If you were in the market for a new Microsoft Surface laptop or tablet, the choices used to be relatively simple: Surface Book for a potent laptop with a detachable screen or a Surface Pro for a capable tablet with an optional detachable keyboard.
However, Microsoft just blew all that up by announcing the Surface Pro X and Surface Pro 7 portable 2-in-1s on the very same day, not to mention the Surface Neo dual-screen tablet and Surface Duo folding phone.
With newly added USB-C ports in lieu of a proprietary Surface Connect cable and new Qualcomm processor, the computers might be just some of the best inventories yet.
We understand it’s a tough choice to choose but we’ve boiled it down to a rather simple solution: it all depends what you care about most. Let’s explore.
Power for programs: Surface Pro 7, probably
This might make your decision real easy. We won’t know for sure until we’ve got review units in our hands, but it’s probably safe to say the Surface Pro 7’s Intel processor is a better bet than the ARM-based Qualcomm chip in the Surface Pro X if you use traditional Windows desktop apps and are set on pre-ordering right away.
Portability: Surface Pro X
If you absolutely need the easiest possible Microsoft tablet to carry around, the Surface Pro X is your slate. While it’s actually the same 1.7-pound weight and has a larger 13-inch display compared to the 12.3-inch Surface Pro 7, it’s far thinner at just 7.3mm thick compared to 8.38mm.
There’s also built-in LTE cellular connectivity to thanks to that Qualcomm chip, so you don’t need to pay extra for an LTE version. Just tack it onto your phone plan and you should be good to go.
