New 'Signature' Type Cover Adds Style to Your Surface Pro 4

Heads up, Surface Pro 4 and 3 owners: Microsoft wants to bring a little more style and function to your tablet.

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 for aesthetics, the Surface Type Cover is "crafted in a stunning two-tone grey mélange style of Alcantara — a unique, proprietary material, sourced only in Italy," Microsoft said. Used in high-end fashion, automotive, and interior design products, Alcantara "ages beautifully, growing richer and darker over time, and is wonderfully soft to touch," the company added. That speckled gray color "pairs perfectly" with your Surface device.

Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 4 itself has a 12.3-inch touch-screen display and support for the company's stylus, the Surface Pen. It runs Windows 10 Pro, and is largely aimed at business users, though it also could appeal to consumers who want a tablet running a full version of Windows.

The Surface Pro 4 earned an excellent rating in PCMag's review as well as our esteemed Editors' Choice award for its "stellar display, snappy performance, and more than 10 hours of battery life." We noted that "with Windows 10, the Surface Pen, and optional Type Cover, it can replace your laptop."

For a closer look at the Surface Type Cover, check out the video below.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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