Surface Pro X Review: Looks Like A Laptop, Acts Like A Smartphone

Sponsored by dbrand. Get your Surface Pro X skins here: dbrand.com/mrmobile-pro-x
The Microsoft Surface Pro X is the Surface I’ve been asking for for the past seven years. But in a world of Chromebooks and iPads, does the Surface Pro X still have a place? The answer, as it turns out, depends on what you do for work … and just how connected you need to be. Join me as I try out a Qualcomm-powered Always Connected PC for the first time in too long, in MrMobile's Surface Pro X review!
[LINKS]
Microsoft Surface Pro X [Amazon]:
mrmobile.tech/1Nv
Microsoft Surface Pro X Review [Windows Central]:
www.windowscentral.com/surfac...
Should your next PC be an Always-Connected PC? [Windows Central]:
www.windowscentral.com/should...
Surface Pro X vs Surface Pro 7: Which Should You Buy? [Windows Central]
www.windowscentral.com/micros...
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[ABOUT MRMOBILE'S SURFACE PRO X REVIEW]
MrMobile's Surface Pro X Review was produced following three weeks with a Microsoft Surface Pro X review sample provided by Qualcomm. MrMobile does not produce paid or sponsored reviews; no company featured in this video was offered copy approval, and no compensation was requested or provided in exchange for this coverage. The lone sponsor of this video is dbrand.
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#microsoftsurface #surfaceprox #alwaysconnectedpc #pc #surface #surfaceprox #surfacepro7 #windows10 #windows #tablet #laptop #notebook

[@CaesarIII]

When using Chrome as the main browser (which is a cpu hog in itself already) on a WindowsOnARM machine like this the battery has to die that fast. Chrome runs via emulated x86/64 that way :(

[@Dr.S3psis]

Chrome isn't good anyways. Been using edge for months now loving it.

[@ravirajminawala9809]

Infact i use edge even on my android smartphone instead of chrome since almosr a year and its smooth and use lesser ram...

[@Dr.S3psis]

@@ravirajminawala9809 is it really good? how is it in comparison to firefox?

[@ravirajminawala9809]

@@Dr.S3psis i have not used firefox on android but on windows firefox sometimes crashes so use opera sometimes instead of edge i feel so, as opera is faster than edge in opening heavy website like phonearna or the verge...

[@fallinginthed33p]

Edge Chromium now has a beta build with ARM64 support. Chrome kills the battery on x86-64 and it's a nightmare when doing x86-ARM code translation.

[@troyrad]

Liked for “stayin’ alive”

[@sentoneYYC]

I really enjoy the script and video shoot of your reviews... it’s so fluid and organic, it goes beyond of what other channels do mechanically...

[@earthtaurus1004]

Michael, you forgot to mention the pen slot 😅. You can put the slim pen in the keyboard (slot accessed by pulling the keyboard forward) which also charges it via wireless charging.

[@bobandbobandbob6285]

Only available on one of the available keyboards.

[@LaskyLabs]

My hope is that Arm MacBooks will bring more software to windows arm.

[@Z9R.]

Sadly, macos and windows uses different programming languages. Macos uses Objective-C for apps. Whereas most windows app developers use C#, C++, Python, Java, JavaScript, PHP, Swift, Red-Lang, Go, and Object Pascal when programming apps. And there is no way to translate between languages without taking tons of time.

[@nerd2544]

@@Z9R. object pascal? da phuck?? also windows on arm is so bad that there's no chrome on it but the second m1 came out google made chrome for it 🤣 guess it maybe has to do with the fact that some folks at google ironically use macs

[@Z9R.]

@@nerd2544 I don't think arm on windows is a bad idea. Arm is known for being very effiient and powerful. As well as not creating that much heat. It also doesn't take that much power. The only problem with it on windows is app developers know that most people have either intel (which is IA-64) and amd (which is x86-64). Hardly any windows pc runs on arm64, which makes app developers not even want to waste time making an app that hardly anyone will use. Whereas you take the M1 (Which is arm64), app developers want to create apps for it because they know there's a huge market with that processor and operating system.

[@CrankThijsUp]

You should've at least tried the new ARM version of Chromium Edge. Chrome x86 obviously tanks battery life.

[@grownsimba8120]

Why is standard Chrome so resource heavy?

[@CrankThijsUp]

@@grownsimba8120 it's emulated on this Surface - so extra resource heavy - since it's not built for ARM processors (yet). New Edge is basically Chrome underneath but there is an ARM version available to use already.

[@koushikneriyanuri5420]

Surface pro 7 in the body of surface pro x(i’m fine with the thickness of the 7), a thunderbolt 3 port is all i could ever ask for on a surface, This isn’t the one.

[@jopparow]

Rounded corners wouldn't fit with the design language of Windows. IMO rounded corners look unprofessional and serves no purpose on a laptop.

[@Evie0133]

ooooooooooh this aged great with Windows 11 lol 😂

[@RafaelSolMaker]

Please test again with Edgium (Chormium-based Edge) compiled for ARM in the future, if possible and see the battery life impact! And... Keep the great work!

[@indrejeetmilwar]

2011: i want phone like computer 2019: i want laptop like phone

[@RichBordoni]

In all fairness, there are some good innovations that developed with smartphones that deserve to make their way back to more traditional devices. The action center (notification area) in Windows is a good example - much better than the old tooltip way of showing notifications in previous versions of Windows.

[@NoelCarson]

That ending few seconds is the reason I'm subscribed- n have notifications enabled, so I watch any tech review from you first

[@shawnspring4824]

Congrats on 850k subs Michael! And a great Nextel Easter egg all up in there too.

[@lukewilliams3334]

YOUR REVIEWS ARE THE BEST I LOVE THE CINEMATOGRAPHY!!!!

[@DarkDennis1961]

After using the Huawei matebook e for 2 years I'm looking for a new two in one. This one seems to check all the boxes. Microsoft Office is a deal-breaker so good. This might be the next laptop for me

[@jcd776]

Surface pro 7 is the same weight and size

[@iseptimus]

Just run Visio on it. Even 70% of MS own productivity apps don’t run on it natively. So why should anyone else’s?

[@cluberti]

It's neither the same weight ( although close) and not the same size (it is thinner with a larger display). Close, perhaps, but pretending they're the same is incorrect.

[@ClipsNSnips]

It does seem like choosing between this and the Surface Pro 7 could be a little difficult... I think this thing looks great, but I really think that you're going to get more bang for your buck with the Surface Pro 7.... My wife and I have a Surface Pro and a Surface Go and we LOVE them.... having a full Windows 10 computer everywhere we go is great... We always check the Microsoft Store for any software first, and even strongly consider if we can get by without whatever isn't in the store... we have installed a couple non-store things, but avoiding non-store stuff is going a looooong way in preserving the performance of our devices ;)

[@TheDeathmail]

But Microsoft Office can be used on any windows 10 PC... so how is it a deal breaker? And while there are a few advantages, Surface Pro 7 is actually the better product.

[@mattdecandia9607]

I've come to enjoy your reviews and appreciate the get to it black / white approach and you do a really good job of making cost a priority and impressing value and capability

[@huggekarlsson]

Best review I have sen this year! This was magic! Good work man!

[@djross95]

Great review, Michael, I've been waiting for this one!

[@ELJefeReviews]

This review was worth the wait! Happy Holidays brother! 🖖🏼

[@Nishith8]

Rounded corners?! Is this Microsoft or Google?

[@torchatlas8128]

Rounded corners, beyond a very small radius, wouldn't work very well on Windows.

[@moreliberty1]

Yeah, talk about a weird request. "I'd like to lose some pixels, please." No, thank you. I'd rather have the full reach of the display remain visible. Plus, frankly, rounded-corner displays just don't look as nice as a well-done sharp design aesthetic. Rounded looks too much like Play Skool or 1990s Ford interiors. The problem, if there is one, with the Surface Pro X design is that the corner of the device itself should not be quite so round, so that there's not as much contrast between the clean, sharp screen corner and the device's corner. Make the device's corner a bit sharper (not "ouch" sharp, but reduce the radius of the curve) and I think the overall look would be perfect.

[@Mark-uk8wz]

Rounded corners are visually appealing, they make the product look more seamless and modern

[@moreliberty1]

@@@Mark-uk8wz Funny, I feel the opposite. CRT displays had rounded corners. When we artificially obscure the corner pixels of a liquid crystal or OLED grid to replicate the rounded corners of a CRT, the result seems retro, not modern. It's an aesthetic that reminds me of childhood: both because old-fashioned displays were round but also because so many products made for small children are soft-touch and rounded, like Play Skool toys.

[@Mark-uk8wz]

@@moreliberty1 Everything in moderation, having a small round corner makes software and hardware look more ergonomic and less jagged

[@bassandtrebleclef]

Mr Mobile, thank you for providing another editorially independent review that gives us the bottom line of your thoughts. I'll say it again. Thank you!!!

[@crystalyzzed]

Profile picture is down. Great INTRO and excellent review!

[@branpurn]

Why would you run Chrome, *especially* Chrome compiled for x86, and expect good battery life?

[@askhowiknow5527]

Brandon Facts

[@ARVash]

@@askhowiknow5527 these are just facts, Firefox has an arm build, you get good battery life.

[@KylePetersonDmaster223]

Because most users use Chrome

[@ARVash]

@@KylePetersonDmaster223 nobody is confused about why they are using it, what we're confused about is why anyone thought it wouldn't have a huge impact on battery life.

[@johnnyirish9852]

@@KylePetersonDmaster223 The new Microsoft Edge coming out on January 15 has the Chrome engine, and is built for ARM. The ideal browser for such a device.

[@Dare2Blink]

The reason you didn't get 8 hours or more of use is because you are using chrome. Use edge's arm version and you will see a huge difference not only in batery life but also in performance. This device is perfect not only for business users but for most workers that use mainly office and a browser. Journalists, writers, managers, etc.

[@nljie]

Got it yesterday for my studies. Honestly one of the best laptop I've used in a while

[@gearupaaron]

Great review Michael, but for innovative tablet kickstands, don't forget the Yoga Tabs from Lenovo!

[@ericcharles7384]

"a bastion of corporate productivity" Your writing is excellent! Thanks for the review!

[@goblin003]

"What I really dislike is the square corners on the LCD". What?!!!!

[@hojomo]

Superb! Nuff said 😉 Happy Hols Michael 🎄

[@1337Superfly]

Gorgeous video mr. Fischer

[@teachonlywhatiseasy]

Pro tip: Use Edge arm64 if you intend to continue as daily driver

[@tiburonroano]

I'm still rocking my Surface Book gen 1 2015. Love it!

[@antoniovalencia2948]

Still on my surface go. It’s a great deal and for the price and as a student it does everything I need. It’s also the 4gb with 64 gb model. For gaming, I just run light games from the windows store so it’s amazing for me.

[@luispalm17]

Great Review. very clear to understand who need this computer. kudos.

[@DinoRodriguez]

I run my own [successful] business and have been operating it on G Suite with a Chrome Book Pixel LS and have never looked back at legacy Operating Systems. The term "Business Users" just gets thrown around without even thinking about what business users actually do to run their business and how G Suite on a Chromebook is absolutely more than sufficient, and yes, even for Business Power Users (another term that's just thrown around). But, great video as always Mr Mobile!

[@Designedbyalebanese]

Great review! Thanks for the video.

[@riopato2009]

AFAIK Chromium Edge is the best of both worlds when running Windows on Arm. It's like having Chrome but running natively.

[@DryPaperHammerBro]

There’s no dedicated ARM version.

[@riopato2009]

@@DryPaperHammerBro that's strange considering that my Lenovo yoga c630 is running chromium edge ever since it was available and it's windows in S mode.

[@nororlol4life819]

@@DryPaperHammerBro there is

[@DryPaperHammerBro]

Nororlol 4life It uses the x86 build.

[@nororlol4life819]

@@DryPaperHammerBro The canary build

[@momahmoud2289]

Someday you will be no 1 KZbinr, man you’re the best 🌹

[@HFTurbo]

Rounded corners ? No thank you!!!

[@Rocknium1]

Dafuq is wrong with mike's profil picture?

[@hotelbackdorr]

Im not the only one that has noticed that?

[@LuisMan123]

a lot of KZbinrs pfps are messed up, just look at for example mumbo jumbo's profile picture, he has the default one now for no reason

[@mohammaddiaah.5513]

Love the review, keep up!

[@DarkPa1adin]

This is the only review I need!

[@Mike_Hartman]

Macs work with Active Directory as well. And Microsoft has made most of its available (and pretty good) on iOS.

[@caferacer7667]

Im getting 14 hours battery on good days and 12 on normal. This includes working shift 8 hours intensive use. Also set my energy savings manually not default. The machine runs like a dream with office 365 and now waiting on Adobe to deliver 64bit on ARM.

[@FA7ALtheGOD]

Quality video, as always.

[@sonofage]

the way michael explains about the lack of apps and about a big dev 's famous app is around the corner, reminds me of some linux users, waiting for adobe on linux.

[@johnnyirish9852]

Try using a browser built for ARM like Firefox, or the new Edge with Chromium Engine. You will get considerable higher battery time, which will be enough to get you through the day.

[@BlueStarVisuals]

Did he get turmenated by google? somthing is wrong with his picture

[@PalmTree26]

Same with another tech reviewer I aw in my feed.

[@ORIOLESFan02]

I was just about to comment something similar :|

[@NewLondonMarshall]

I was going to say the same... hmmm

[@zues121510]

Before releasing this video I saw him talking about how youtube in general was stressing him out on Twitter. Check it out yourself.

[@nathan.d.c]

He's been locked out of his account

[@imicca]

5:50 really? My father was looking to upgrade and he just did not see reason to pay extra when you can get Surface Pro 7

[@imicca]

Imagine being PC and not being able to run PC apps

[@MasterHandFinalDestination]

Imagine getting an iPad instead of this will save you a lot of headache.

[@sathya5057]

@@MasterHandFinalDestination I rather have a fully fledged desktop os

[@MasterHandFinalDestination]

@@sathya5057 but it's not one.

[@slam5]

@@MasterHandFinalDestination remember windows rt for the first surface pro? this is one of those experiments that ms is doing. they probably won't sell many of them but they are experimenting with things.

[@WIImotionmasher]

What's worse, Windows 10 sucks. It has tremendous overhead and poor app support. So this device is not only limited, but kneecapped by its OS. If Microsoft just... invested in improving Windows 10, it'd be great. But they don't care. *edit* To be clear, I want Microsoft to be a successful competitor to Google and other tech companies in this space. But I feel like people don't acknowledge just how rough Windows 10 is on overhead.

[@diegothewizard6357]

Great content. Liked and subscribed

[@steven7465]

Run Edge chromium canary - it's basically chrome compiled for ARM

[@asifcra7839]

this is how review should be done🌹. answering who and why somebody needs it. not blabbing specs.

[@pranab9606]

When is the 7t review coming ? it's been over 1 month i believe

[@sudipchatterjee]

Very apt review! Bravo!

[@anthony3004]

Will you make a galaxy Book S review?

[@jorgenmalmo]

I wish I was close to Mr Mobile in doing reviewing on things 😀 That voice.. Omg 😀

[@NKBobcat]

I have a Surface Go2, a Surface Pro 7 and now I just got a Surface Pro X 16/256 SQ1 a week ago. I love it as it runs all my applications and the LTE connectivity is great! I got it because of that. It performs as well as my Pro 7 and better than the Go2 and now I'm going to sell them both.

[@Anggelos876]

How is this going? Does it run Microsoft Office natively? What apps have given you issues? How does Adobe acrobat work for you?

[@rahmansallehin]

The webcam and the sound it record; WOW!

[@virustwin]

Michael, I wanna see you hit that million

[@nesterdsouza]

Very Nice Review.

[@haseebkahn4811]

Oh my that skin look so good!

[@Camachosky]

Gotta love the swarm skin 😇

[@private679r.i.c.o4]

Yh looks clean

[@flybriur]

Hey Michael, try primarily using Microsoft's Edge Chromium Canary build, which has 64 bit ARM support (and is due out for regular release next month I believe) or Firefox, which also has 64 bit ARM support, and let us know how your battery life has been affected. Many Surface Pro X users have noticeable gains in battery life when using only a 64 bit ARM supported browser (since it does not need to do 32 bit emulation). You may then get closer to 8 hours of battery life, possibly even more.

[@andyH_England]

For consumers buy a Chromebook and a 7th generation laptop for the same cost as a Pro X and have a far superior user experience. The question is why pay more for the compromise of less? If you have disposable income as a second device then maybe, but again if you need a tablet the iPad Pro is far superior. Of course, if you are buying as it is the latest shiny new thing then it is your money, but that does not make it a sensible buy.

[@wolfie8012]

The iPad that you've been carrying out, is it the 11 or the 12.9 inches? How do you like it?

[@Crazcompart]

I draw, both with a pad and classic pen tools on both Adobe and Corel Platforms, so a Chromebook or "Light PC" type laptops are both out...I still have to carry around a "heavy hitter" for my needs....

[@newramzz]

Will there be a best of 2019 video bc that's what I've been waiting for

[@newramzz]

I guess not

[@prathisahrudh]

whoa what was that titanfall-ish wallpaper?

[@CFG-qv7hy]

Every place I've worked for has blocked the Microsoft Store and apps from day one, so I have no idea what the hell this is going to run in an enterprise environment.

[@vexorian]

Thanks for even mentioning the PixelBook Go. So many reviewers out there who bashed the Pixelbook Go for having EXACTLY THE SAME WEAKNESSES as this device and yet, when reviewing this device forgot that the Go even exists.

[@aarontelander]

Yes yes yes so ready for this review 😊

[@bladezero25]

Such a disappointment. The tablet PC I need still doesn't exist... I can't understand why nobody can get it right.

[@0ptimismPrime]

If you want to read Kindle Books on Windows tablets, your best bet is actually the kindle cloudreader progressive web app. You can pin that to your start menu as a pseudo-windows app via the new chromium edge.

[@andybyard1154]

Always thought the desktop Kindle was clunky on my Surface, this seems quite usable. Thanks for the tip

[@elijah4168]

I want one of these so bad, but I'm still confused about how nobody has ARM support on their laptops

[@tycron2375]

What happened to your profile picture?

[@christianjeremycalimlim8655]

I thought it's only me who noticed that. Hehe

[@ravikashyap5908]

Exactly?

[@solmas2111]

Mumbo jumbo a minecraft youtuber also had something similar happen lately

[@harshpherwani6590]

Looks like it got disabled or something? With the line against the man and all?

[@fardinzaman6631]

Same here

[@Wander1236]

The "always connected" thing would be nice if Windows didn't try to force it to normal laptops. My Inspiron 5482 has Connected Standby, and since it's an Intel processor with fans, it overheats if I put it in a bag. I've had to resort to just telling it to hibernate when I close the lid.

[@9lifes979]

Hey Michael, which one should you recommend me to buy, Google Pixel 4XL, or LG V50 5G. Thanks!

[@LegendaryMaoMao20]

How is the Surface Pro X holding up when it comes to application compatibility? Watching this again almost 3 years later

[@CEKROM]

1:03 Perfect music video =D

[@Engineere-Abshir]

Great review

[@ccroy2001]

I hope the architecture survives and w10 runs on it or a variation of w10 that runs any 64-bit program or app.. Right now when I spent my own money I got a Pro 7.

[@ImagineAS]

I am loving this device. Perfect combo with Surface Book 2 and galaxy note.

[@dastanabilev]

Michael is using standard SurfacePro keyboard. Does that mean that SPX and SP keyboards are interchangeable?

[@1blackbirrrd]

Wow I've had an iPad Pro 11 and I've literally never noticed the corners of the display were rounded lol, damn I feel oblivious.

[@1hard2findbro]

I guess you are deciding on another awesome profile pic?

[@kimalejandrino2968]

What's with MrMobile's profile photo? 🥺

[@GeekfromYorkshire]

For this last year I have had a Huawei Mediapad M5 10.8 LTE with pogo pin connected keyboard. It's biggest weakness is also battery life but a relatively cheap $20-40 an external USB battery more than doubles that and that battery recharges in 4-6 hours. LTE I thought cool idea but in reality when you're sat down to use a keyboard and nearly always there is WiFi and so rarely you'd tether off the phone. The monthly cost of a data line can be high, so high over 2 years it's a cost comparible to the device. A dual socket usb battery then helps keep the phone going. So overall in hindsight just get a Chromebook.

[@DakumaMusic]

I would buy one of these over a Chromebook, in fact I did. Love this tablet so much, Edge runs perfect, less Google is fine by me. Media consumption is fantastic on this device. And it’s gorgeous :).

[@abhisarbharti1920]

I think this is in itself a confused segment of products, a last generation ultrabook will have better performance, app support and similar battery life with comparable price tag. This makes sense if cellular support is must for you.

[@runrundave]

I dont need anything but Microsoft's suite. I would use it for field work and signature paperwork.

[@TheWolfHowling]

When I saw the X announced, I was tempted to buy it, even asking about pricing and availability on a retailer's post here in NZ about it. However, my excitement was dampened when it price was $1850 for the 8/128GB model, plus another $480 for the keyboard & pen. As I realized that I'm using my current laptop less and less, there's no way to justify such an expense

[@FrayAdjacentTX]

More laptop class PCs need a cellular connection. Having such in my XPS 13 would make it even perfect-er for me!

[@NL0Gwenster]

Only 6hrs ? eesh .. I really wonder if the LTE version of a regular surface Pro would also hit that (or do better? with the ice-lake in the SP7)

[@i.am.noah.]

Although I have no interest in buying this, I just love your videos. Keep up the great work.

[@masongalo1974]

What about using it for making and receiving calls? Can you video chat or have a video conference call without having to use Skype? Does it have a stylist pen?

[@LordShumway]

Wondering how the performance of the chip compares to others 🧐

[@vivekdas3583]

Mr. Nadella is going good... ✔️

[@SalmanMKC]

4:06 chrome is running 32 bit and not native ARM, try ARM64 Chromium Edge or ARM64 Firefox and you should see much better battery life

[@furiosa1203]

I don’t understand why they just get smaller bazils on the surface pro 7. It can still be thick like it is but that make it a lot better.

[@storm91229]

Couldn't help but notice your wallpaper! Leave a link Pleeeeeaaassse 😊😊😊😊

[@zacksstuff]

I'd love a Surface Pro 7 with an LTE chip, instead of the Pro X. Unfortunately they dropped LTE in the Surface Pro lineup after the Surface Pro 5.