 | |
 Surface Pro 4 with bright blue Type Cover | |
| Developer | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Product family | Surface |
| Type | 2-in-1 detachable |
| Generation | 4th |
| Released | October 26, 2015 |
| Introductory price | $899 (£749) |
| Operating system | Windows 10 Pro |
| CPU | Intel Corem3-6Y30 Intel Corei5-6300U Intel Corei7-6650U |
| Memory | 4 GB, 8 GB, or 16 GB |
| Storage | PCI-Express SSD: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB |
| Display | 12.3 inches 2736x1824 (267 ppi)PixelSense display with 3:2 aspect ratio |
| Graphics | m3: Intel HD graphics 515 i5: Intel HD graphics 520 i7: Intel Iris 540 graphics |
| Dimensions | 292.1 mm × 201.42 mm × 8.45 mm (11.500 in × 7.930 in × 0.333 in) |
| Weight | m3: 766 g (1.689 lb) i5: 786 g (1.733 lb) i7: 786 g (1.733 lb) |
| Predecessor | Surface Pro 3 |
| Successor | Surface Pro (5th generation) |
| Website | www.surface.com |
| This article is part ofa series on |
| Microsoft Surface |
|---|
TheSurface Pro 4 is the fourth-generationSurface-series2-in-1 detachable, designed, developed, and marketed byMicrosoft. The Surface Pro 4 was announced on October 6, 2015,[1] alongside theSurface Book. In the U.S. and Canada, the Surface Pro 4 was released on October 26, 2015.
The Surface Pro 4 is an update over itspredecessor, featuringSkylakeCPUs, moreRAM andSSD options, and a 12.3-inch display with a greater resolution. At the same time, the device is compatible with most of its predecessor's accessories.
The device's successor, the2017 Surface Pro, was announced in May 2017, ahead of a release the following month.
TheSurface Laptop 4 is a separate line of Surface devices from Microsoft, released in April 2021.
The Surface Pro 4 was announced on October 6, 2015 alongside theSurface Book. Both devices were available for pre-order the following day and available for customers beginning on October 26, 2015.
The device initially exhibited failure to sleep properly, which drained the battery very quickly.[2] Microsoft subsequently developed a fix that was made available on February 17, 2016.[3]
The Surface Pro 4 is the same size as the Surface Pro 3, but has a thinner screen bezel which allows for a display of a slightly greater size of 12.3 inches (31 cm). The screen resolution is also greater than the Surface Pro 3's, at 2736×1824 at 267PPI, with the sameaspect ratio of 3:2 and 10-pointmulti-touch. The chassis is 0.03 inches (0.76 mm) thinner and 0.03 pounds (14 g) lighter than the Surface Pro 3.
The cooling system of the 2-in-1 has been redesigned and dubbedhybrid liquid cooling system. It includesheat pipes with a flowing liquid, which is meant to avoid the use of the internal fan when the device is used for less demanding tasks such asweb browsing.
All Surface Pro 4 models feature 6th-generationSkylake Intel Core processors—m3, i5 or i7—which are more powerful and run cooler over its Intel CoreHaswell predecessors found in the Surface Pro 3 and 2. The maximumclock rate of the most powerful CPU option (i7-6650U) is also greater at 2.2GHz, with up to 3.4 GHz in theTurbo Boost mode. The m3-powered model is completelyfanless.
RAM options available are 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB, whileSSD options are 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB; the top options are twice as capacious compared to top options of the Surface Pro 4's two recent predecessors.
The common traits, inherited from the previous-generation Surface Pro 3, are a continuouskickstand, magnesium casing with a silver-colored back side, 802.11a/b/g/n/acWi-Fi radio,Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, full-sizeUSB 3.0 port,microSD card reader, headset jack,Mini DisplayPort, Cover Port, and a renamedSurfaceConnect, a port on the side to connect a wall charger, Docking Station or Surface Dock accessories.
| Surface Pro 4 Configuration Options[4] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price Tier (USD) | CPU | Integrated GPU | RAM | Internal Storage |
| $899 | Intel Core m3-6Y30 (0.9 to 2.2 GHz) | HD 515 | 4 GB | 128 GB |
| $999 | Intel Core i5-6300U (2.4 to 3.0 GHz) | HD 520 | ||
| $1,299 | 8 GB | 256 GB | ||
| $1,499 | 16 GB | |||
| $1,699 | 8 GB | 512 GB | ||
| $1,899 | 16 GB | |||
| $1,599 | Intel Core i7-6650U (2.2 to 3.4 GHz) | Iris 540 | 8 GB | 256 GB |
| $1,799 | 16 GB | |||
| $2,199 | 512 GB | |||
| $2,699 | 1 TB | |||
All Surface Pro 4 models come with a 64-bit version ofWindows 10 Pro and aMicrosoft Office 30-day trial. Windows 10 comes pre-installed with Mail, Calendar, People, Xbox (app), Photos, Movies and TV, Groove, andMicrosoft Edge. With Windows 10, a "Tablet mode" is available when the Type Cover is detached from the device. In this mode, all windows are opened full-screen and the interface becomes more touch-centric.
The device also has a camera compatible withWindows Hello. It combines the use of a regular and infrared cameras to authenticate the user.
Upgrades to Windows 11 require at least an 8th-generation Intel CPU amongother requirements.[5] The Surface Pro 4's CPU falls short of Microsoft's minimum requirements, and thus cannot be officially upgraded to Windows 11.
The Surface Pro 4 isbackward-compatible with all of its predecessor's accessories. At the Windows 10 Devices Event on October 6, 2015, alongside new Surface 2-in-1s, new accessories were announced.
TheSurface Dock is a redesigned docking accessory in a brick form factor. It is compatible with all past and future Surface models with aSurfaceConnect side port, previously used to connect a wall charger orDocking Station accessory: Surface Pro 3, 4 andSurface Book. The Surface Dock will have 2Mini DisplayPorts, 1Gigabit Ethernet, 4USB 3.0, and 1 audio out ports.
Although the Surface Pro 4 is backward compatible with the predecessor'sType Cover accessory, an attachable keyboard which doubles as a screen protector, theSurface Pro 4 Type Cover has been announced with and without afingerprint ID sensor. The new Type Cover is thinner and lighter than its predecessor, has improved magnetic stability for lap use, a mechanical keyboard with improved key spacing, as well as a largertouchpad.
An updated version ofSurface Pen is included with the Surface Pro 4, which has 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity and is heavier with a rubberized tip.[6] However, the new pen has only one button on the side rather than the previous pen's two. There is an eraser on the end that doubles as a button, which may perform different tasks, like opening theOneNote app or activatingCortana,[7] and can be customized using the Surface App.[8]
The Surface Pro 4 is known to have wide spread flicker issues with the display[9] named as Flickergate[10] after the independent websiteflickergate.com which was set up by the affected users after getting no fix from Microsoft.[11]
Microsoft's spokesperson acknowledged the issue stating: "We are aware that some customers have experienced a screen flicker on Surface Pro 4 and are monitoring the situation closely. Customers impacted by this should contact Microsoft support."[12]
Microsoft has stated that defective batteries, pens, and Type Covers may be repaired under warranty.[13]
The Type Cover also has connectivity issues that afflict many, often due to a Windows update. This seems to be a common issue across the Surface series, with a sudden death to the Type Cover.[14][15][16][17]
The Surface Pro 4 received generally positive reviews from technology critics. Most praise a sharper and larger display compared to the one found in thepredecessor, redesigned cooling system, improved technical specifications, and an improved Type Cover. The common disadvantages found by reviewers were that the Type Cover is still a separate purchase, the relatively modest performance of the Intel Core m3 chip, and modest battery life.[18][19][20]
| Timeline of Surface devices |
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| Preceded by | Surface Pro 4th generation | Succeeded by |
