Microsoft has officially revealed the Surface Pro 8 hybrid PC, introducing a number of new features such as a 120Hz refresh rate, Thunderbolt 4 support and a new stylus called the Surface Slim Pen 2.
The convertible PC will also feature an 11th Gen Intel Core processor, which Microsoft claims offers 43% more compute power than its Surface Pro 7 predecessor.
Battery life is said to last up to 16 hours, while the graphics power has also been given a massive boost thanks to Intel Xe.
This Surface Pro 8 news is currently breaking, so we’ll be updating the rest of this article very soon.
Release date
The Surface Pro 8 will be available to buy on 5 October in the US, and on 28 October in the UK.
Pre-orders are open right now, so you don’t have to wait to reserve yourself a unit.
Price
The Surface Pro 8 has a starting price of £999/$1099.99, which gets you an i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD.
That cost can climb up to a whopping £2059 if you upgrade the processor to an i7 and storage to 1TB.
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Specs
Microsoft has confirmed the Surface Pro 8 will feature an 11th Generation Intel Core processor, which will apparently offer 43% more compute power than the previous Surface Pro 7.
This new chip will also apparently allow for a 16-hour battery life, while the Intel Xe integrated GPU will substantially boost the graphics performance.
Microsoft also revealed it will be upping the maximum RAM options to 32GB, further increasing the performance ceiling of this device.
=Thunderbolt 4 was also revealed to feature, increasing data transfer speeds and unlocking support for multiple external monitors.
Screen
The Surface Pro 8 will have a 13-inch touchscreen display, with a new 120Hz refresh rate. This should allow for smoother visuals, brining it up to speed with the visual quality offered by Apple’s iPads.
Having a high refresh rate is particularly beneficial when scrolling on a touchscreen, improving the tablet experience of this device.
Microsoft also confirmed the Surface Pro 8 will retain the same high 2736 x 1824 resolution as its predecessor, ensuring a sharper image for supported video. Sadly, Microsoft has not upgraded the LCD panel to an OLED or Mini LED, so it still doesn’t quite have the same quality as an iPad.
Design
The Surface Pro 8 will retain the same tablet form factor as preceding devices in the range, with an optional keyboard accessory allowing it to effortlessly convert into a makeshift laptop.
While Microsoft didn’t confirm this during the presentation, it does seem that the company has also squashed down the bezel of the hybrid PC to ensure a more modern-looking design.
Microsoft also announced a new stylus called the Surface Slim Pen 2. This new stylus features magnetic charging and custom silicon that allows the stylus to create tiny mechanical vibrations that simulate the feel of a pencil.
Microsoft didn’t reveal whether the stylus will be bundled with the Surface Pro 8 or will be an optional accessory like the Type Cover. The latter is the most likely, but we’ll make sure to update this article as soon as we find out.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
