Microsoft Surface Pro 4 Gets Beautiful New Type Cover

Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 has been a huge success. Now, it is about to get even more successful with the release of a new Type Cover. PCMag has the news.

“Redmond just launched the new Surface Type Cover, which should pair well with all your gray and black ensembles. The $159.99 cover features a QWERTY keyboard with spaced keys for comfortable typing, as well as a full row of function keys (F1 through F12) and dedicated buttons for Windows shortcuts, media controls, screen brightness, and a right-click button.”

As PCMag notes, the real difference between this and the other Type Cover devices is that the new one is crafted in a special two-tone grey style of Alcantara, which is sourced only in Italy. It is used in high-end fashion, automotive, and interior design products.

The new Surface Pro 4 Type Cover is causing quite a stir on Twitter.

IMO the Surface type cover signature edition ad is really nice. Not mocking or "scroogled" but instead just showing what's beautiful

— Tero Alhonen?? (@teroalhonen) April 13, 2016

Shiit – I need this cover!! Surface Pro 4 Signature Type Cover https://t.co/JYQ1dJK6DY via @MicrosoftStore

— Lennart Petersson @lennart@mastodonsweden.se (@lennpet) April 13, 2016

The Surface Pro 4, released in October of 2015, arrived to excellent reviews.

TechRadar gave the device four-and-a-half stars.

“Has Microsoft at last crafted a tablet that can reasonably, without considerable compromise, replace your laptop? Short of going back to the drawing board on the battery, this looks as close as it’s going to get,” claims the review.

TechRadar went on to add that the 3:2 aspect ratio is ideal for those who want the middle ground between a work device and a multimedia device. They also praised the new Type Cover, which has better keys and a much better trackpad. Digital Trends also gave the Pro 4 a near-perfect rating.

“The Surface Pro 4 is a microcosm of the change Microsoft is trying to spur inside its own walls. Time and time again, it missed the opportunity to leap on a new trend in consumer technology. But not with Surface. This time, Microsoft is a leader. It’s setting the trend. And unlike its new competitors, it’s had a few years to work out the kinks.”

Right after the good reviews came in, many users complained about video driver issues and poor battery life. Microsoft has offered several software updates to fix the problems. The video driver issue is in the past, but the poor battery life, at least relative to similar Windows 10 machines, still bothers some users. However, other users such as “Mrmobileperformance” on the Windows Central forums don’t expect the battery to last all day given the Surface Pro 4’s power.

“I can’t speak for anyone else, but I got my Surface Pro 4 because it offers good performance in a form factor I like…But seriously: Getting good performance out of any device will take a toll on the battery.”

It appears that the Intel Core i7 version of the Surface Pro 4 has more battery issues than the cheaper Intel Core i5 and Intel Core m3 (mobile) versions. The Surface Pro 5 will likely have a new Intel Kaby Lake 7th-generation processor that is made to be more powerful than the current 6th-generation processor, while adding more battery life at the same time.

Do you own a Surface Pro 4? If so, are you bothered by the Pro 4’s battery life? Let us know in the comments section.

[Photo via Daryl Deino]