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Microsoft launches an "enhanced" Surface Pro 7+ for businesses and schools

By Ken Wong - on 21 Jan 2021, 7:08am

Microsoft launches an "enhanced" Surface Pro 7+ for businesses and schools

The venerable form-factor. Image courtesy of Microsoft.

We covered the launch of the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 in 2019 and reviewed it in 2020.

At the time we felt that while it was still the King of the Heap as far as detachable notebook went, the design was getting dated and the pricing made alternatives from other vendors look attractive.

Well, in this start to 2021, Microsoft has launched, not a new Surface Pro but one that they’re using to target business and education-based customers in the form of the Surface Pro 7’s enhanced for business’s cousin, the Surface Pro 7+.

According to Microsoft, during conversations with business customers, they learnt that there were four key features that these customers needed in a business laptop:

  • The future of working and learning is hybrid and requires more flexibility: companies say that with Covid-19, views on remote work have changed with more having flexible work from home policies post-pandemic, and employees wanting to continue work from home at least part-time. 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: With multiple people in a household now connecting from home, it is putting a strain on bandwidth - where people are using their phones more often as hot spots for online meetings due to poor Internet connectivity.
  • Camera to camera is the new face to face: Microsoft has learnt through research that people are feeling more empathetic to one another now, and the lens of a video call gives a better view of life at home making them feel more valued and included.
  • End to end security from chip to cloud is more critical than ever before: businesses need their data and workflows to be secure to enable remote work. Devices need end-to-end security features to ensure business continuity.

 

Small changes to make a big difference

Still the king of detachable notebooks? Image courtesy of Microsoft.

So, to meet these business needs, Microsoft has made small changes to the Surface Pro 7 to create the Surface Pro 7+.

The form factor hasn’t changed, all of the changes are under the hood so to speak.

Available in Black and Platinum, the Surface Pro 7+ family start with the Intel’s 11th Gen Core i5 Processor, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. With a longer battery life capable of keeping going for up to 15 hours, integrated front and rear-facing cameras with 1080p full HD video partner with Dolby Atmos speakers and dual far-field Studio Mics so the user's voice can be easily picked up during video calls.

USB-A and USB-C ports allow the Surface Pro 7+ the option of docking into external displays and using external peripherals for a full workstation set up.

To deal with user connectivity issues, Microsoft is introducing models with LTE Advanced connectivity so users can remain connected at home if Wi-Fi bandwidth is limited or if they are in a remote location.

A removable SSD adds to security. Image courtesy of Microsoft.

Security is hardwired into the Surface Pro 7+ as it ships with Windows Enhanced Hardware Security features enabled out of the box. This means it can be managed and updated through the cloud from the first moment the device is turned on and throughout its life without IT having to physically touch the device. It also has a removable SSD for data retention and security.

 

Pricing and availability

Some of the available peripherals. Image courtesy of Microsoft.

The base Surface Pro 7+ configuration with Wi-Fi only starts at S$1,528, with the LTE Advanced configuration beginning at S$1,758. Business and education customers in Singapore can order Surface Pro 7+ through their local commercial resellers and the Microsoft Store now. For more details on models and pricing, please refer to the following:

Image courtesy of Microsoft.

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