With such a similar exterior, it's no surprise that we find an identical opening procedure. Just as in the Surface Pro 4, we apply some iOpener heat, suction up the display, and slice through the adhesive with an opening pick.

We start looking for differences and pick out a whopper—Microsoft has traded away the removable blade SSD for a little more battery real estate. There goes the sole upgradeable feature from last year's model.

Additional, less-exciting differences include a more spidery heat sink design, four-cell instead of two-cell battery, and svelte new black color scheme.