Surface Pro 1 vs. Surface Pro 6: Full specs comparison

The following is a comprehensive comparison of the Surface Pro 1 and Surface Pro 6 specifications, including details on CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

Surface Pro 1 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 1 is better than Surface Pro 6.

Upgradable storage

Surface Pro 1 comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that you can replace and upgrade in the future.

SlotsSurface Pro 1Surface Pro 6
M.2
Yes x1
Onboard

Surface Pro 6 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 6 is better than Surface Pro 1.

Much newer manufacturing

2018 vs. 2012

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-8650U inside Surface Pro 6 has a 281% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i5-3317U inside Surface Pro 1.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Surface Pro 6 - Intel Core i7-8650U
3,879
Surface Pro 6 - Intel Core i5-8350U
2,982
Surface Pro 6 - Intel Core i5-8250U
1,971
Surface Pro 1 - Intel Core i5-3317U
1,017
Supports larger memory

Surface Pro 6 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 6
16 GB
Surface Pro 1
4 GB
Supports faster memory

Surface Pro 6 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 6 - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz
Surface Pro 1 - DDR3
1,600 MHz
16% larger display

Surface Pro 6 has a 12.3-inch screen size 16% larger than the 10.6-inch Surface Pro 1.

Display size
Surface Pro 6
12.3-inch
Surface Pro 1
10.6-inch
About 16% lighter

Surface Pro 6 weighed 1.7 pounds, 16% lighter than the 2 pounds Surface Pro 1.

WeightSurface Pro 1Surface Pro 6
Pound
2 lbs.
1.7 lbs.
Kilogram
0.91 kg
0.77 kg

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
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
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
Surface Pro 6 Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB) - Newest Version (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB) - Newest Version (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$329.00
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB) - Newest Version (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB) - Newest Version (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$409.99
2019 Surface Pro 6 Business 12.3 Touchscreen (2736 x 1824) Latest Model Tablet PC | Intel Quad-Core i5-8350U | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD | Windows 10 Pro | Platinum (Renewed)
2019 Surface Pro 6 Business 12.3 Touchscreen (2736 x 1824) Latest Model Tablet PC | Intel Quad-Core i5-8350U | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD | Windows 10 Pro | Platinum (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$359.00

Availability

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 6
Released20122018
Release Date
  • Introduced: June 18, 2012
  • Not available for pre-ordered
  • Released: February 9, 2013
  • Introduced: October 2, 2018 (Microsoft October Event)
  • Pre-ordered: October 2, 2018
  • Released: October 16, 2018
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 6
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 7.9” x 0.33” (292 mm x 201 mm x 8.5 mm)
Width: 11.50” (292 mm)
Height: 7.9” (201 mm)
Thickness: 0.33” (8.5 mm)
Weight
  • 2 lbs (910 g)
  • Intel Core i5: 1.7 lbs (770 g)
  • Intel Core i7: 1.73 lbs (784 g)
Colors
Dark Titanium
Matte Black Platinum
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 6
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
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: designed together with Surface Pen
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch
  • Corning® Gorilla® Glass
  • 10nm Oleophobic Coating

Ports

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 6
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 6 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
  • 1 x Full-size USB 3.0
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
  • 1 x Surface Connect™
    Supports charging and docking station.
  • 1 x Headset jack
  • 1 x microSD™ card reader
  • 1 x Type Cover port

Internal Specs

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 6
Processor
  1. Intel® Core™ i5-3317U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.70 → 2.60 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 17W
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8250U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.60 → 3.40 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.70 → 3.60 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.90 → 4.20 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 15W
Integrated Graphics
  1. Intel® Core™ i5-3317U
    Intel® HD Graphics 4000
    16 Execution Units, 350 → 1.05 MHz
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8250U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  3. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
Memory
4GB
Dual Channel Memory
8GB 16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
Storage
64 GB 128 GB
SSD
128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
BGA PCIe SSD

Connectivity

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 6
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 4.1 technology

Battery

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 6
Size42 Wh45 Wh
Battery Life7-15 days of idle lifeUp to 13.5 hours of video playback
Power Supply
  • 48W proprietary power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Charger: 43W
  • 44W power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Connect: 39W

Software

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 6
OS
  • Windows 8 Pro
  • Upgradable Windows 10 Pro
  • For Consumer: Windows 10 Home
  • For Commercial: Windows 10 Pro
Free upgrade to Windows 11
Built-in AppsMicrosoft Office 30-days trialMicrosoft Office 365 30-days trial

Camera & Audio

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 6
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
  • 1.6W stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium

Misc

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 6
InkingSupports Surface Pen
1,024 levels of pressure
Wacom Active Pen technology
Can be attached to charging port
Included with purchase
Supports Surface Pen
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
Paper feel
0.1mm precision
magnetic storage
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
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 6
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
  • Commercial: Advanced Exchange warranty service with expedited device replacement
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 165 degrees
  • Magnetic attach for keyboard fold stability
  • Physical buttons: volumes, power

Key Features

Surface Pro 1Surface Pro 6
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 Late
2018
3:2 2.7K
12.3”
1824p 60Hz
Weight
1.7 lb
0.77 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-8650U
4C/8T, 1.90 → 4.20 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,106
Single Core
Geekbench 5
3,879
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 620
24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3
Surface Pro 6 Ports

Comments

Ask questions or share your thought and experience about the comparison between Surface Pro 1 and Surface Pro 6.

Loading Comments...