Microsoft is expanding the Surface line with the new “Surface Pro 7 Plus,” which will only be available for businesses and education customers. The device is pretty much identical to Surface Pro 7, but the company is making the biggest changes inside.
For example, in this hardware refresh, you will find Intel’s 11th Gen processors, up to 32GB of memory, up to 1TB of storage with removable Solid State-Drive (SSD), larger battery, and LTE connectivity. However, since the company uses an older version of the Qualcomm Snapdragon modem (X20), the Pro 7 Plus does not offer 5G connectivity.
The Surface Pro 7 Plus will have several models with a range of Intel processors, including Core i3 (1115G4), Core i5 (1135G7), and Core i7 (1165G7). The base model will start at $899 (without keyboard), and it will come with a Core i3, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage. The Core i5 will start at $1149, and it will be the only model that customers will be able to choose with the optional LTE connectivity. The Core i7 will go for $2799, and you will be able to configure it with up to 32GB of memory and up to 1TB of internal storage.
The Surface Pro 7 Plus also comes with a slightly larger 50.4Wh battery, instead of the 46.5Wh battery available with the original device. Microsoft claims up to 15 hours of battery life in a single charge, translating to around 4.5 more hours compared to the Surface Pro 7.
According to the report from The Verge, in addition to the hardware refresh, Microsoft has also redesigned the inside by flipping the internals to install the removable SSD and has also updated the Thermal Design Model (TDM) to make room for the larger battery size.
The device also features a 12.3-inch (2736 x 1824) PixelSense display, which is the same as the Surface Pro 7, one USB-C and USB-A port, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Surface Connector port. Furthermore, the Surface Pro 7 Plus comes with a MicroSDXC card reader, while the LTE variant will include a nano-SIM slot.
Although the hardware refresh is substantial, it is strange that Microsoft is not making this device available for regular consumers.
Surface Pro 7 Plus is expected to be available for purchase through business and education channels on January 15. The new device will also be available in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and many other European countries.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].