The new Surface Pro 8 is the biggest surprise of the Microsoft Surface event held recently. The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 brings significant changes to the Surface world, it comes with a great design, a 120Hz screen, new haptics, and a new Surface Pen.
You will unlock more possibilities than ever with the Pro 8 design. It’s the first consumer laptop-to-tablet PC based on the Intel Evo platform and designed to light up the best of Windows 11. It combines the power of a laptop with the flexibility of a tablet, and every angle in between, with the iconic Kickstand and detachable Keyboard.
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Design
The Pro 8 biggest change is the design, it is made of anodized aluminum but the look was updated so that it is a bit more sleek and modern. The bezels on the front have been slimmed down significantly so that the screen is 11% larger and 13 inches. You will still see bezels at the top of the device, however, for the webcam. A bottom bezel also lets the Type Cover rest on the device.
The kickstand of the Surface Pro is still there in Pro 8, this allows you to prop the device in your lap and extend it down to 165 degrees. The device itself comes in both graphite and platinum. The design of the Type Cover has also changed. It Keyboard now resembles the keyboard on the Surface Pro X. That means it has a slot for the Surface Slim Pen, allowing the pen to recharge wirelessly.
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Surface Pro 8 Display
Another significant change on the Surface Pro 8 is the display which rates from 60Hz to 120Hz. This technology is more popular on gaming laptops and has not really been found on any tablets or non-gaming laptops. The 60Hz to 120Hz display should be good for web browsing, as well as creative situations using the Surface Pen. Microsoft stated that the Pro 8 has GPU ink acceleration.
In addition, the resolution has been upgraded a bit to 2880 x 1920 (267 PPI). It is in the 3:2 aspect ratio, however, allowing you to see more vertical content. Microsoft highlighted that the display panel is 12.5% brighter over previous Surface devices.
Performance
The Surface Pro 8 comes with Intel’s latest 11th-gen Tiger Lake CPUs. These were first announced at CES in January 2020 and then landed inside the Surface Pro 7+, so it’s no surprise to see them in the Surface Pro 8.
The graphics performance in the Tiger Lake chips is double. Microsoft specifically mentioned that the Pro 8 is seeing 40% higher sustained CPU performance and 74% faster graphics sustained performance.
However, there is no Core i3 model of the Surface Pro 8 for consumers. You will only find it on the commercial version of the device. Processor options for consumers include the Intel Core i5-1135G7 and Intel Core i7-1185G7. Commercial units get the additional Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor and the Intel Core i5-1145G7 processor, as well as the same Core i7 as the consumer model. Regardless of which processor you pick, the device should stand up well for light gaming, video editing, and multitasking.
The Pro 8 comes with either 8GB, 16GB, or 32 GB of RAM. The SSD is user-replaceable and removable and comes in either 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB. You can as well add more storage if you want it.
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Portability
The Surface Pro 8 switches things up from the past when it comes to portability. It is 11.3 inches long, 0.37 inches thick, and weighs a little under 2 pounds. Talking of the battery life of Surface Pro 8, you can get up to 16 hours. It also detailed the advantages of Thunderbolt ports, which is a first for the Surface lineup. Thanks to the dual Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, you will be able to enjoy things like an external GPU, faster data transfer speeds, and support for dual monitors.
Other ports on the Pro 8 include a headphone jack and the proprietary Surface Connect port that can be used for charging. Microsoft mentioned you can get up to an 80% charge in an hour and there are no USB-A ports onboard this year.
Its webcams are 1080p, which should make you look a lot better during your video calls. The front webcam is 5 megapixels and the rear is 10 megapixels, supporting recording 4K video.
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Surface Slim Pen 2
This pen looks like the original Slim Pen but has some added benefits. You get to write, sketch, navigate and recharge with the same feeling you get with pen on paper5, with exceptional accuracy and a new storable design.
You will enjoy what is being called Tactile signals, and zero force inking, on the Surface Pro 8 with this pen. It uses haptics and vibrations to make the inking experience feel more like pen and paper.
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