What you need to know
- The Surface Pro 8 is official with a design just like the Surface Pro X.
- It has a new 13-inch 120Hz display and two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports.
- Pricing starts at $1,099 and is expected to ship October 5.
Microsoft has announced the next generation of its mainline Surface Pro device, dubbed the Surface Pro 8, which finally closer aligns its design with the now two-year old Surface Pro X. Featuring 11th-Gen Intel chips, the Surface Pro 8 has a 13-inch 120hz display and support for the Surface Pro X Type Cover's with Surface Slim Pen charging built-in.
The overall form factor of the Surface Pro 8 can be described as a slightly thicker Surface Pro X with an added vent around the top to help with cooling those hotter Intel chips, and a headphone jack. Microsoft says this is the biggest update to the main Surface Pro line since the Surface Pro 3, as it now finally adopts the much more modern design language that the Surface Pro X is already rocking.
Just like the Surface Pro X, Microsoft has updated the ports from one USB-A and one USB-C to two USB-C ports. And for the first time, the USB-C ports are now Thunderbolt 4 enabled. Surface Connect remains for those who prefer charging with Microsoft's magnetic charging solution. It can be had with 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of SSD storage.
| Category | Surface Pro 8 |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 11 Home Windows 11 Pro (commercial) Windows 10 Pro (commercial) |
| Processor | Consumer: 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 Core i7-1185G7 Commercial: 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 Core i5-1145G7 Core i7-1185G7 |
| RAM | 8GB, 16GB, 32GB LPDDR4x |
| Graphics | Intel UHD (i3) Intel Iris Xe (i5, i7) |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB SSD (Wi-Fi, LTE) 512GB, 1TB SSD (Wi-Fi) |
| Display | 13 inches 2880x1920 267 PPI 3:2 aspect ratio Up to 120Hz (60Hz default) Touch |
| Ports | Two Thunderbolt 4 Surface Connect 3.5mm audio |
| Audio | Dual 2W stereo speakers Dolby Atmos Dual far-field studio mics |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.1 Snapdragon X20 LTE eSIM support |
| Camera | IR camera Front-facing 5MP (1080p) Rear-facing 10MP (1080p, 4K) |
| Keyboard | Surface Pro Signature keyboard Not included |
| Touchpad | Precision |
| Pen | Surface Slim Pen 2 Not included |
| Security | TPM 2.0 IR camera |
| Battery | Up to 16 hours |
| Dimensions | 11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37 inches (287mm x 208.3mm x 9.4mm) |
| Weight | 1.96 pounds (891g) |
| Color | Platinum Graphite |
The big upgrade on Surface Pro 8 that the Surface Pro X sadly misses out on is with the display, which is now 13-inches in size with a high refresh rate of 120Hz. This upgraded display will make using the Surface Pro 8 feel very fast and fluid thanks to Windows 11's new smooth animations.
Microsoft is also introducing a new Surface Slim Pen 2 with haptics, which works with the new Surface Pro 8. The Slim Pen can be stored and charged via the new Surface Pro Type Covers, which are just the Surface Pro X Type Covers which are now cross compatible with the Surface Pro 8. The Type Covers have also been updated with the new Windows 11 logo on the Start button to keep things consistent.
Microsoft is adding LTE to the Surface Pro 8 too, which is now also available with an i7 configuration, a first for the Surface line. Pre-orders for the Surface Pro 8 are open now, with prices starting at $1,099. Pricing and availability is as follows:
| SKU | Price |
|---|---|
| Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB Storage | $1,099.99 |
| Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage | $1,199.99 |
| Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB Storage | $1,399.99 |
| Intel Core i5, 16GB RAM, 256GB Storage | $1,399.99 |
| Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 256GB Storage | $1,599.99 |
| Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage | $1,899.99 |
| Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage | $2,199.99 |
| Intel Core i7, 32GBR AM, 1TB Storage | $2,599.99 |
Surface Pro 8 is expected to begin shipping on October 5 in the following markets:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Canada
- Austria
- Germany
- Ireland
- Switzerland
- France
- Japan
Updated design, same 2-in-1 form factor.
The Surface Pro 8 finally adopts the modern design that Microsoft first introduced with Surface Pro X, now with two USB-C ports that are Thunderbolt 4 enabled, an upgraded 13-inch display with a high-refresh rate of 120Hz, and support for the Surface Pro X style Type Covers with the Slim Pen charging cradle.
