Microsoft introduced the compact Surface Pro 12: new design, ARM chip and full transition to USB-C

Microsoft has introduced the successor to the Surface Go — the Surface Pro 12 tablet with a 12-inch display and an updated design.

The new product is focused on compactness and affordability. In the basic version for $799, users will receive an eight-core ARM Snapdragon X Plus processor, 16 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. The version with 512 GB will cost $899. Expected battery life is up to 12 hours of active use.

The Surface Pro 12 features a 12-inch LCD display (2196×1464, 220 ppi) with a 90Hz refresh rate. The company’s 3:2 aspect ratio has been retained, but there’s no OLED support. Because of the new form factor, Microsoft has redesigned the keyboard: it’s now flat, without a tilt, and there’s no slot for the Surface Pen. The stylus can be attached to the back of the tablet, where it will charge.

The company has also completely abandoned the Surface Connect port: the device has only two USB-C 3.2 with DisplayPort 1.4a support. This allows you to connect two 4K monitors at a frequency of 60 Hz. Microsoft announced that this change will later appear in larger Surface models.

The new Surface Pro gets a 1080p front-facing camera, instead of the 1440p resolution found on the larger models, and there's also a 10-megapixel main rear camera that's been moved to make it easier to shoot portrait-style video or photos.

Surface Pro 12 supports Copilot Plus PC features, including Recall and new Windows AI experiences.

Sales start on May 20, pre-orders are already open.