of sight when it's not needed, but it's a much more secure solution than a magnetic connection, allowing the pen to hang off the side as it does on the iPad Pro.

Benefits: Superior display and satisfying stylus experience

The Surface Pro 9 continues the excellent display design of last year's model and still performs well. Featuring a 120Hz refresh rate, I love the feeling of smoothly sliding the mouse cursor across the screen, and the colors are vibrant and crisp when watching multiple hours of sports and video on this laptop.

Despite the Surface Pro 9's slightly less-than-ideal top and bottom display bezels being relatively slightly thicker, it still presents an excellent screen, and the screen seems to come to life even more when you use a pen.

I tested the Surface Pro 9 by using the Surface Slim Pen 2, which provided me with the best stylus experience I've ever had on a tablet. Microsoft's premium pen has advanced haptic technology built in that brilliantly mimics the touch of any virtual tool you use.

Doodling on the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 tablet feels great, and is a much more satisfying static experience compared to what you get with the Apple Pencil on an iPad or the S Pen on a Galaxy Tab.

Benefits: amazing battery life and great webcam

While the 5G-based Surface Pro 9 I tested wasn't at its best in terms of performance, its excellent battery life made up for it.

In our battery tests, this Microsoft 2-in-1 laptop could play up to 11 hours and 43 minutes of 4K video, outpacing some top Windows laptops including the Dell XPS 13 (8:31), while nearly doubling the new iPad Pro M2.

The Surface Pro 9 enables you to work outdoors all day, an ideal feature for a 5G-enabled laptop designed to make sure you're always on the go. While we haven't tested the Intel-based version of the Pro 9, based on our experience with similar devices, battery life may suffer if you opt for a more powerful processor.

The Surface Pro 9's 1080p webcam does a great job of taking crisp selfies, on par with the Dell XPS 13 and slightly behind the MacBook Air M2.

Its video calling is smooth and reliable, while the built-in Windows Hello feature makes it easy to sign in to the Surface Pro 9 with a quick facial scan. The Surface Pro 9's rear 10 MP camera may seem relatively blurry and dim compared to the average smartphone, but considering this is a 13-inch tablet, the scenarios for taking photos are relatively limited.

Cons: Poor performance in 5G models

The Surface Pro 9 comes in two versions, one with an Intel processor that delivers an experience that meets the performance expectations of mainstream laptops, and the other with a Microsoft SQ3 chip that sacrifices some performance for worldwide cellular 5G connectivity. However, this sacrifice for continued connectivity is obvious.

My Surface Pro 9 with the SQ3 chip felt slow on initial startup, and even performing basic operations like typing text in Slack or organizing email seemed frustratingly slow at times.

While I can't say that this version of the Surface Pro 9 is completely unusable, and I still felt a relatively smooth experience in my day-to-day split-screen multitasking, I would expect the Surface Pro 9 to be better in terms of performance given its starting price.

Our benchmark results validate this, and this 2-in-1 from Microsoft consistently lags behind the competition in terms of performance. In the Geekbench 5 single-core test, the Surface Pro 9 scored relatively low.

The Surface Pro 9 also seems relatively slow compared to the great performance we've gotten from the (comparably priced) MacBook Air and iPad Pro with the M2 chip. Even last year's Surface Pro 8 was more rapid than the Pro 9 in single-core tests.

While the Surface Pro 9 5G has excellent battery life, if you can tolerate some reduced battery life and no cellular connectivity, I highly recommend that you consider purchasing an Intel chip-based model.

Cons: No significant improvement over last year

For those who already own a Surface Pro 8, there may not be much need to upgrade this year. In fact, the device is similar to the model Microsoft released in 2021, with the main differences being a new processor, some new color options, and fewer ports.

While the Surface Pro 9 still carries over the two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports and the proprietary Surface Connect charging port, it does away with the headphone jack - meaning you'll have to rely on Bluetooth headphones or opt for a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter.

While this trend is becoming more common in mainstream tablets and laptops, the latest MacBooks still retain a headphone jack, and Dell at least offers a free adapter for the jackless XPS 13.

For those who are already using the Surface Pro 7, upgrading to the Surface Pro 9 may feel like a relatively big improvement as you'll get a smoother 120Hz screen, sleeker design, narrower display bezels and more USB-C ports.

However, for those sticking with the Surface Pro 6 or older, the Surface Pro 9 will make an even bigger difference as it finally introduces you to the modern era, offering USB-C connectivity, significantly improved performance and battery life.

Cons: Windows 11 still not as good as it could be for tablets

The Surface Pro 9 comes with Microsoft's newly released operating system, Windows 11, which brings a much-anticipated visual update to Windows, as well as offering a number of useful multitasking and overall quality-of-life improvements.

The problem, however, is that Windows 11 is still largely designed with a mouse and keyboard in mind, which makes the Pro 9 not a great performer in terms of a standalone tablet.

The lack of a dedicated tablet mode similar to Windows 10 means that users have to manually navigate relatively small icons and menus in order to complete operations.

It's more like a laptop touchscreen without a keyboard, a far cry from the intuitive, touch-friendly navigation found on devices like the iPad Pro.

The Surface Pro 9 only really comes to life when the excellent Signature keyboard is attached, and it offers the best pen experience when paired with the Slim Pen 2. However, if the user chooses not to invest in additional accessories, the whole device can look a bit clunky and like an expensive brick. With additional accessories, it can realize the potential of a real computer.

Summary

The Surface Pro 9 is a great 2-in-1 laptop, especially for first-time Surface buyers or those upgrading from a Pro 7 or older. However, provided you choose the right model.

Unless you absolutely need constant 5G connectivity or can tolerate moderate performance in exchange for longer battery life, I would recommend the Intel version to the vast majority of people. It starts at a much more affordable price and offers at least slightly better speeds than the more expensive 5G version.

For those who are willing to invest in the best detachable Windows laptop, especially for drawing and sketching, the Surface Pro 9 is already the best option on the market today. Of course, it also depends on your specific configuration.

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