Surface Pro 8 review

Surface Pro 8 review: 120 Hz screen, more battery, and more power

"The Surface Pro 8 is a tablet with a great screen, good size, and optimal battery."

Pros

Good design
120 Hz display
Thunderbolt 4 ports
Battery

Cons

Only two ports
Keyboard sold separately
High price compared to Surface Laptop 4

The Surface Pro 8 is one of Microsoft’s biggest hybrid device redesigns in at least six years. The external changes are big relative to the Surface Pro 7, which had more bezels, and we even gained a new color, but will its internal changes be big too?

Surface Pro 8 Features

13-inch touch screen, 120 Hz refresh rate.
Eleventh generation Intel Core processor (i5 and i7).
8, 16 and 32 GB RAM.
128, 256 (SSD) or 512 GB storage options, even 1 TB.
2 Thunderbolt 4 ports.
Rest base included in the design.
Includes Windows Hello with facial recognition.
Weight of 891 grams.
Compatible with Microsoft Pen.
Battery life of up to 16 hours.
3.5mm headphone jack port.
Surface Connect port.
Port for Surface Type Cover.
Compatible with Surface Dial.
5 MP front camera with Full HD video.
10 MP rear camera with autofocus, 4K video.
Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth.
Graphite and platinum colors.

The main differences between the Surface Pro 7 and the Surface Pro 8 aren’t just aesthetic. On the one hand, the new model includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports that we did not have before, the screen can double its refresh rate from 60 to 120 Hz, and the Intel Core 11 processor is included that, instead of starting at i3, starts at i5.

In addition, the screen is larger (from 12.3 inches to 13 inches), although with other changes that I will tell you about later. Also, the base RAM is higher, as is the battery.

The Surface Pro 8 includes some cosmetic changes, especially to the panel, which the company increased by 11 percent, but also reduced the bezels and made this screen brighter.

The 13-inch display also has a 120 Hz refresh rate, which you must activate since it is 60 Hz by default.

In the tests, we noticed that the screen was more fluid when activating the 120 Hz option, but also that the battery was draining a bit faster than we would like. More battery details shortly.

Something I like is that thanks to Windows 11, we can control the appearance much better, and in this new panel, the customization of the color makes the dark tones look very good, either while browsing in Edge, watching a series on Netflix, or playing games. In the new Xbox application for PC (included in the package in Windows 11).

Another important fact is that the screen’s surface offers a good tactile response if you use the pen accessory. It feels very smooth for taking notes or drawing, so this tablet takes another point here.

Incidentally, the new graphite color of the Surface Pro 8 looks great, even in photos.

Better performance on the Surface Pro 8

The Surface Pro 8 arrives with internal improvements compared to its predecessor, which is noticeable in its performance. This device went from two to four cores under the infrastructure of the eleventh generation of Intel, both for the i5 and i7 versions, since unlike the Pro 7, this device does not come with Core i3, which is striking.

RAM is also evolving this year: the base is 8GB, with 16GB and 32GB options. This configuration is practically identical to that of the Surface Laptop 4, although with some differences in the graphics options.

To give you an idea, the initial configuration of the Surface Pro 8 with Intel Core i5 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage is priced at $ 1,099, about $ 100 more than the most basic configuration of the Surface 4 Laptop. With AMD Ryzen 5 processor and 256 GB of RAM, but of course, for tastes, the colors. In short, they are devices with a few other differences.

In performance, four cores ensure extra efficiency to avoid bottlenecks when multitasking. According to Microsoft, this device has 40 percent better CPU performance and 74 percent faster graphics, and while we couldn’t account for those exact percentages, it feels speedy in everyday tasks.

Also, the Thunderbolt 4 ports will be perfect for those who want to add external GPUs or a monitor.
The battery is better on the Surface Pro 8, too.

Something that Microsoft also improved was the bacteria. While the Pro 7 had a duration of 10.5 hours, this can give up to 16 (it can vary if you activate 120 Hz on the screen and will always depend on the use you give it and the peripherals you have connected without plugging it in). Everything seems to indicate that Microsoft took a step forward after criticism of its previous device.

New accessories

With the Surface Pro 8 and Surface Pro X, Microsoft released a new Alcantara keyboard, including the new Slim Pen 2, for $ 179. We liked the glass panel to move the pointer on the screen, its smoothness for writing, and that you can not only store the Slim Pen 2 but also load it automatically.

Microsoft also released the new Ocean Plastic Mouse, the shell of which is made from 20 percent recycled plastic from the ocean and comes in packaging that is also 100 percent recycled. It works with a battery and fulfills the basic functions of any mouse. Its price is 24.99 dollars.

This 2-in-1 tablet feels great when you hold it in your hands because its edges are more rounded. The 120 Hz screen gives a very good viewing experience, and its smaller borders are extra that this series needed to look more modern.

Its performance is optimal, and the new design of Window 11 will help you get more out of multitasking with easy-to-dock windows. It is the perfect device for young people who want a screen to enjoy multimedia content at their own pace and anywhere, and that can also be turned into a computer whenever they want.