Today marks the end of support for the Surface Pro 7, Microsoft"s flagship 2-in-1 computer, released in October 2019. It no longer receives firmware and driver updates with fixes, performance enhancements, and other maintenance improvements.
Microsoft announced the seventh-generation Surface Pro 7 during a special event in New York on October 2, 2019. The tablet retained its original design with thick display bezels, the signature kickstand, a 3:2 display, and other design elements. The biggest change on the outside was the addition of a USB-C port.
The Surface Pro 7 received newer Intel processors. It jumped from 8th-generation chips found in the Surface Pro 6 to 10th-generation Ice Lake processors.
Besides refreshing the hardware and adding a USB-C port, Microsoft made the Surface Pro 7 more affordable than its predecessor by introducing a new entry-level Core i3 model with a puny and, to be honest, completely laughable even by 2019 standards, 4GB of RAM. The price tag of that variant was set at $750, which was only $150 cheaper than the one with a Core i5 and 8GB of RAM. Other memory and storage options remained the same, with Microsoft allowing users to spec the computer with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of non-user-removable SSD.
The Surface Pro 7 received favorable reviews, mostly due to its unchanged formula of an already solid Windows device. Reviewers, including Neowin, praised its performance, fantastic display, portability, and overall value. However, most users agreed that the Surface Pro 7"s design was dated with its thick bezels. The Surface Pro X, released alongside its Intel-based sibling, made the situation even worse thanks to its significantly more modern design.
Interestingly, despite launching only one month later than the Surface Pro 7, the Surface Pro X has a notably longer lifecycle. Microsoft plans to end its support on August 10, 2025.
In early 2021, Microsoft released the Surface Pro 7+, a business-focused version with newer processors, LTE, and some notable design changes, such as the ability to replace the built-in SSD. The Surface Pro 7+ kicked off Microsoft"s attempts to make its computers much more repair-friendly.
In September 2021, Microsoft replaced the Surface Pro 7 with the much sleeker Surface Pro 8.
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Although Microsoft no longer releases firmware updates for the Surface Pro 7, you can continue using it if you are happy with it. Also, your tablet will continue receiving Windows 10 and 11 security and feature updates, which do not depend on firmware updates and have separate lifecycles.