Microsoft Surface Pro 4 tablet gets a powerful upgrade (pictures)

Going head-to-head with Google and Apple's latest tablets, the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 impresses with significant upgrades to its performance and design.

Housing new Intel processors, the Surface Pro 4 is purportedly 30% faster than last year's model and 50% faster than the Apple MacBook Air.

It's not the thinnest tablet around, but it's the thinnest Microsoft Surface tablet to-date.

The base $899 model of the Surface Pro 4 will come with a Core m3 processor, 4GB of memory, and 128GB of solid-state storage, with the top-of-the-line $2,199 configuration stretching up to a Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD.

The updated keyboard cover is thinner, quieter to type on, has more space between keys and features a precision glass trackpad that's 40% larger.

The new stylus magnetically attaches to the side of the tablet. It has 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity, and Microsoft claims the battery will last a full year.

The stylus even includes an eraser on its end for correcting mistakes. You can also click and hold the eraser button on the top to activate Cortana, the Windows digital assistant.

Like all Microsoft Surface models before it, the Surface Pro 4 includes a built-in kickstand for easy use on a table or lap.

The Surface Pro 4 is an expensive tablet. But, if you're thinking of it as a laptop replacement, its powerful performance and sleek design might enough to sway you in its direction.

The starting price is $899 in the US, and the keyboard cover is still sold separately at $129. UK and Australian prices and availability weren't announced, but that converts to roughly £590 or AU$1,260 for the Surface Pro 4 itself, and £85 and AU$180 for the cover.