Microsoft has just launched the Surface Pro Plus with with 11th gen Intel chips, removable SSD, bigger battery, and LTE at CES 2021. This product isn’t really aimed at the average consumer, instead it will be marketed towards businesses and education.
Specs and features
Coming to its specs, the new Pro model comes with thoroughly refreshed internals which now includes the latest Intel 11th gen processors. Specifically, you have a version with Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 processors. The base model with the Core i3 chip comes with 8 gigs of memory and 128 GB of storage. The top model with the Core i7 processor, in turn, can have up to 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of SSD. However, it is only the mid-tier Core i5 model that comes with options LTE connectivity.
Unfortunately, there is no 5G here, as the Pro 7 Plus relies on a Snapdragon X20 LTE modem to get online. The battery has gone for an uptick, from the 46.5Wh on the Pro 7 to 50.4Wh on the Pro 7 Plus. Microsoft said this should lead to significantly better backup times, something in the vicinity of 15 hours in place of the around 10.5 hours that the Surface Pro 7 is capable of. Apart from the bigger sized battery, the latest-gen Intel Core chips should also be accorded their due given their frugal nature.
Another important change seen with the Pro 7 Plus is its removable SSD storage. Microsoft said that it is of the same sort as on the Surface Pro X and the Surface Laptop 3. The display, meanwhile, is the same as that on its predecessor, a 12.3-inch PixelSense display having 2736 x 1824 pixel resolution. Connectivity options too remain the same, which means no Thunderbolt slot yet. What you get is a single USB Type-C port, a USB Type-A port, a 3.5mm headphone jack as well as the Surface Connect port.
Price and availability
Coming to price, the base Core i3 model starts at $899. The Core i5 model has a starting price of  $1,149 while the top-of-the-line core i7 version starts at $2,799. Shipping starts on January 15 itself in the US. That apart, the Surface Pro 7 Plus will also be available in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and several other European countries soon.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
