The days of the 10 to 12 inch laptop are gone<\/a>. The era of the netbook and the sub-notebook seem to have disappeared, rather like the compact phone.<\/p>\n If you want a properly portable work machine, you\u2019re probably going to have to settle on a 13 inch laptop or a tablet with some compromises. That\u2019s all there is to it.<\/p>\n Or is it?<\/p>\n Microsoft could be bringing the idea back, launching a 12 inch take on its Surface Pro, <\/a>a machine that delivers the style of a tablet with the tech of an actual computer. There\u2019s no special version of Windows here; just a full version of Windows, a mobile processor, and the compatibility with apps you want from a regular laptop.<\/p>\n The Surface Pro 12 inch is a portable Surface. As portable as the range has been for a while, possibly since the discontinuation of the 10.1 inch Surface Go years ago<\/a>. Is the Surface Pro 12 a success, or does it need a little more work to be perfect?<\/p>\n All reviews at Pickr are subject to experienced testing methodologies. Find out why you can trust us<\/a> and change the way you choose. Think of this new generation of the Surface as something a little bit different, but also entirely familiar. It\u2019s a little smaller, sure, but Microsoft has kept the slanted edges, softening them that little bit more while retaining an aluminium casing.<\/p>\n Sitting somewhere between laptop and tablet \u2014 it\u2019s both, but mostly a tablet with the ability to work as a laptop \u2014 the Surface Pro 12 inch is fairly light, providing a full Windows experience from 686 grams in a device measuring 7.8mm thick.<\/p>\n Our Surface Pro 12 colour sat somewhere between a metallic purple and blue \u2014 Microsoft calls it violet \u2014 and was definitely pleasing to the eye, as was the kickstand, which Microsoft has kept around. That\u2019s been a feature of the Surface ever since the range launched back in 2012<\/a>.<\/p>\n Unlike how the iPad keyboard cover works \u2014 where you have a couple of angles to choose from \u2014 Microsoft\u2019s Surface Pro uses a vari-angle stand that can see the Surface Pro resting at nearly angle. Upright, at an angle, leaning back, and near flat. It\u2019s your choice, and it is lovely to see this in a smaller design.<\/p>\n Features<\/p>\n A slight revamp on the Surface Pro formula sets up the 12 inch edition, which is now a little bit smaller, a little more curved, and a lot more in line with the sort of ports we expect in computers today.<\/p>\n Inside, though, the tech is largely what you can expect from a laptop, because that\u2019s always what the Surface line has been: a laptop designed like a tablet with an optional keyboard (that probably shouldn\u2019t be optional at all).<\/p>\n But instead of the usual chips from Intel or AMD, Microsoft is using a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus, a variant on the Snapdragon X chips we\u2019ve seen in the past. An eight-core processor, this one is a newbie, paired with a minimum of 16GB RAM and as little as 256GB storage or as much as 512GB, with no microSD to expand on things.<\/p>\n There are only a handful of ports to work with, offering only two USB-C ports with support for USB 3.2, and not even a 3.5mm headset jack or Thunderbolt connection. Interestingly, there\u2019s no Surface Connect port, which surprised this reviewer greatly. This is definitely made for a different type of Surface buyer.<\/p>\n At least wireless hasn\u2019t been cut back, with Microsoft supporting WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. As expected, Windows 11 Home arrives on the Surface Pro 12 out of the box.<\/p>\n Display<\/p>\n The big new feature is actually the screen, with the 12 inch model different from its 13 inch sibling by a whole inch (!), and yet coming with a very different resolution.<\/p>\n On its 13 inch big brother, you\u2019ll find a 2880\u00d71920 display and up to a 120Hz refresh rate. Slick.<\/p>\n By comparison, the 12 inch Surface Pro loses an inch, as well as some resolution and refresh rate. Instead, you\u2019ll find a less known resolution of 2196\u00d71464 here, plus a slightly slower refresh rate of 90Hz.<\/p>\n That change won\u2019t mean a lot to everyone, because the screen here still looks good. The display is crisp, the visuals clear, and while you miss out on the vibrant colours and perfect black of an OLED panel \u2014 something the 13 inch can be equipped with \u2014 it\u2019s not a bad screen at all.<\/p>\n It\u2019s just not as fast, which hopefully won\u2019t make too much of a difference.<\/p>\n The tablet is definitely smaller, though, making it an easy grab for portability. Twelve inch laptops are rare these days, and yet the Surface Pro 12 inch is just that: properly portable.<\/p>\n In-use<\/p>\n Using this properly portable device comes in two varieties: tablet only and as a laptop.<\/p>\n Opting for the former, you\u2019ll have to get by with a touchscreen keyboard, and the experience isn\u2019t totally amazing. Microsoft has moved away from a touch-focused operating system, and while Windows works with touch, the icons and style aren\u2019t huge like they might be when built specifically for touch.<\/p>\n In short, you\u2019ll want the optional extra that is the keyboard, and may want the Slim Pen stylus that comes with one of the keyboard options.<\/p>\n Microsoft\u2019s Type Cover<\/p>\n The keyboard cover built into a plush fabric back isn\u2019t a new peripheral for the Surface, either. This is just a slightly smaller variation on the theme.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll find a little bit of backlighting in this variation, and a fairly comfortable travel for typing. It\u2019s not too soft and easy to type on, so much that this review was mostly written on it.<\/p>\n Our only hope is that the keyboard survives more than 200,000 keystrokes, as not every TypeCover has been so lucky over the years.<\/p>\n The Surface Slim Pen<\/p>\n An optional extra, the Surface Slim Pen gives you a way to write, draw, and scribble on your Surface using a stylus that clings to the back of the tablet with lovely strong magnets.<\/p>\n The design is actually clever, matching the back with a hint of thickness that doesn\u2019t affect the design or how you hold a pen too dramatically. You can even quick launch your favourite app by double clicking the button at the back of the pen, almost like you were clicking the pen\u2019s tip in and out.<\/p>\n That stylus is handy, even though it\u2019s an optional extra, and its flat design feels better than we expected. The fact that it magnetically mounts is a bonus. It holds nicely.<\/p>\n Another AI PC<\/p>\n Outside of the hardware, the other main features possibly worth checking out relate to AI. Doesn\u2019t everything these days?<\/p>\n Copilot is a part of that, complete with the Copilot key introduced last year<\/a>, as is AI photo editing, Copilot writing assistance, and generally some features you may or may not use. We didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Performance<\/p>\n Working out how to use the Surface Pro 12 inch isn\u2019t hard, and basically means you\u2019ll probably want to buy the keyboard and stylus to make it work better.<\/p>\n And good news, you can even log in to the tablet using the facial security system that is Windows Hello all too easily.<\/p>\n All that\u2019s left is to put the Surface through its paces and see how well it handles life and the apps we throw at it.<\/p>\n With a different variation of Qualcomm\u2019s Snapdragon chip for PCs, you\u2019ll find more than acceptable performance for most of what you\u2019ll throw at it, but it\u2019s by no means comparable to other laptops, even some from last year\u2019s Surface Laptop<\/a>.<\/p>\n Comparing the Surface Pro 12 against other recent laptops, we quickly find the hardware performance isn\u2019t quite where it should be. <\/p>\n It\u2019s when you look deeper, however, you quickly get an idea as to why.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve seen different Snapdragon chips for the past year in PCs, and this year\u2019s Snapdragon Plus is clearly not the same as the Snapdragon Elite used in other laptops<\/a>. It\u2019s fine only a little slower for the CPU, but the graphics side of thing shows the Snapdragon Plus is less like its namesake, and more like a \u201cless\u201d.<\/p>\n Battery<\/p>\n As with all laptops and tablets, battery life will depend on what you plan on doing with the gadget. For the Surface Pro 12, we found a battery life of around 6 to 10 hours, which is about par for the course for our uses, writing and browsing and generally just using a computer through the course of a regular day.<\/p>\n That should give you a decent day of battery life, though use the tablet a little less and you may see more.<\/p>\n Our real-world battery test is normally accompanied by a benchmark, but running the Surface through PC Mark\u2019s battery test produced errors. As such, you might just need to be guided by Microsoft\u2019s suggestion that. the Surface Pro 12 can hit at most 16 hours of local video playback or up to 12 of web usage.<\/p>\n Real-world mixed usage of around 6 to 10 hours seems spot on based on those expectations.<\/p>\n The good news is that the two USB-C ports on the side means you shouldn\u2019t have too much trouble recharging the Surface Pro 12 inch. The bad news, however, is that Microsoft\u2019s lack of an included power supply makes that charging more annoying.<\/p>\n It\u2019s very much a case of BYO here, and sadly, your phone\u2019s charging brick probably won\u2019t cut it. You\u2019ll want around a 30W charger, so consider grabbing a compact GaN charger to make your life a lot easier overall.<\/p>\n Value<\/p>\n Like the battery, the price isn\u2019t terrible, either. While our Surface Pro 12 inch review unit was closer to the $1699 mark, the whole range actually kicks in at $1499, with the main difference between these versions being colour and storage, 256GB for the less expensive model and twice the amount (512GB) for the more expensive generation.<\/p>\n Going from price and specs alone, by itself, the price of the Surface Pro 12 inch isn\u2019t bad, managing to beat the starting price of its 13 inch sibling by a reasonable amount.<\/p>\n While the Surface Pro 12 starts at $1499 with 256GB, the 13 inch model starts at $2199 in Australia with 512GB, a difference of around $700 for 512GB and a bigger screen. Comparing apples with apples, the $1699 price point means there\u2019s a $500 price difference for a bigger screen and twice the storage.<\/p>\n What needs work?<\/p>\n The problem with the Surface Pro isn\u2019t how it\u2019s designed, or even how it performs. Both of those are quite nice.<\/p>\n No, it\u2019s really how stingy Microsoft has been with accessories, even if they\u2019re more necessary than accessory.<\/p>\n Take the power plug, which is actually an optional extra for Microsoft\u2019s Surface. That\u2019s a choice even Apple hasn\u2019t taken, but Microsoft has, asking for $90 for a 45W USB-C wall charger. You could easily pick up one by any other third-party company with more power if needed, but the fact that Microsoft has ditched the very thing you need to charge this tablet is mind-boggling.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the keyboard, which is another optional extra, for $275 in Australia, or with the Slim Pen on the back, which adds another $180 for a total of $455.<\/p>\n Basically, it means that in order to get the full Surface Pro package we reviewed, you\u2019re not spending $1699, but just a little shy of $2200.<\/p>\n Over $2K for a tablet that\u2019s under-powered when compared to the other Surface models doesn\u2019t feel right.<\/p>\n In fact, what it feels a little like Microsoft is taking the mickey here. Not including the keyboard or stylus is awkward enough, but pretty consistent for Surface. But skipping out on the power supply is just plain weird, and signals an era where you\u2019re really buying the most stripped down lean edition of a computer you can think of. Pairing the computer with a lower performing chip doesn\u2019t help it, either, nor does the surprising lack of a 3.5mm port.<\/p>\n The whole thing just feels like it needs a little more: a better processor in-line with what the 13 inch Surface Pro gets, a power supply with the laptop, and maybe a 3.5mm headset jack.<\/p>\n That last one surprised us, too. We looked several times thinking it was an error on our part, but no, Microsoft has removed the 3.5mm headset jack you can find on pretty much every laptop.<\/p>\n Thinking like a tablet, the removal makes sense, and you only need to look at an iPad Air<\/a> or iPad Pro<\/a> to see why. That said, the Surface Pro 12 inch is still a laptop, so it\u2019s a touch surprising to see the 3.5mm port go and for Microsoft to not bother including a converter for that fact.<\/p>\n When you combine this omission with everything else, the properly portable Surface Pro 12 reads more as no frills than no problems.<\/p>\n Final thoughts (TLDR)<\/p>\n Microsoft\u2019s most portable tablet in ages, the Surface Pro 12 has size and design working for it. The look is smart and the smaller size makes it an obvious inclusion to take with you.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a laptop you can take in small luggage, or even just grab to go. Carry your coffee and computer, and you\u2019re good. The value on the Surface Pro 12 isn\u2019t bad, either, but it could be better. Frankly, given the lack of a power supply, it probably should be.<\/p>\n If what you\u2019re after is a properly portable Windows PC, the Surface Pro 12 fits the bill. Just be prepared to spend for it, because while the initial sub-$2K price suggests it\u2019s a good value, it\u2019s only complete once you spend over.<\/p>\n Microsoft Surface Pro 12 inch (2025, 1st-gen)<\/p>\n The good<\/p>\n Easy to carry <\/p>\n Lovely design <\/p>\n A properly portable Windows PC<\/p>\n The not-so-good<\/p>\n It doesn’t come with a wall charger <\/p>\n Nor does it come with keyboard or stylus <\/p>\n And there’s no 3.5mm headset jack <\/p>\n There’s also no Thunderbolt<\/p>\n AI features feel like a waste<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Quick review Microsoft Surface Pro 12 inch (2025, 1st-gen) – 1499 The good Easy to carry Lovely design…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":76536,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[58856,256,265,64,63,2577,47297,23545,105,40538,34523],"class_list":{"0":"post-76535","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology","8":"tag-12-inch","9":"tag-ai","10":"tag-ai-pc","11":"tag-au","12":"tag-australia","13":"tag-microsoft","14":"tag-qualcomm","15":"tag-surface","16":"tag-technology","17":"tag-wifi-7","18":"tag-windows-11"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76535\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/microsoft-surface-pro-12-inch-review-2025-08-jpg.webp.webp\"\/)
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