The Surface Pro 9 is a pretty major launch in Microsoft’s hardware lineup, bringing some welcome upgrades and changes to its most popular Surface PC. The latest model is faster than before, and perhaps most importantly, it comes in brand-new colors for the first time in years. But in the age of hybrid work, there’s something else that’s very important, and that’s the webcam. The Surface Pro family has usually had great webcam quality, and the Surface Pro 9 is no exception.
The front-facing webcam on the Surface Pro 9 supports Full HD 1080p resolution, which is among the better cameras you can get today. Interestingly, the official list of specs no longer mentions that the full resolution of the sensor is 5MP, but that’s still the case. Additionally, on the Surface Pro 9 with 5G, there are also Windows Studio Effects. On the back, there’s a 10MP camera with support for up to 4K video, just as with previous models.
Windows Studio Effects (Surface Pro 9 with 5G)
One thing that’s worth talking about is specific to the Surface Pro 9 with 5G, and it’s all thanks to the Microsoft SQ3 processor. Being based on Arm technology, this processor includes a neural processing unit, or NPU, which handles specific AI-related workloads. This enables a suite of intelligent features for the camera and microphone on Windows 11, which are called Windows Studio Effects.
Windows Studio Effects include a few things. For the camera, there’s auto framing support, meaning you can move around in front of the camera and it will stay focused on your face. Then there’s also portrait blur, which creates a soft blur effect for the background, similar to a natural bokeh effect when using a traditional camera. The last one has been around for a while, and it’s called eye contact. Basically, it makes it so that when you’re looking at your screen, it looks like you’re actually looking directly at the camera, so others can feel like you’re paying full attention to them.
On the audio side, the NPU also enables Voice Clarity, which cuts out background noise so others can hear you clearly during calls and meetings.
Still need a better webcam?
While we’d argue the webcam on the Surface Pro 9 is good enough for almost everyone, there’s a chance you might want something even better. If you’re in the market for something like that, you probably want something specific with extremely high quality, and one of the best options around is the Dell UltraSharp 4K Webcam. It has a 4K Sony Starvis sensor optimized for low-lighting, plus features like auto framing and Windows Hello support.
- The Dell UltraSharp 4K webcam is a fantastic choice for online calls and meetings, with a 4K sensor and Windows Hello support.
If you need something even more specific, you may find the Insta360 Link we reviewed earlier this year interesting. It’s a very flexible camera with a fantastic 4K sensor, autofocus, and a gimbal that allows it to physically move to follow you around and make sure you’re in the frame.
If you haven’t yet, you can check out the Surface Pro 9 using the link below and choose the configuration you like. All configurations come with the same webcam hardware, but only 5G models of the Surface Pro 9 will support Windows Studio Effects. Alternatively, take a look at the best Windows tablets you can buy today if you want some different options.
- The Surface Pro 9 is a high-end tablet with two cameras for video calls and video recording. It also has a great display and high-end specs.
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