Microsoft Surface Pro 4 announced with 12.3-inch display and Skylake processor, pre-orders start tomorrow from $899, shipping October 26
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 announced with new Surface Pen, starts at $899 — This year, Microsoft's Surface Pro has been flattered by the introduction …
Context & Ripple Effects
The 2017 Surface Pro refresh and the Surface Pro 7's split into Intel and ARM versions show where this line ends up, but in October 2015 Microsoft is still firmly on Intel silicon: the Surface Pro 4 is a Skylake-powered refinement of the same 12.3-inch convertible formula introduced two generations earlier, now paired with a redesigned Surface Pen. At $899 to start, it holds the premium pricing of its predecessors while shipping just ahead of the holiday quarter.
First-order effects
- Buyers can pre-order from tomorrow at $899, with units shipping October 26 — putting the new Skylake hardware on shelves before the year-end buying season.
- The redesigned Surface Pen ships alongside the tablet, making pen input a headline feature rather than an optional afterthought.
Second-order effects
- The entry price stays high here but erodes over subsequent generations — down to $749 by the Surface Pro 7 — signaling sustained price pressure on the base configuration as the line matures.
- Sticking with Skylake keeps the Surface Pro dependent on Intel's cadence, which later coverage shows Microsoft hedging against by adding ARM variants to the lineup.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern in the coverage holds — Intel-only, then dual-silicon, then a dedicated ARM model, and finally the fan-less ARM Surface Pro 12 — the Surface Pro's long arc is a migration away from x86 entirely, with Microsoft using each generation to test how far ARM Windows can stretch.
- The recurring pairing of a new pen and keyboard accessories with each Pro generation points to peripherals becoming a durable attach-rate business layered on top of the tablet itself.
The trend: The Surface Pro is one data point in Microsoft's decade-long walk from an Intel-based premium convertible toward a fan-less, ARM-first tablet line.