Surface Pro 1 vs. Surface Pro 4: Full specs comparison

The following is a comprehensive comparison of the Surface Pro 1 and Surface Pro 4 specifications, including details on CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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Surface Pro 1 image

Surface Pro 1

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Surface Pro 4

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Surface Pro 1 Pros

We couldn't find any advantages of Surface Pro 1 over Surface Pro 4.

Surface Pro 4 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 4 is better than Surface Pro 1.

Significantly newer manufacturing

2015 vs. 2012

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-6650U inside Surface Pro 4 has a 72% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i5-3317U inside Surface Pro 1.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Surface Pro 4 - Intel Core i7-6650U
1,757
Surface Pro 4 - Intel Core i5-6300U
1,319
Surface Pro 4 - Intel Core m3-6Y30
1,058
Surface Pro 1 - Intel Core i5-3317U
1,017
Supports larger memory

Surface Pro 4 supports a larger memory capacity than the Surface Pro 1. It supports up to 16GB versus 4GB of system memory on the Surface Pro 1.

Max system memory size
Surface Pro 4
16 GB
Surface Pro 1
4 GB
Supports faster memory

Surface Pro 4 supports a faster memory speed than the Surface Pro 1. It supports up to 1866MHz versus 1600MHz of system memory on the Surface Pro 1.

Memory type and speed
Surface Pro 4 - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz
Surface Pro 1 - DDR3
1,600 MHz
16% larger display

Surface Pro 4 has a 12.3-inch screen size 16% larger than the 10.6-inch Surface Pro 1.

Display size
Surface Pro 4
12.3-inch
Surface Pro 1
10.6-inch
About 16% lighter

Surface Pro 4 weighed 1.69 pounds, 16% lighter than the 2 pounds Surface Pro 1.

WeightSurface Pro 1Surface Pro 4
Pound
2 lbs.
1.69 lbs.
Kilogram
0.91 kg
0.77 kg
Has one more port and slot

Surface Pro 4 has more ports and slots count than the Surface Pro 1. It has six versus five amount of ports and slots on the Surface Pro 1.

PortsSurface Pro 1Surface Pro 4
headphone jackNoYes
microSD card slotYesYes
Mini DisplayPortYesYes
Surface Charging ConnectorYesNo
Surface ConnectNoYes
Surface Touch/Type Cover ConnectorYesNo
Type Cover portNoYes
USB-AYesYes
Total56
Slightly more versatile connectivity

Surface Pro 4 has better versatile I/O connectivity than the Surface Pro 1. It has four versus three commonly used ports and slots on the Surface Pro 1.

PortsSurface Pro 1Surface Pro 4
microSD card slotYesYes
Mini DisplayPortYesYes
USB-AYesYes
headphone jackNoYes

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

Surface Pro 1 Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i7 Fast Processor for Multi-Tasking, 32GB Ram, 1TB Storage with Windows 11, Platinum Microsoft Copilot
 Microsoft Surface Pro 9, 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i7 Fast Processor for Multi-Tasking, 32GB Ram, 1TB Storage with Windows 11, Platinum Microsoft Copilot
By Microsoft
$2,049.99
$2,599.99 21% OFF
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Microsoft Surface Pro 9 with 5G LTE 13" 120Hz 2-In-1 Tablet, Microsoft SQ3, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Windows 11 Pro, Platinum
 Microsoft Surface Pro 9 with 5G LTE 13" 120Hz 2-In-1 Tablet, Microsoft SQ3, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Windows 11 Pro, Platinum
By Microsoft
$1,590.18
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Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (2022), 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i5 Fast Processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage with Windows 11, Copilot, Graphite (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (2022), 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i5 Fast Processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage with Windows 11, Copilot, Graphite (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$659.99
$749.99 12% OFF
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Surface Pro 4 Price
Latest Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (2736 x 1824) Tablet 6th Generation (Intel Core i5-6300U, 8GB Ram, 256GB SSD, Bluetooth, Dual Camera) Windows 10 Professional (Renewed)
 Latest Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (2736 x 1824) Tablet 6th Generation (Intel Core i5-6300U, 8GB Ram, 256GB SSD, Bluetooth, Dual Camera) Windows 10 Professional (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$299.00
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Microsoft Surface Pro 4; 256 GB, 8 GB RAM, Intel Core i5 (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 4; 256 GB, 8 GB RAM, Intel Core i5 (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$169.99
$209.99 19% OFF
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Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (Intel Core M, 4GB RAM, 128GB) with Windows 10 Anniversary Update (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (Intel Core M, 4GB RAM, 128GB) with Windows 10 Anniversary Update (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$224.00
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Specs Comparison

Availability

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 4
Released20122015
Release Date
  • Introduced: June 18, 2012
  • Not available for pre-ordered
  • Released: February 9, 2013
  • Introduced: October 7, 2015
  • Pre-ordered: October 7, 2015
  • Released: October 26, 2015
Pricing
  • Intel® Core™ i5
    • $899 - i5 | 4 GB | 64 GB
    • $999 - i5 | 4 GB | 128 GB
Starting at 899$
Generations

Exterior

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 4
Dimensions10.81” x 6.81” x 0.53” (275 mm x 173 mm x 13.46 mm)
Width: 10.81” (275 mm)
Height: 6.81” (173 mm)
Thickness: 0.53” (13.46 mm)
11.50” x 7.93” x 0.33” (292 mm x 201.42 mm x 8.4 mm)
Width: 11.50” (292 mm)
Height: 7.93” (201.42 mm)
Thickness: 0.33” (8.4 mm)
Weight
  • 2 lbs (910 g)
  • Intel Core m3: 1.69 lbs (766 g)
  • Intel Core i5 and i7: 1.73 lbs (786 g)
Colors
Dark Titanium
Silver
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Surface Type Cover
    • Not included
  • Keyboard:
    • Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys.
    • Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12).
    • 4 directional keys; Windows and Media Controls Keys.
  • Trackpad:
    • Two-finger multitouch gesture trackpad.
  • Surface Type Cover
    • Not included
    • Weight: 0.68 lb (310 g)
    • Dimension: 11.61 x 8.54 x 0.19 inches (295 mm x 216 mm x 5mm)
  • Keyboard:
    • Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys
    • Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12)
    • 4 directional keys; Windows, Brightness and Media Controls Keys;
    • LED backlighting
  • Trackpad:
    • Precision glass trackpad.
    • Trackpad size: 4 x 2 inches (101.6 mm x 50.8 mm)
    • Supports a five-finger multitouch gesture.

Display

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 4
Size10.6 Inches12.3 Inches
Info
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (2M Pixels)
  • Density: 208 PPI
  • ClearType Full HDDisplay
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Touch: 10 point multi-touch
  • Surface Pen support (1st Gen)
  • Resolution: 2736 x 1824 (5M Pixels)
  • Density: 267 PPI
  • PixelSense™ Display
  • Contrast ratio: 1300:1
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: designed together with Surface Pen
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch with GPU-based processing
  • 100 percent sRGB color, individually calibrated

Ports

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 4
Surface Pro 1 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left (1)
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.0 (5 Gbps)
Right (3)
  • 1 x microSD card slot
  • 1 x Surface Charging Connector
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Surface Touch/Type Cover Connector
Surface Pro 4 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left (1)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.0 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Charging, Docking Station
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Type Cover port
Under Kickstand (1)
  • 1 x microSD card slot

Internal Specs

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 4
Processor
  1. Intel® Core™ i5-3317U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.70 → 2.60 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 17W
  1. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-6Y30
    2 cores, 4 threads, 0.90 → 2.20 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W
  2. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6300U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.40 → 3.00 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6650U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.20 → 3.40 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 15W
Integrated Graphics
  1. Intel® Core™ i5-3317U
    Intel® HD Graphics 4000
    16 Execution Units, 350 → 1.05 MHz
  1. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-6Y30
    Intel® HD Graphics 515
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 850 MHz
  2. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6300U
    Intel® HD Graphics 520
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz
  3. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6650U
    Intel® Iris® Graphics 540
    48 Execution Units with 64 MB eDRAM side cache, 300 → 1050 MHz
Memory
4GB
Dual Channel Memory
4GB 8GB 16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
Storage
64 GB 128 GB
SSD
128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
PCIe NVMe SSD

Connectivity

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 4
Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 4: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n compatible.
  • Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.0 technology
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.0 technology

Battery

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 4
Size42 Wh38.2 Wh
Battery Life7-15 days of idle lifeUp to 9 hours of video playback
Power Supply
  • 48W proprietary power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Charger: 43W
  • 36W proprietary power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Connect: 31W

Software

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 4
OS
  • Windows 8 Pro
  • Upgradable Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Pro
Built-in AppsMicrosoft Office 30-days trialMicrosoft Office 30-days trial

Camera & Audio

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 4
Camera
  • 720p HD LifeCam front-facing camera with TrueColor Technology
  • 720p HD LifeCam rear-facing camera with TrueColor Technology
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD video
Audio
  • Single microphone
  • Stereo speakers
  • Dual microphones
  • Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio

Misc

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 4
InkingSupports Surface Pen
1,024 levels of pressure
Wacom Active Pen technology
Can be attached to charging port
Included with purchase
Supports Surface Pen
1024 levels of pressure
magnetic storage
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
Security-
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
In the box
  • Surface Pro (1st Gen)
  • Surface Pro Pen
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
  • Surface Pro 4
  • Surface Pen
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
More
  • Casing: VaporMg
  • Kickstand: 1 position at 22°
  • Physical buttons: volumes, power
  • Mechanical features: Signature unibody magnesium design with hidden perimeter venting
  • Kickstand with a full-friction multiposition hinge to 150 degrees
  • Magnetic attach for keyboard fold stability
  • Physical buttons: volumes, power

Key Features

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 4
At Glance
Released in Mid
2012
16:9 FHD
10.6”
1080p 60Hz
Weight
2 lb
0.91 kg
Powered By
Intel Core i5-3317U
2C/4T, 1.70 → 2.60 GHz
Geekbench 5
460
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,017
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics 4000
16 Execution Units, 350 → 1.05 MHz
4GB
1600 MHz DDR3
Surface Pro 1 Ports
Released in Mid
2015
3:2 2.7K
12.3”
1824p 60Hz
Weight
1.69 lb
0.77 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-6650U
2C/4T, 2.20 → 3.40 GHz
Geekbench 5
764
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,757
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Graphics 540
48 Execution Units with 64 MB eDRAM side cache, 300 → 1050 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3
Surface Pro 4 Ports

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