Microsoft Surface Pro LTE (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB) Version

As I expected, the Surface Pro is a really decent solidly built tablet/laptop hybrid. Although the processor is pretty dated for 2019, the system runs fast and has enough horsepower not only for browsing and media but also for development. Screen quality is superb. I do need to boost the brightness a bit in sunlight though, but this is a common issue with pretty much all LCD based devices. LTE is really a killer feature for me. I no longer have to depend on WiFi or use mobile hotspot function on my phone (which drains battery fast) for internet access. LTE modem is really fast, I've seen real-life speeds of over 100mbps. Battery life however is mediocre. Unless you turn-down the brightness, battery only lasts 4-6 hours. Not really a big deal for me as I have a big 20800mah 15V capable power bank which enables me to use my Surface Pro for an entire day without a recharge. Another con is that to properly use the Surface Pro as a laptop, you will need a Type Cover which is rather pricey. If you plan to draw or take notes, you will probably also need a Pen as well which is another expensive add-on. My recommendation is if you don't need LTE, always get the latest Surface Pro model (which is 6 as of writing of this review). But if you do need LTE, this model is pretty much the only reasonable choice. To sum it up: Pros * Solid build quality * Powerful CPU (pretty dated for 2019 though) * Superb quality screen * LTE ! Cons * Mediocre battery life * Expensive add-ons

[writing in April 2022, after 1 year of ownership] This product truly exceeded my expectations. I was looking for a lightweight subnotebook with onboard cellular data. The latest generation Surface Pros with LTE data are $2K+. Then I found this Surface Pro 5 LTE (launched in 2018) and decided to give it a try. Product I received was truly new in box, with original shrink wrap. Device is also fully unlocked, so any carrier SIM will work for data (I use T-Mobile in US). Data support is only 4G/LTE (not 5G), however I found it works perfectly fine for my executive need for regular video calls on Teams, Webex, etc. This product was only ever available in one CPU and memory configuration (Core i5, 8GB), however performance is remarkably good. As I write this review after 1 year of ownership, I've not had any issues with running current Microsoft 365 applications + Slack + all latest video conferencing applications. Higher than normal camera resolutions make this a terrific device for video conferencing. Can't say enough about how pleased I've been with this product, and how it has exceeded my expectations.

My Surface Pro 4 purchased in 2017 less than 3 years ago failed. I left if plugged in day and night for over a year DID NOT KNOW once a month should have drained using on battery down to well under 50%. there is way to run battery report. Since new battery was fine for about 16 months, per the report, then it started dropping and 12 months later it will run on battery only about half hour AND cannot come back. Shows full charge but OKAY enough of that. Solution? but new screen and new battery and tools to remove the screen (will probably break so buy the screen up front) and about two hours later being ever so careful, you may have it back together with new battery. I may still spend about $200 and try that. BUT, I found this Surface Pro LTE which is very much the same as my SP4. the LTE version was made as ONLY 8mg ram, 256gb drive and with a built in LTE chip you can use to connect to one and maybe more telephone providers BUT IT ALSO HAS A SIM CARD SLOT so you can choose one of many different phone providers to get a SIM card from. Since I travel a lot, I know Verizon has best overall anywhere coverage, so I activated another phone line to my account and got a SIM from them. A few minutes after putting it in, I had LTE access. It is virtually instant upon start up. Adding to my account existing account was $20/month. I already have 3 phones plus a WiFi account with unlimited usage. Each device has first 15GB/month high speed LTE before each start to get throttled. So my new Surface Pro LTE is unlimited and if I get to 15GB, I will just start my phone up as a hot spot wifi and use its remaining high speed alotment for my Surface. YOU can find this Surface Pro LTE (Google it) as like new or refurbished or whatever they would call it but BEWARE because while it may have been checked by the seller or seller, the battery life once started up may not be 10 hours. research Command Prompt: Battery Report so you know how to check its history from first date it originally started up and over time usage event...all in one single report...will show its battey usage events and how long the battery lasted each time before it was plugged in. You might ask the supplier whether they can supply the battery report with its Usage, History, BIOS number, Serial number. for me, I would demand to see it before they ship it BUT AT LEAST they guarantee it is included in the box BECAUSE you want to see it before you power it up and get HIT with a huge restocking or NO YOU CANNOT RETURN IT problem. I am happy with this purchase. It was a rare find. It arrived new, never opened box, and I think already a few years old. Yes the battery was dead. Yes, it charged up full in a couple hours, Yes, I have run it on battery only now for about 7 days. Yes, it has been lasting all day for the usage for a period of time many different times a day. Today, first time, I used it most of the morning before closing lid (I have the add-on keyboard) so about 8 hours usage and I had to plug it in. About an hour later, plugged in not using it, I unplugged and started using again. it is 9 PM and time to end my busy day so I will plug it in over night. I will never again leave it plugged in 24/7/365 without going battery only for at least one full day a month. Use it or lose it.

This was everything I hoped it would be. I'm really quite happy with the LTE feature but wish I was able to upgrade it to 16gb of ram instead of the 8 max. And I wish I could put an i7 chip instead of the i5 but all and all, it treats me very well.

Edit: 5/13/2018 - I was not able to get the eSim working via Microsoft tech support so I made an appt at the Microsoft store. When I explained to them what had happened, they started to review their internal forums while I was in the store. I had a bit of an edge here as I work in IT and also purchase MS software for my business. Once they took a hard look at this, there have apparently been others with this same exact issue. If fact, the Microsoft offering for Transatel that would connect the eSim, is now currently being updated and not available for on demand purchase at this time. Also, I could not update my device to version 1803 which is the latest version of Windows 10. They actually worked on my device in the store with techs and compared it to a new Surface with the same specs. They applied the 1803 updates before we attempted to setup the eSim. Once we did this, all was good. They still do not know what caused this but have entered all of this info their internal system system so hopefully this helps others. On top of all this, even though I bought this on Amazon and not at the MS Store, they gave me a brand new unit which is now up and running fine. When I visited the store, I did not go in with high expectations but I will give them credit for working with me on this and giving me a new unit without the hassle. The personnel I worked with at the store were top notch. (Thanks Kasia) Hope this helps others. 5/6/2018- I bought this for travel and use of LTE. This device is the same as my Surface Pro which the new LTE unit is replacing but the LTE was what I was really after on this. They typical setup when new was the usual walk-thru so no issues there. The unit comes with two forms of LTE , and internal eSIM and a slot for external SIM Card. I setup the internal eSim that actually connects to a data plan you buy via Microsoft and Gemalto/Transatel for on-demand use. I was not after this plan but wanted to test the process. The payment goes thru Microsoft but the carrier is Transatel. It is not cheap and I would only use this when in a pinch. $13.99 for 1 gig for 15 days. This worked fine once I had tested it for an hour or so...then came the bad news. Overnight windows ran some updates on my surface and then the eSim was not working at any level. It had become locked and even though I re-entered the APN info and tried to setup the esim again.....no luck. I captured all of the diagnosis logs etc and will send them to Microsoft. On the plus side, I went to ATT today and got a sim for the external slot. The setup did not take long while at the store and we did run into a bit of a snag when entering the APN info but it turned out that one of the entries was a TYPO and once fixed, resolved the issue and I am now able to connect to ATT as needed. I was not really after the internal eSim and did not even know it had one when I ordered this but once I get this resolved, it is just a bonus. As for the rest of the surface, all works as expected.

hen attempting to use the cellular feature of this Surface Pro I discovered the cellular Sim chip is faulty. There is no way to contact the seller, Amazon has to be contacted. Return authorized but no exchange available, plenty available on the sellers sight. Used-Like New means the unit should fully functional. Big mistake on my part trusting this seller. not properly tested before selling.

Purchased this for college. It was amazing from the get-go. I also purchased a keyboard & pen. The pen isn’t a necessity but it was great to take notes with and wrote very smoothly. There are several note-taking apps you can download (some are already there). I love the versatility and being able to use it as a laptop or a tablet. The screen is amazing and doesn’t get scratched, like at all. It charges pretty quick, and you can choose 4 different settings for battery usage, from least amount of battery used to highest performance. I absolutely love this thing; it was definitely worth it.

Love this device. Bought it to work with Kensington SD7000 Surface Pro Dockingstation connected to a monitor as my workstation. When on the move just remove the Surface attach the Surface Pro Signature Type Cover and you got everything with you. Pros. The LTE is excellent, true hybrid (PC - Tablet), the collaboration with Kensington SD7000 and with all Surface accessories. Cons. No USB Type-C, no i7 option on LTE, expensive accessories (mouse, pen, keyboard).