A funny thing happened as we were evaluating the latest iteration of Microsoft's , a now iconic that the company describes as " " despite its tablet-first design. A rumor emerged suggesting would phase out its Surface line within the next couple of years.

Say hello to the Microsoft Surface 5. Ok, ok, so it's "the new Microsoft Surface Pro", rather than adopting the generational number format in its name. And that's quite possibly because this fifth-generation model looks suspiciously like its predecessor.

Refined design is its best yet; new keyboard (sold separately) makes for best typing experience yet; great screen resolution and brightness; plenty of power available - but fanless Core i5 is probably your best bet

Battery life still isn't great (not in the Core i7 model anyway - fanless Core i5 ought to be better in this regard); keyboard not included; can get mighty expensive - to the point a laptop might make more sense

The most noticeable difference between the old Surface Pro 4 and the new Surface Pro 2017 is the latter's improved battery life: more than 12 instead of 7 hours in our Wi-Fi test. No other contestant was able to get even close.

solid; classy design; noiseless; very good battery life (12 - 17 hours; decent camera with support for Windows Hello; very good microphone; bright display with good sRGB coverage; charges in 2 hours; very good performance in short bursts <2 minutes

significant throttling in sustained load scenarios; no USB Type-C; Signature Type Cover (2017) optional; Surface Pen (2017) optional; high price

Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) review: After a hiatus of almost two years Microsoft is returning to the form factor that originally defined the Surface line with a 2017 rendition of the Surface Pro.

Excellent software compatibility; Powerful hardware; Stunning screen; Versatile design

There's one word you will rarely hear from Microsoft when it talks about the new Surface Pro: "tablet". Yes, if you take off the Type Cover (or just don't buy it), the Surface Pro looks and feels very much like a tablet. But Microsoft doesn't want you to think of it like that.

After first windows update, the facial recognition function of the camera no longer working. Wasted a few days tried all the resolutions available online, no luck. It seems to be a known issue for a few years for the Intel image front camera. No definitive solution to it.

I really like the feel of the Surface Pro.

The new iteration of the Microsoft Surface Pro is a performance-oriented laptop replacement that impresses with close to 14 hours of battery life, a brilliant higher-than-full-HD screen, top-notch benchmark results, and excellent build quality.

Powerful Core i7 processor with Iris Plus graphics; Improved battery life, kickstand, keyboard cover, and Pen; Higher-than-full-HD screen resolution

Pricey; Type Cover and Pen sold separately; Lacks USB-C and Thunderbolt 3

Microsoft Surface Pro 7: The Surface Pro 7 is still a fine 2-in-1 but this is a disappointing update

Good value keyboard; Finally has USB Type-C; Tried and tested 2-in-1 design

Middling battery life; Core i7 model disappointing

After spending some time with the Surface Pro 7, we find ourselves somewhat conflicted. On one hand, it's not as impressive a technical showing as we were expecting; the new Ice Lake chip barely managed to match the Core i5 processor from last year's Surface Pro 6, and the battery life was similarly...

USB-C support

Disappointing battery life