Microsoft Surface Pro 4 Firmware Update Adds Surface Dial Support

by Brandon Hill — Friday, April 13, 2018, 10:36 AM EDT

When Microsoft first announced the Surface Studio all-in-one desktop back in late October 2016, we were amazed by its sleek design and zero-gravity hinge. However, it was an accessory for the PC that especially caught our attention: the Surface Dial. The Surface Dial is a radial input device that can be placed directly on the display and sprouts out a menu that can be used to adjust colors and ink thickness (among other things) in supported apps.

Microsoft has now announced that all of the Surface Dial goodness is being added to the Surface Pro 4 courtesy of a new firmware update. The support was initially due to arrive in early 2017, but encountered significant delays (as witnessed by its official release over year after it was originally expected).

Specifically, the firmware update provides the following driver updates to enable full Surface Dial integration:

Surface Digitizer Integration (2.0.313.0): enables on-screen support for Surface Dial
Surface Touch Firmware (105.0.106.8): enables on-screen support for Surface Dial and improves touch accuracy
Surface Dial Detection (2.0.2.0): enables on-screen support for Surface Dial
Surface Touch Servicing ML (1.0.821.0): enables on-screen support for Surface Dial and improves touch accuracy

The Surface Dial has an MSRP of $99.99, but is currently available from Amazon for $81.93. As for the Surface Pro 4, it was introduced back in October 2015 alongside the Surface Book. It features a 12.3-inch 2736x1824 PixelSense display and is powered by Intel Skylake processors. The Surface Pro 4 has since been superseded by the Surface Pro, which was launched in mid-2017.

Tags: Microsoft, (nasdaq:msft), surface pro 4, surface dial

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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