The Microsoft Surface Pro 10 was curiously not included in Microsoft's list of new products for 2023, which is especially true given Microsoft's Surface and AI event on March 21

This could be a great deal for Microsoft, as the Surface Pro line has been stagnant for years; the Surface Pro is one of the best tablets on the market if you want a Windows 11 slate for basic work and play, but over the last few years, it has been overpriced (depending on your needs) and underpowered The fact that you have to pay extra for the removable Surface Pro keyboard only further diminishes the value

The introduction of the Surface Pro 9 in September 2023 (pictured throughout this article) brought some business-oriented improvements to this product line However, there is still much Microsoft can do to make the Surface Pro 10 a killer Windows tablet

Fortunately, we have heard some credible reports that Microsoft may make some improvements to the Surface Pro for a mid-2024 debut Here is everything worth knowing about Microsoft's potential Surface Pro 10

Microsoft has yet to confirm its plans for a Surface Pro 10 release or reveal pricing information, so we can only rely on educated guesses and rumors

The folks at Windows Central claim to have heard from reliable sources that Microsoft plans to release the Surface Pro 10 in the spring of 2024 and that it will be powered by an Intel or Qualcomm chip [Considering that Microsoft did not announce the new Surface Pro 10 at the Microsoft Surface event in New York in September 2023, when the Surface Laptop Go 3 and Surface Laptop Studio 2 were announced, this is quite credible

Therefore, we are still waiting for a sequel to the Surface Pro 9, which was priced at $999 when it debuted in October 2022 If the new Surface Pro 10 will have two different chips (Intel and Qualcomm), as rumored, it will likely start at about the same price, although a slight discount may be offered on the Qualcomm model

The Surface Pro 10 will likely look and feel like the Surface Pro 9

The Surface Pro 10 is also likely to have a similar aluminum body with a kickstand on the back for watching movies and getting a detachable keyboard (which, historically sadly, is sold separately rather than bundled with the Surface Pro) that It can be used to support you when typing

But while much is expected to remain the same between the Surface Pro 9 and Surface Pro 10, we'd love to see Microsoft radically update the design, and Windows Central is pleased to report that Microsoft has announced that the Surface Pro 10 updated, claiming that Microsoft may be working on exactly that in the form of reports that the display will have rounded corners, a webcam with wider viewing angles, and possibly new color options

The Surface Pro 9 was available in Platinum, Graphite, Sapphire, and Forest, so we expect the Surface Pro 10 to come in even more interesting colors

Like its predecessor, the Surface Pro 9 featured a 13-inch (2,880 X 1,920) 120Hz touch display with a 3:2 aspect ratio According to sources familiar with Microsoft's plans, the Surface Pro 10 will feature a brighter, less reflective OLED display and a new ultra-wide-angle front-facing webcam enhanced with AI Studio Effects and a built-in NFC reader [According to Windows Central, Microsoft may include a display with HDR support on the Surface Pro 10 We have also heard that Microsoft may be considering selling the Surface Pro 10 with several display options, including one with a lower resolution than the 2,880 X 1,920 pixels that the current Surface Pro displays

If this is true, expect the lower-resolution Surface Pro to be reduced in price

The Surface Pro has only had a handful of USB ports so far, and the Surface Pro 10 is unlikely to do so either However, Windows Central reports that Microsoft may sell the Surface Pro 10 with an optional NFC reader for business customers

Also, if Microsoft sells the Surface Pro 10 with an Intel or Qualcomm chip, the ports on it will likely be different; only Intel supports Thunderbolt 4, so that model of the Surface Pro 10 is expected to have a USB4/Thunderbolt 4 port, while the Qualcomm-equipped model will likely have an older, less capable USB-C 32 port

However, Qualcomm-equipped models will also likely have a nano SIM slot, like the one on the previous Surface Pro, which will be available for 5G for a fee

Microsoft's Surface Pro 10 will almost certainly outperform its predecessor, as Microsoft will likely ship with either the new Intel Meteor Lake CPU or Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X Elite chip and will offer significant performance gains

In an exclusive interview with Qualcomm CMO Dom McGuire, he indicated quite strongly that the Snapdragon X Elite could be the first to be included in the upcoming Surface Pro 10

Both chips are being touted as AI powerhouses, and we are eagerly awaiting more "AI" software and services that can take advantage of these chips It is also possible that the Surface Pro 10 will surpass the 10-hour battery life recorded by the Surface Pro 9

Even if these new chips disappoint in terms of AI potential, the Surface Pro 9 was running on the outdated (even then) 12th generation Intel Alder Lake chip, so it should have no problem delivering significant performance gains Assuming Microsoft does not make the same mistake again and does not use outdated chips, a Surface Pro 10 with significantly improved performance could be brought to market

The Surface Pro line is good in its own right, but it is hard to recommend for years; the suggested price of over $1,000 is higher than the best inexpensive tablets and harder to recommend as a basic productivity device than the best laptops under $500

But it's not as powerful, pretty, or long-lasting as the iPad Pro and other best tablets; the only thing that makes the Surface Pros stand out is Windows, and Windows 11 is the most touch-friendly Windows, but it is not worth enough to make Surface Pros stand out

Microsoft could change all that with Surface Pro 10 Especially if it can lean into the "AI PC" angle and surprise us with useful and innovative applications for the AI-optimized chip rumored to be in the 2024 Surface tablet The question is, will it happen?

We'll just have to wait and see