Microsoft · Surface
Surface Pro 12″ (1st Edition)
The 12-inch Surface Pro (1st Edition) is the smaller of Microsoft's two Surface Pro sizes, a Windows 11 tablet with a built-in kickstand, a Snapdragon X Plus, a 90 Hz 2196 × 1464 LCD and no fan, suited to students and travellers who want a light tablet that works as a laptop with a keyboard.
- Screen
- 12″
- Display
- LCD, 90 Hz
- Chip
- Snapdragon X Plus
- Memory
- 8 GB – 16 GB
- Storage
- 256 GB – 1 TB
- Weight
- 686 g
What reviewers say
Reviewers agree battery life is excellent and find the 12-inch Surface Pro light, well built and a capable entry-level Windows tablet. The common complaint is that the keyboard, which it needs, costs extra; Trusted Reviews and TechRadar noted some performance quirks and unconvincing AI features, while Expert Reviews praised the speakers but found storage sluggish.
From trustedreviews.com, expertreviews.co.uk and techradar.com
Specifications
Report a wrong or missing specDisplay
- Screen size
- 12″
- Resolution
- 2196 × 1464
- Sharpness
- 220 pixels per inch
- Panel
- LCD
- Refresh rate
- 90 Hz
- Brightness
- 400 nits
- Display type
- 12-inch PixelSense LCD, 3:2 aspect ratio; rounded corners, 12 inches measured as a rectangle
- Pixel density
- 220 ppi
- Brightness detail
- 400 nits maximum (typical); 1,200:1 contrast
- Display features
- Refresh rate up to 90 Hz (60 Hz by default); sRGB and Enhanced colour profiles; individually colour-calibrated; adaptive colour and contrast; 10-point multi-touch; strengthened glass
Performance
- Chip
- Snapdragon X Plus
- Memory
- 8 GB – 16 GB
- Storage
- 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB
- CPU
- Snapdragon X Plus with 8 cores (X1P-42-100); passively cooled, with no fan (Notebookcheck); LPDDR5x RAM; UFS storage on the motherboard (not removable)
- GPU
- Qualcomm Adreno GPU
- AI engine
- Qualcomm Hexagon NPU, 45 TOPS
Cameras
- Rear camera
- 10 MP
- Ultra wide camera
- None
- Front camera
- 2 MP
- Rear camera
- 10 MP Ultra HD
- Front camera
- Full HD (1080p) Surface Studio Camera, 2 MP (Notebookcheck); Windows Studio Effects (automatic framing, portrait blur, creative filters, eye contact, portrait light); separate Windows Hello face camera
- Video recording
- Up to 4K
Battery and connections
- Battery life (maker's claim)
- Up to 16 hours
- Battery capacity
- 38 Wh
- Mobile data option
- No
- Stylus
- Supported, sold separately
- Keyboard made for it
- Yes
- Battery life detail
- Up to 16 hours of local video playback or 12 hours of web use; 38 Wh nominal (37 Wh minimum)
- Charging
- USB-C, at least 27 W; fast charging with a 45 W or higher USB-C PD charger, up to 80% in about an hour; no charger in the UK box (Surface 45W USB-C Wall Charger sold separately)
- USB-C
- Two USB-C ports with USB 3.2, for charging, data and DisplayPort 1.4a; one external display up to 5120 × 2880 at 60 Hz, or two 4K displays at 60 Hz
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 7 (6 GHz band not available in all regions)
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.4, with Bluetooth LE Audio
- Stylus support
- Surface Slim Pen, sold separately; haptic feedback; Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP); stores and charges wirelessly on the back of the tablet
- Keyboards
- Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard only; the 13-inch Surface Pro keyboards aren't compatible
Design
- Weight
- 686 g
- Thickness
- 7.8 mm
- Height × width
- 274 × 190 mm
- Operating system
- Windows
- Biometrics
- Windows Hello face recognition
- Speakers
- 2 W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos
- Microphones
- Dual Studio Mics with enhanced voice focus
- Sensors
- Ambient colour sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer
- Materials
- Anodised aluminium; 82.9% recycled content in the enclosure, including 100% recycled aluminium alloy; kickstand with a 165° full-friction hinge
- Colours
- Platinum, Violet, Ocean (the UK Microsoft Store now sells Platinum only)
- Software at launch
- Windows 11 Home
- In the box
- Surface Pro, USB-C charging cable, Quick Start Guide, safety and warranty documents (no charger in the UK)
Storage options
| Storage | Memory |
|---|---|
| 256 GB | 8 GB |
| 256 GB | 16 GB |
| 512 GB | 16 GB |
| 1 TB | 16 GB |
Pros and cons
Pros
- 686 g and 7.8 mm thick, and passively cooled, so there's no fan noise
- Slim Pen stores and charges magnetically on the back
- Up to 16 hours of video playback
Cons
- Two USB 3.2 ports only, with no USB4 or Surface Connect
- The 8 GB model can't use Copilot+ PC features, which need 16 GB
- No charger in the UK box; keyboard and Slim Pen are sold separately
Closest rivals
Model | Screen | Display | Chip | Memory | Storage | Weight | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12.7″ | LCD, 144 Hz | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 | 16 GB | 256 GB | 640 g | Jan 2025 | |
| 12.1″ | LCD, 120 Hz | Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 | 8 GB | 256 GB | 525 g | May 2025 | |
| 12.1″ | LCD, 90 Hz | Dimensity 6400 | 8 GB | 256 GB | 530 g | Sept 2025 |
Sources
- microsoft.com/en-gb/store/configure/surface-pro-12-inch/8mzbmmcjzqv2
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/tech-specs/surface-pro-copilot-plus-pc-12inch…
- support.microsoft.com/en-gb/surface/models/surface-pro-12-inch-features
- blogs.windows.com/devices/2025/05/06/introducing-all-new-surface-copilot-pcs-th…
- blogs.windows.com/devices/2026/09/23/introducing-surface-pro-12-inch-and-surfac…
- support.microsoft.com/en-gb/surface/battery/surface-charging-requirements-and-p…
- support.microsoft.com/en-gb/surface/accessories/external-display/supported-exte…
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/service-guides/surface-pro-12in/surface-pro-1…
- microsoft.com/en-gb/store/b/buy-surface-pro
- notebookcheck.net/Finally-a-silent-Snapdragon-2-in-1-Microsoft-Surface-Pro-12-r…
Photo: cdn-dynmedia-1.microsoft.com