Surface Pro 6 vs 7: Are The Latest Models Always Better?

The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 was launched in October 2019 and was an instant hit among graphic designers, editors, and content creators.

Essentially a tablet, the Surface Pro 7 is easy to carry around and can provide you with a ton of processing power without any bulky components.

But, if we compare Microsoft Surface Pro 6 vs 7, what does the latest version bring to the table?

Or

is it just a cash cow with a flashy name and updated version?

Let’s go through the variants in detail and find out whether the Surface Pro 6 is as amazing as the Surface Pro 7.

Surface Pro 6 vs 7 Performance Comparison

The Microsoft Surface Pro 6 comes with an 8th generation Intel Core i5-8250U or an Intel Core i7-8650U processor.

You can go for 8GB or 16GB of LPDDR3 RAM depending on your performance needs. 

The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 features 10th generation Intel Core Processors. You can go for a nimble Core i3-1005G1, Core i5-1035G4, or the powerful Core i7-1065G7 processor.

Even if you go for Surface Pro 7 with the Intel Core i5 processor, you will witness a noticeable difference in its performance concerning the Microsoft Surface Pro 6, instead of the faster and more efficient 10th generation processors.

In the upcoming sections, we will find out whether the Surface Pro 7’s 10th generation processors result in better battery life.

In terms of memory, the Surface Pro 7 supports 4G, 8GB, or 16GB of LPDDR4x RAM, which is slightly faster than the LPDDR3 variant of Surface Pro 6. If you check out Microsoft’s fact sheet on the Surface Pro 7, they claim it to be 2.3 times faster than the Surface Pro 6.

Both Surface Pro 6 & 7 are targeted towards designers, artists, and creative content creation. You can use the Surface Pro to post-process and edit images and videos, and also for graphic designing.

If you are looking for snappy performance and more kick out of it, go for the Intel Core i7 Surface Pro 7.

But, both the Surface Pro 6 & 7 don’t have dedicated graphics cards. They rely on integrated GPUs.

The Surface Pro 6 has an Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU while the Surface Pro 7 adds a bit more powerful Intel Iris Plus GPU in the i5 and i7 series.

I don’t get the need for an Intel Core i3 variant for the Surface Pro 7.

Yes, it might bring the price down, but I feel it’s better to go for Core i5 Surface Pro 6 than a Core i3 Surface Pro 7. Just my thoughts!

Microsoft Surface Pro 6 vs 7: Connectivity Ports

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 and Surface Pro 6 ports are quite similar, except for a few differences.

Both these devices feature a USB-A port for connecting old peripherals, a 3.5mm audio port, and a microSD card reader.

They also feature a cover port for connecting the Surface Pro keypad.

Now here are the portability options that set them apart.

While the Surface Pro 6 has Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity, the Surface Pro 6 features a faster Bluetooth 5.0. The Surface Pro 6 has a mini Display Port while the Surface Pro 7 lacks it. Instead, it has a USB-C  port for connecting and charging modern peripherals.

I feel the USB-C port has much more benefits than the DisplayPort of the Surface Pro 6. So the Surface Pro 7 is more portable than the Surface Pro 6.

Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Pro 7 Battery Life 

If you compare Microsoft Surface Pro 6 and 7 fact sheets you will see that the Surface Pro 6 tends to be more efficient than the Surface Pro 7.

As per tests conducted on the Surface Pro 6 and 7, both fit with Intel Core i5 processors, 256GB storage, and 8GB RAM, the Surface Pro 6 offered a battery life of around 13.5 hours while the Surface Pro 7 lasted around 10.5 hours.

So, despite newer 10th generation Intel Core processors, the latest Surface Pro has to bow down to the Surface Pro 6 in terms of battery life.

Surface Pro 7 vs 6: Price Check

The Surface Pro 6 is at least $100 cheaper than the Surface Pro 7.

On Amazon, the Surface Pro 6 will cost you around $690, while the Surface Pro 7 can be bought for roughly $800.

The indicated prices for both variants are for an Intel Core i5 processor with 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage.

By investing that extra $100 you are getting a 10th generation processor, a slightly better GPU, and a USB-C port. If the price justifies the configuration go for the Surface Pro 7.

However, the Surface Pro 7 didn’t impress me from a price standpoint. I’d rather go for the Surface Pro 6.

Surface Pro 6 vs 7: Display Design

If the Surface Pro 6 & 7 were placed side by side, you can’t make out which is which.

Both share a similar design.

With a dimension of 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 inches, and a thick bezel surrounding the display, the Surface Pro 7 is a replica of the Surface Pro 6.

They also support detachable Type Covers which can be used for typing and act as a cover for your tablet and the Surface Pen stylus.

These accessories are not part of the product and need to be procured separately or as part of a bundle.

Both the Surface Pros possess a 12.3-inch display with a resolution of 2736 x 1824. Microsoft calls these screens PixelSense and they can render impressive high-quality images with a pixel density of 267 pixels per inch.

The screen displays elements in their true color tone and is thus perfect for editing and graphic designing. It also gives you a lot of real estate to work comfortably.

Both the screens have an aspect ratio of 3:2 than the usual 16:9 which gives you more vertical area to work with.

The Surface Pro 7 didn’t bring anything new from a display point of view.

The Surface Pro 6 being the cheaper of the two, will be my preference for this category.

Surface Pro 6 vs Surface Pro 7 Specs Comparison

Now that we have compared Surface Pro 6 vs 7, here’s a table that sums up Surface Pro 7 specs against Surface Pro 6.

	Surface Pro 7	Surface Pro 6
OS	Windows 10	Windows 10
Processor	10th Gen IntelCore i3-1005G1Core i5-1035G4Core i71065G7	Intel 8th GenCore i5-8250UCore i7-8650U
RAM	4GB, 8GB, 16GB LPDDR4x	8GB, 16GB LPDDR3
Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB SSD	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB SSD
Display size	12.3 inchesTouch	12.3 inchesTouch
Display resolution	2736×1824267 PPI	2736×1824267 PPI
Aspect ratio	3:2	3:2
Graphics	Intel UHD (i3)Intel Iris Plus (i5, i7)	Intel UHD Graphics 620
Ports	USB-C 3.1USB-A3.5mm audioSurface ConnectmicroSD card reader	USB-A 3.0Mini DisplayPortSurface ConnectmicroSD card reader3.5mm audio
LTE	No	No
Biometrics	IR camera	IR camera
Battery	Up to 10.5 hours	Up to 13.5 hours45Wh
Dimensions	11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 inches(292mm x 201mm x 8.5mm)	11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 inches(292mm x 201mm x 8.5mm)
Weight	From 1.70 pounds (770g)	From 1.70 pounds (770g)
	Buy It On Amazon	Buy It On Amazon

Conclusion

Microsoft Surface Pro 6 and 7 are Windows 10 tablets that are best for graphic designing, image editing, and other official purposes. Versatility comes from the Type Cover sold separately so you do buy a tablet first.

But, both these tablets have the processing power and memory underneath to cater to processor-intensive applications.

Here’s a gist of Surface Pro 6 vs 7

• The Surface Pro 6 and 7 are indistinguishable from each other concerning design and form.
• They have the same screens with the same resolution. Both support Type Covers and Surface Pen stylus.
• But the Surface Pro 7 comes with a faster 10th generation processor, unlike its 8th generation predecessor.
• The Surface Pro 7 even supports a USB-C port in place of a display port.
• However, the Surface Pro 6 has a much better battery life than the Surface Pro 7.

So if your daily tasks don’t require the processing power of an i7 processor, the Surface Pro 6 will do just fine.

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