Surface Pro 7+ Discussion Thread (January 2021)

Official "for Business" Product Page:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/business/surface-pro-7-plus

Official Microsoft Store Purchase Page:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/surface-pro-7-plus-for-business/8P43N3K93409

Official Blog Posts:
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com...l-performance-and-versatility-to/ba-p/1928797
https://blogs.windows.com/devices/2...-teams-and-classrooms-in-the-new-digital-age/


Note: The initial release is primarily targeted towards businesses and is currently available only as a "for Business" SKU that is geared towards Microsoft's business clientele.

Spoiler: Official product page

Spoiler: Tech Community Blog Post

Surface Pro 7+ brings next level performance and versatility to the enterprise
Surface Pro 7+ for Business, the latest generation of the class defining Surface 2-in-1 delivers next level performance and versatility to commercial enterprises and educational institutions.



Key differences with Surface Pro 7+ for Business:

• Removable SSD with options of up to 1 terabyte of storage making it easier for organizations to retain and protect sensitive information.
• Optional LTE Advanced so you can stay connected and receive the latest updates wherever you go.
• Up to 15 hours of battery life (4.5 hours more than Pro 7) plus fast charging that restores battery levels to 80 percent in about an hour.

As a program manager in the commercial engineering group, I’ve been fortunate to learn directly from customers about what matters most when it comes to choosing the best devices for their company and employees. Of course, what stands out as top of mind for almost everyone is ease of device deployment and manageability along with built in, chip to cloud security. So it’s with that lens that I’d like to do a quick tour of our newest Surface 2-in-1, beginning with the different ways you can use the device.







More control with cloud-first device deployment and management
Surface Pro 7+ offers some of the most flexible device management options. Starting with device procurement, before devices are shipped using the Windows Autopilot service Surface Pro 7+ can be placed under management and personalized with required apps and policies, enabling factory direct delivery to your users.



Defense in depth with protection from Microsoft
Every layer is maintained by Microsoft, from the hardened firmware that is adopted from a Microsoft open-source UEFI, to the operating system, through to cloud management. Once devices are up and running, using the Device Firmware Configuration Interface (DFCI), hardware capabilities like built-in cameras, microphones, speakers and radios can be individually disabled at the firmware level using cloud-based policy settings from Intune and Microsoft Endpoint Manager.



Optional LTE Advanced
Of course, a big differentiator for Surface Pro 7+ is the optional LTE Advanced connectivity. Surface Pro 7+ with LTE Advanced is available with the fan-less Core i5 configuration and works with both eSIM and physical nano SIM. Instead of handing out physical SIM cards to your mobile workforce, you can centrally manage calling and network data using eSIM based LTE services.



We’ve now expanded our eSIM ecosystem, giving you more options for geographical coverage. In fact, the eSIM profile in Surface Pro 7+ unlocks access to more mobile operators and services in over 180 countries. Additionally, LTE Advanced can ensure reliable network and internet connections and works in tandem with built-in Wi-Fi 6 capabilities, to avoid dropped video calls and to provide resiliency when Wi-Fi connections aren’t reliable or available. And because Surface Pro 7+ with LTE Advanced is typically always connected, devices can receive updates as soon as they become available.



Intel 11th Gen “Tiger Lake” processors
Surface Pro 7+ uses the latest 11th gen Intel Core processors more than doubling the performance of the previous generation. And it’s 3.5 times faster than Surface Pro with LTE Advanced from 2017. With options for Core i3, i5, and i7 processors, Surface Pro 7+ is the first Surface Pro device to offer up to 32 gigabytes of RAM and 1 Terabyte of storage. Of course, Surface Pro 7+ supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. This, combined with the optional LTE Advanced, gives you enhanced connectivity.






Design innovations help boost battery run time
The new thermal design is the most efficient and compact to date. It uses graphite heat spreading, heat pipes and carbon composite materials along with larger vents. Core i7 is designed to minimize fan speed and noise to only the most intensive workloads, while the Core i3 and i5 models are silent and fan-less. We also worked on freeing up internal space by incorporating the same breakthrough technology of Surface Pro X, reducing the thickness of the display. The resulting space advantage went toward increasing the size of the battery. Surface Pro 7+ has the largest battery to date in a Surface Pro with a 50.4-watt hour capacity for improved all-day battery life.



Removable SSD
Surface Pro 7+ provides a removable storage solution that helps commercial organizations comply with specific data retention standards. It also facilitates servicing and repair in the unlikely event of an SSD failure. Enterprise customers no longer need to ship devices back to Microsoft, leaving employees with loaner devices for days.



Retaining proprietary information is made easy with the ability to replace the SSD on-site. Company assets remain in the company with this new option for same unit repair. These offerings include the rSSD and the SSD Door. Purchase of replacement SSDs will be available to commercial customers through authorized resellers beginning with US distribution.






Compatible accessories
Because it uses the same proven design as Pro 7, companies can leverage their investment in compatible Surface Pro accessories like type covers, cases, pens and certified third-party accessories.



Virtual meetings come to life
Support for 1080p Full HD video combined with the dual Studio Microphone array for accurate audio capture makes Surface Pro 7+ ideal for video calls. And, its stereo speakers provide rich sound reproduction using Dolby Atmos®. Capture whiteboard meeting notes and scan documents with the rear-facing 8.0 megapixel HD camera. The high-resolution 12.3” PixelSense™ Display touchscreen features ambient light sensing that automatically adjusts to lighting conditions.



Connect dual 4K monitors
You can easily connect additional monitors using the USB-C port or via the optional Surface Dock 2. The USB ports or Surface Connect can support two external displays with up to 4k resolution, at 60 hertz while working simultaneously with the built-in display, which is great to dock at an office or home office workstation.










Sustainable packaging
Then during shipping, for commercial and bulk shipments, Surface Pro 7+ devices are placed in 23% lighter packaging using device folios. This also makes them easier to distribute broadly, while minimizing waste by using 99% natural fiber-based material, of which 64% is post-consumer recycled materials. And of course, this also makes the devices easier to unpack.



Surface for Business unlocks more value
In summary, Surface Pro 7+ enables businesses and organizations to save time and money with streamlined deployment, modern device management, and built-in, cloud-powered security along with connected experiences from Surface and Microsoft 365. Confidently invest in Surface for today and the future with accessories that are compatible across generations.



To learn more, get a tour from the latest episode of Microsoft Mechanics:






Learn more
For availability and to learn more, see Surface Pro 7+ for Business.

Spoiler: Windows Blog Post

Introducing Surface Pro 7+ for Business: Purpose-built to empower people, teams and classrooms in the new digital age

By Robin Seiler, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Devices



Surface Pro 7+ joins the Surface for Business portfolio – offering the versatility, connectivity and security that business and educational institutions need to adapt to the changing landscape. Additionally, Surface Hub 2S 85” will begin shipping broadly to business and education customers in select markets later this month.

The year 2020 brought one of the biggest accelerations of digital transformation in our lifetime.

Across industries, the shift to remote and hybrid productivity was a tipping point to redefine the future of how we work, collaborate and learn outside physical office spaces or classrooms. We have seen a significant increase in the reliance on technology to keep organizations connected. In the past year, Surface usage within enterprise organizations nearly doubled driven by strong growth in the use of collaboration and productivity apps to maintain business continuity.

Today, we are pleased to share the next step in our journey to support our business and education customers with the introduction of Surface Pro 7+ for Business. And to help organizations bridge the digital and physical divide in today’s hybrid spaces, we’re beginning to ship Surface Hub 2S 85” broadly in select markets later this month.

What we have learned in the last year
As a company, we are committed to designing technology that fosters productivity, creativity and connection to empower people to be successful wherever they work and learn. We have spoken at length with many of our customers in the last year, listening to their journeys into remote everything. These discussions, combined with extensive commissioned research and the work done by our research team, have helped us understand their rapidly evolving needs. This is a critical part of our development process – ensuring business and education customer voices are not only heard but brought directly into our product development. We found four key learnings during these conversations and research:

• The future of working and learning is hybrid and requires more flexibility: Views on remote work have changed: 82% of managers say they will have more flexible work from home policies post pandemic, and 71% of employees want to continue work from home at least part time. And while more people are working and learning from home, they are facing new physical space constraints as well as distractions that can interfere with productivity. People are sharing spaces throughout their home and are moving locations more throughout their days to stay productive and accommodate others.
• Connectivity is critical to uninterrupted business operations: Poor internet performance at home is a new challenge many are facing. With multiple people in a household now connecting from home, it is putting a strain on bandwidth – where people are using their cell phones more often as hot spots for online meetings due to poor internet connectivity.
• Camera to camera is the new face to face: Connection to one another is an area that arguably has felt the most challenging – people are missing the energy and connection that was attained when we could be together in a room physically. People are now relying on their device’s cameras, screens, speakers and microphones to be seen and heard. We have learned through our research that people are feeling more empathetic to one another now, that through the lens of a video call they have a better view of life at home and even feel more valued and included as a remote contributor in meetings with everyone being in the same virtual room.
• End to end security from chip to cloud is more critical than ever before: Rapid digitization means almost everything has gone online. Organizations need their data and workflows to be secure to enable remote and hybrid work. Devices need end to end security features to enable the productivity needed to maintain business continuity.

Customer obsession is core to who we are at Surface. We create products inspired by customers and with their feedback in mind. We continue to listen and evolve our product roadmap and priorities for Surface to support our business and education customers. This is why today, we’re introducing Surface Pro 7+ for Business.

From small and medium size businesses to the largest organizations, Surface Pro 7+ is purpose-built with the needs of our business and education customers in mind. This next generation of Surface Pro stays true to its ethos – delivering on top customer requested updates while maintaining the same iconic design so customers can continue to leverage their existing investments.

Surface Pro 7+ for Business – Purpose-built for business and education customers



When we first introduced Surface Pro, we wanted to challenge the concept that people should not have to choose between the portability and convenience of a tablet and the power and productivity of a traditional laptop. In the last seven years, Surface Pro has become known for its versatility, power and performance, brilliant touch screen, pen capabilities and great battery life. It is by far our most widely adopted Surface device across business and education customers.


We continue to be inspired by our customers and their use of Surface – like two long time Surface Pro customers: Gaumard Scientific, which is deploying Surface Pro devices to hospitals and remote locations for patient training simulations, and Black-owned destination wear and fashion brand Bohn Jsell, which uses Surface Pro’s pen and inking capabilities to design clothing and face masks.


Surface Pro 7+ offers the adaptability to dock into external displays and leverage the needed peripherals for a full workstation setup.

Continuing with Surface Pro’s iconic form factor, we are introducing optional LTE Advanced with Surface Pro 7+, a top requested customer feature that helps keep people connected at home if Wi-Fi bandwidth is limited or if they are in a remote location. We have added the latest 11th Gen Intel Core Processors, with 2.1 times faster performance, and longer battery life of up to 15 hours. Surface Pro 7+ offers the versatility people need to work wherever, whenever they want. And with both USB-A and USB-C ports, Surface Pro 7+ offers the adaptability to dock into external displays and leverage the needed peripherals for a full workstation setup. For the human connection that everyone is craving, we have integrated front and rear facing cameras into Surface Pro 7+ with 1080p full HD video along with Dolby Atmos speakers and dual far-field Studio Microphones so people can be seen and heard.


Updated packaging for Surface Pro 7+ for Business.

In response to customer feedback for a more streamlined workflow to easily get devices to their employees no matter where they are and for more environmentally friendly packaging, we are pleased to share that Surface Pro 7+ sets a new level for lightweight, sustainable commercial packaging. It is 23% lighter than the previous generation and is made from 99% natural fiber-based material, of which 64% is post-consumer recycled content. These updates are also reflective of our continued commitment to sustainability.

The Surface Pro 7+ Wi-Fi configuration starts at $899USD, with the LTE Advanced configuration beginning at $1,149USD. Business and education customers in select markets across Asia, Europe and North America can order Surface Pro 7+ through their local resellers today, with shipping beginning at the end of this week.

Surface Hub 2S 85” begins shipping broadly this month
As organizations plan for a hybrid return to work, many are recognizing the importance of large screen, collaborative devices like Surface Hub. Today, we’re excited to share that Surface Hub 2S 85” will begin shipping to business and education customers broadly in select markets later this month.


Team members collaborating on Microsoft Whiteboard on Surface Hub 2S 85”.

Customers have shared with us how much they love the Windows 10 Team Operating system on their Surface Hubs for simple walk up use and group collaboration. As the workplace continues to change, we understand that some customers want more flexibility to meet the needs of their rapidly evolving workplace. So we’re also pleased to share that customers can now take advantage of the Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise configurations on Surface Hub 2S 85”, enabling them to run all of their business critical applications utilizing the massive 4K PixelSense touch and ink enabled screen, Microsoft Teams certified audio and video, and an array of onboard sensors.

It is incredible to see how customers are using Surface Hub to collaborate and streamline their operations. From manufacturing floors in England and France at Renault DP World F1 to a Northwestern University remote classroom in Chicago, Illinois, we have continued to see organizations transform how they use Surface Hub to stay agile and resilient, underscoring its value in today’s changing landscape.

“Surface Hub has proven to be a valuable tool for keeping our teams at Renault DP World F1 Team connected and productive across our two engineering and manufacturing plants in England and France,” says Pierre d’Imbleval, CIO, Renault DP World F1 Team. “The ability to collaborate with colleagues no matter their physical location through Microsoft Teams on Hub’s beautiful large screen has enabled us to maintain the business and personal continuity needed to help us navigate remote work. We also love the Surface Hub because, despite its size, it’s very portable and can be shared across useful locations in our headquarters.”


Members of the Information Systems/Business Intelligence team at Renault DP World F1 Team presenting the daily Work Orders report analysis on Surface Hub.

“I use the Surface Hub 2S configured with Windows 10 Pro to run various communication programs including Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Whiteboard,” says Professor Mohan Sawhney, Associate Dean for Digital Innovation, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. “I see this hybrid environment lasting beyond the pandemic, at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, we are learning how to combine the best of virtual learning with the best of in-person learning to create immersive and engaging digital-first experiences. Tools like the Surface Hub, complemented with collaboration and livestreaming software, will be essential to creating the next generation of work and learning experiences.”

As different parts of the world plan for their returns to the office or classroom or rethink what hybrid and satellite environments mean for their organizations, Surface Hub will be there to ease that transition, helping to bridge the digital and physical divide.

Visit this page to find and connect with an authorized Surface Hub reseller in your market.

Security, deployment and manageability by design
As more people connect to the internet and work and learn from home, organizations are witnessing increasingly sophisticated and targeted attacks. At the same time organizations need agility to deploy devices directly to people’s homes and manage devices running on home networks securely, without having to physically touch devices.

For the first time, Surface Pro 7+ ships with Windows Enhanced Hardware Security features enabled out of the box. We are excited to see such great boosts in both performance and battery while enabling robust Device Protection features. Customers can have peace of mind in knowing they get great security without compromising employee or student experiences.

Surface devices can be managed and updated through the cloud from the first moment the device is turned on and throughout the device lifecycle without IT having to physically touch the device. This helps protect identities and defend against malicious drivers and supply chain attacks. We accomplish this through tight integration between the UEFI (modern BIOS), firmware, and the Windows operating system stack. We have shared our implementation of the Microsoft UEFI as open source on GitHub as Project Mu.

Remote deployment is also critical in a hybrid work environment. Surface devices use the latest Microsoft deployment capabilities like Windows Autopilot to enable devices to ship directly from the factory to people’s homes and be ready to go with security policies, applications and settings applied. Windows Autopilot gets people online, connected and productive as quickly as possible, and eliminates time consuming re-imaging and manual device set up for IT departments.

“Automatically deploying devices in people’s homes without the need for a technician was a great advantage for us and saved countless hours,” says Peter Jamieson, Chief Technology Officer & Director of Digital Transformation, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. “It allowed us to get up and running quickly to meet the mandate for the department. We are proof that you can run a government department from employees’ homes.”

Finally, we know it is important for customers to be in control of their data. Surface Pro 7+ will also feature a removable SSD for data retention, to support the security and privacy needs of business and educational organizations. This feature, combined with Microsoft BitLocker protection, makes it easy for customers to retain sensitive data if something happens to their device.


Surface Pro 7+ will feature a removable SSD for data retention, to support the security and privacy needs of business and educational organizations.

For more details on Surface security features, visit this blog post, and for deployment and management capabilities, please visit the Surface section of Microsoft Docs.

We remain steadfast in our company mission to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. We feel a tremendous sense of responsibility to support our customers in this time.

Across the Surface portfolio from Surface Duo to Surface Hub 2S 85”, Surface is more than a device – it is a strategic enabler for business and educational organizations, a tool to bring people together, to collaborate, to learn and harnesses the full power of Microsoft across productivity, the cloud and security. We believe we are uniquely positioned to build the hardware and software capabilities required to address the challenges our customers face today and in the future.

+++

Like all Surface for Business products, Surface Pro 7+ brings the best of Microsoft to life across Windows 10, Microsoft 365, Dynamics, Azure and more. We are excited to announce the addition of Surface Pro 7+ to our offers for eligible Microsoft customers to save up to $50 per unit with Surface+ and $30 per unit with Modern Work with Surface for Small Business. To learn more, check the Surface+ and Modern Work with Surface for Small Business sites for the latest on eligibility.

Spoiler: Available configurations

• 
  Surface Pro 7+ Wi-Fi Commercial
  11th Gen Intel Core i3, 8 GB RAM, 128 GB, Platinum $899
  11th Gen Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM, 128 GB, Platinum $999
  11th Gen Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB, Platinum/Black $1,299
  11th Gen Intel Core i7, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB, Platinum/Black $1,599
  11th Gen Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512 GB, Platinum $1,999
  11th Gen Intel Core i7, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB, Platinum $2,399
  11th Gen Intel Core i7, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB, Platinum $2,799
  Surface Pro 7+ LTE Commercial
  11th Gen Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM, 128 GB, LTE, Platinum $1,149
  11th Gen Intel Core i5, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB, LTE, Platinum $1,649
  Surface Pro 7+ Wi-Fi Education
  11th Gen Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM, 128 GB, Platinum $899
  11th Gen Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB, Platinum $1,199
  
  Link:
  https://www.windowscentral.com/surface-pro-7-business-announced

Spoiler: Tech specs

Tech specs

Dimensions

11.5” x 7.9” x 0.33” (292 mm x 201 mm x 8.5 mm)

Display

• Screen: 12.3” PixelSense™ Display
• Resolution: 2736 x 1824 (267 PPI)
• Aspect ratio: 3:2
• Touch: 10-point multi-touch

Memory

• 8GB or 16GB LPDDR4x RAM (Wi-Fi or LTE)
• 32GB LPDDR4x RAM (Wi-Fi)

Processor

• Dual-core 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4 Processor (Wi-Fi)
• Quad-core 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7 Processor (Wi-Fi or LTE)
• Quad-core 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7 Processor (Wi-Fi)

Security

• TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
• Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in

Software

• Windows 10 Pro
• Preloaded Microsoft 365 Apps
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Microsoft 365 Business Premium, or Microsoft 365 Apps 30-day trial

Sensors

• Ambient light sensor
• Accelerometer
• Gyroscope
• Magnetometer

What’s in the box

• Surface Pro 7+ for Business
• Power Supply
• Quick Start Guide
• Safety and warranty documents

Weight (not including keyboard)

• i3, i5 (Wi-Fi): 1.70 lb (770g)
• i5 (LTE): 1.75 lb (796g)
• i7 (Wi-Fi): 1.73 lb (784g)

Storage

Removable solid-state drive (SSD) options: 128GB or 256GB (Wi-Fi or LTE); 512GB or 1TB (Wi-Fi)

Battery life

• Wi-Fi: Up to 15 hours of typical device usage
• LTE Advanced: Up to 13.5 hours of typical device usage

Graphics

• Intel® UHD Graphics (i3)
• Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics (i5, i7)

Connections

• 1 x USB-C®
• 1 x full-size USB-A
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• 1 x Surface Connect port
• Surface Type Cover port
• MicroSDXC card reader (Wi-Fi)
• 1 x nano SIM (LTE)
• Compatible with Surface Dial off-screen interaction

Cameras, video and audio

• Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
• 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p full HD video
• 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD video
• Dual far-field Studio Mics
• 1.6W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos®

Wireless

• Wi-Fi 6: 802.11ax compatible
• Bluetooth Wireless 5.0 technology
• LTE Advanced1 with removable SIM and eSIM support
• Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X20 LTE Modem
• LTE bands supported: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66

Exterior

• Casing: Signature unibody magnesium design with hidden perimeter venting
• Colors: Platinum, Matte Black
• Physical buttons: Volume, Power

Warranty

1-year limited hardware warranty

Spoiler: Microsoft Mechanics video

 

Nice. The removable SSD is a great addition that I've been wishing for since the Surface Pro 2. Pretty important to access your data if the device needs repair / replacement. Too bad they didn't add TB4 though.

 

The hidden "plus" (pun intended) over the Surface Pro X is it keeps both the traditional microSD card slot and it adds the new removable SSD drawer.

 

The swappable drives is most definitely a nod to the higher end enterprise customers and was a positive among the handful that bought the pro x.

For our customers, that makes it an order of magnitude easier to create a group of "hot swap" spares so if a user say drops one and breaks the display, they can just move the users drive to the new system. Prior to that they were using a combination of active directory and one drive, which while it works, its quite bit slower and more cumbersome.

 

Interesting, @desertlap!

At 4:52, it says they reduced the display thickness compared to the Surface Pro 7 by "incorporating the same breakthrough technology of Surface Pro X." This allowed them to increase the battery size, resulting in the largest battery to date with 50.4 watt-hours of capacity. This translates to an approximate 17% improvement over the Surface Pro 7's 43.2 watt-hour battery. Wow!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=292&v=wBOSZfzDgBE

 

So while on the topic (sort of) of surface updates we are also hearing rumors this morning via our supply chain partners of Surface Book 4's with 11th gen intel chips with XE discrete graphics in the lower end 13 and AMD Dedicated Graphics , in the higher end 15.

That would be a switch away from Nvidia and a smaller additional embrace of AMD.

Still no TB4 though

Possibly announced as soon as March

 

So we have one each of the i3 and i5 (with LTE) configurations on their way to us. I'll post back when we actually get them

 

I’d like to know how many Iris Xe EUs in the i5 & i7. It seems you can’t tell by the number.

Sheesh, $300 to upgrade from 128GB to 256GB. I wonder how much the swap-in 256GB SSD costs by itself? I mean, $300 is more than twice what a very good 1TB NVMe SSD costs nowadays.

And while I’m posting, a note to @DRTigerlilly that the specs show 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p full HD video.

 

Yeah the Surfaxe is the obky line with decent camera's by default though I think they managed to botch that on the latest Laptop models.

But the lack of modularity repairability that they fail to incorporate (while the other OEM's do) is a deal breaker for me.

From time to time I miss my SP5, but I really think I have become married to the idea of a 360 design. No clue why they haven't gone that route with the laptops.

Sent from my SM-N9600 using Tapatalk

 

Well... with the drive now being user accessible; I'll pick up the 256GB i7 Model and upgrade it to 1tb myself. I imagine it will be cheaper than the $1200 it would be otherwise. Anybody know what size this is and what ssd models might be available to use?

Also... where do we preorder this thing?