I travel a lot for customer meetings, workshops and conferences, and I speak at events. Over the years I’ve learned that the device in your bag makes a big difference. I recently got the Microsoft Surface Pro 12-inch, and it quickly became one of my favourite devices. It’s the entry-level Surface Pro and doesn’t get much attention, but I think it’s one of the most underrated Windows devices for anyone who works on the road.
What I was looking for
My main machine is my Surface Laptop Ultra. It’s a powerhouse, but I don’t always want to carry it around a conference venue all day. I wanted a second device that ticks these boxes:
- A light and small Windows 11 device that is still powerful enough for real work
- A touch screen with pen support
- Doesn’t take up a lot of space in my bag or on a tray table
- Full access to all my Windows apps, with no compromises
- Great battery life and great performance
- A companion to my Surface Laptop Ultra, not a replacement
Light enough to forget it’s in your bag
The weight is the first thing you notice. The Wi-Fi model weighs 1.5 lbs (686 g), about 200 grams less than the 13-inch Surface Pro at 0.89 kg. That may not sound like much, but you feel it after a long conference day. It’s light enough to hold in one hand like a real tablet. The screen is still big enough to get real work done. Also, it weighs about half as much as a 13.8-inch Surface Laptop, and even with the keyboard attached, it’s roughly half the weight of my Surface Laptop Ultra.
It’s also fanless, so it’s completely silent. That’s great when you’re taking notes in a quiet keynote or a customer meeting.
Of course, the 13-inch Surface Pro has its advantages. It has a larger screen, the option of an OLED display, the Snapdragon® X2 Elite processor and a faster removable 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB Gen 4 solid-state drive. For my travel scenarios, though, portability and weight matter more.
Snappy performance from a small device
Smaller devices used to have one big problem: they looked great on paper but felt underpowered in daily use. That’s no longer the case. With the Snapdragon X2 Plus, the Surface Pro 12-inch feels really snappy. It handles Teams calls, Outlook, PowerPoint, a browser with far too many tabs open and Copilot without breaking a sweat. It’s simply a good Windows 11 machine with full access to all my apps.
Pen, touch and the famous kickstand
The Surface kickstand is still one of my favourite features. It works on a plane tray table, a conference table, or wherever I happen to be working. I also use the Surface Pen a lot. It’s great for whiteboarding, taking notes and sketching architecture diagrams during customer workshops. Drawing a diagram with a pen just feels more natural than doing it with a mouse.
Battery life that just keeps going
Battery life is great, and standby is even better. The battery holds almost forever in standby. I can leave it in my bag for days, open it, and it’s ready to go. It charges over USB-C, so I can share chargers with my other devices and pack one less cable. It doesn’t have many ports, but I don’t need them on an ultra-portable device like this.
The details that make it feel premium
- Keyboard: The Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard is high quality and feels great to type on.
- Screen: It’s good. It’s a bit glossy, but that’s fine for me.
- Audio: It’s very good, which matters for all those Teams calls.
- Integration: It fits right into my work environment with Teams, Copilot and Microsoft 365.
- Build quality: It’s fantastic. Everything feels super premium, and I love the design.
One device or two: my travel setup
What I like most is the flexibility. For short trips and conferences, I just take the Surface Pro 12-inch. When I need more horsepower, I take both devices. The 12-inch is so small and light that carrying both is no problem at all.
Conclusion
I think Surface Pro devices with Snapdragon processors deserve much more credit than they get, and the 12-inch model is ideal for mobile scenarios. Yes, it’s the entry-level Surface Pro, and the higher-end models give you more capabilities and features. For me, it’s all about portability and weight, and on those two points the Surface Pro 12-inch is a real hidden gem.
What does your travel setup look like? Let me know in the comments.
Disclaimer: I work at Microsoft, but this post reflects my personal experience and opinion.
