Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is coming: Will it completely replace the PC?

In two days, on the morning of October 6, US time, Microsoft will hold a new product launch conference in New York, where we will see a number of Windows 10 products. In addition to Windows Phone, the most anticipated is the new generation of Surface Pro 4. What kind of experience can Microsoft bring us with the new product? Can the new Surface continue to change people's mobile office mode? All these questions will eventually be revealed.

In fact, the Surface series really showed its edge only with the Pro 3. The first two generations, both the Pro series and the RT series, were not optimistic. However, Microsoft's determination of the Surface series has gradually become successful. Remember the high-tech iPad in "Mission Impossible 4", which was completely replaced by the Surface Pro 3 in "Mission Impossible 5".

On the 9th of last month, Apple grandly released its flagship iPad Pro, whose keyboard and stylus were all accused of imitating Surface. Based on the descriptions of productivity tools at the launch conference, we can also see Apple's ambition, which is that it will definitely not let go of the commercial street market, and the "brain-congested" Cook recently said that the iPad can replace the PC.

Which improvements of Surface Pro 4 are you most looking forward to?

1. Screen changes: Which one do you choose, 12 inches or 14 inches? The screen size of the Surface Pro series has been increasing since the beginning, and Microsoft intends to further subdivide product categories and sizes in the fourth generation.

2. Weight and thickness: A lighter and thinner design. As a mobile office tool, the pursuit of lightness and thinness is always the demand.

3. Mobile network: The addition of LTE is imperative. WiFi cannot provide coverage without blind spots, and the addition of LTE networks will greatly increase network coverage.

4. Biometrics: Windows Hello has become more technologically advanced.

5. Brand-new platform: Skylake platform without a doubt.

Screen changes: Which one do you choose, 12 inches or 14 inches?

The screen size of Surface products has been slightly improved in almost every generation, from 10.6 inches in the first generation Surface Pro to 12 inches in Surface Pro 3. This series of products has been an exploratory process since the beginning, and the screen is a very important part of it.

The original Surface 10.6-inch is not good enough

We can see that Microsoft has made many references to traditional tablets in the design of the first generation of Surface. The 10.6-inch screen is only 0.9 inches larger than the iPad. At first, the Surface series wanted to be positioned in the tablet field while hoping to be comparable to traditional laptops. We can also see a lot of clues from the Windows RT system. It is understandable that the first generation of products was a bit confused.

There is no doubt that before the official release of Surface Pro 4, Pro 3 was the most successful generation of Surface products, and of course we cannot deny that Surface 3 is also an excellent product. The Surface Pro 3 12-inch is closer to the size of a laptop. It can be said that each generation of Surface is improving, but the one that really whets people's appetite is definitely Surface Pro 3!

Is it necessary to add a 14-inch version?

According to recent rumors, Surface Pro 4 will almost certainly be released in 12-inch and 14-inch versions. After three generations of Surface products, Microsoft seems to have a more established future product line and has shown strong ambitions. It is not enough to just be a replacement for ultra-portable laptops and tablets, and it wants to further grab a share of the laptop market. The launch of a 14-inch laptop-level screen size is proof of this, and 14 inches is more conducive to the use of split-screen mode than 12 inches.

Some people say that the 14-inch Surface will directly target Apple's MacBook, but I think Microsoft is not so narrow-minded. With the huge advantages of its own Windows platform, it is wise to have a broader product line. In the future, it is possible that the low-end series of Surface 3 will be cancelled and the Surface Pro series will take the lead directly.

Weight and thickness: lighter and thinner design

The Surface series has always been positioned as neither a simple tablet nor a full-featured laptop. It is designed to have the weight and thickness of a tablet to bring users better portability than a laptop, while being able to complete most of the tasks that can be done with a laptop.

I can still recall the scene at the Surface Pro 3 launch conference. There were many media using Apple MacBooks at the event, and Microsoft said that you can throw away your MacBook and use Surface Pro 3 in the future because it can fully perform any functions that your laptop has.

If we talk about the biggest highlight of Pro 3, it must be the high-damping bracket with a maximum opening and closing angle of 150 degrees. This outstanding design has more humanized functions than the previous generation. We have reason to believe that on Surface Pro 4, Microsoft will still bring improvements and optimizations to the hardware design of the new generation of innovative devices. We look forward to lighter and thinner devices.

Mobile network: LTE is imperative

Even though the Surface series has many advantages and highlights that are enough to make iPad Pro not a threat to it, we must know that every product has its shortcomings, and Surface is no exception. The entire series did not add any 3G or 4G mobile modules until Surface Pro 3, so Surface Pro 4 still has room for improvement in terms of mobile network support.

On the other hand, Apple has always launched iPad devices that support mobile network, and the iPad Pro is no exception. Since Surface Pro 4 is a mobile and portable product, it is bound to be used a lot when going out, and for these people, adding support for mobile network is the best.

Although we can obtain information by connecting to a device hotspot that supports LTE, this undoubtedly increases the user's network usage cost. Therefore, adding an LTE module to the Surface Pro 4 itself is the top priority to solve the fundamental problem.

More innovative: new platform and biometric technology

Use of the new Skylake platform

This year, Intel launched the new sixth-generation Core 14nm processor. The Surface Pro 4 will undoubtedly make a comprehensive innovation in its performance after it is launched. It is expected that the entire series will still use multiple versions of i3, i5 and i7, and the highest configuration will be improved compared to Pro 3, with a maximum memory of 16GB and a maximum hard disk of 512GB.

Previously, we still saw a low-capacity 64GB hard drive version on the lower-end Surface Pro 3. In some ways, this capacity is difficult to meet more needs. We hope to see Microsoft cancel the 64GB version and directly increase it to 128GB without changing the price. That would be a cause for celebration!

On the other hand, the Skylake platform with a smaller 14nm process will bring longer battery life to mobile devices. Previously, the battery life of Surface Pro 3 has reached a satisfactory level, so we hope that this performance will be further improved on Surface Pro.

Windows 10 + Windows Hello

One of the biggest changes in Windows 10 for enterprise users is Windows Hello, which brings system support for biometric authorization. It uses your face, iris, or fingerprint to unlock your device, which is more secure than traditional passwords.

We all know that iPad products have fingerprint recognition to encrypt user privacy and security, but we have only traditional passwords on Surface so far. However, in Microsoft's own Windows 10 system, Windows Hello, a biometric recognition function, has great potential. If it can be used to its full potential on Surface Pro 4, it will surely attract more enterprise users.

In conclusion:

Microsoft's new product launch will be in two days, and we have reason to be full of expectations for Surface Pro 4. Whether it is the appearance design, the iterative updates of software and hardware, or the addition of new security content, these will make this product attract much attention and surpass the iPad Pro.

When Apple released the iPad Pro, Microsoft was invited to demonstrate it at the launch event. Although this is a collaboration between the two companies in software, it also shows that Microsoft has enough confidence to make its own products surpass any competitor. How much desire will Surface Pro 4 arouse in you depends on how many upgrades can be achieved at the launch event on October 6. Let us wait and see!

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.