The thinner bezels allow for the screen itself to be larger than the Pro 7’s (despite the barely different overall footprint), coming in at 13 inches instead of the previous 12.3 inches.
Speaking of the display, it’s a big plus on this device, a sharp and pixel-dense screen (dubbed "PixelSense" in Microsoft parlance). The Pro 8 looks much more modern than the Pro 7, in addition to the, in practical fact, larger display. So that's not a club that premium products want to be a part of. Thick bezels have rapidly become synonymous with older tech-nearly every smartphone, monitor, and laptop has adopted minimal (or no) screen borders. Like on the Pro X, the thinner bezels make a bigger difference than you may expect.
We got a tease of this update in the slim Surface Pro X, a Qualcomm-silicon-based device that offered a more modern design, but that wasn't quite up to snuff on the performance and software end. The Pro 7's bezel design was already looking a bit long in the tooth in Pro models before it, so it was due for an update. If you're familiar with the previous Surface Pro devices, you'll notice how much thinner the bezels are on the Pro 8, and if you're not, you'll just see a sleek tablet with plenty of screen real estate. More than the size or the new hue, though, it's the display bezels that make the biggest visual impact. It looks black at first glance, but it’s more of a dark grey. The Pro 8 comes in a traditional Platinum color, but also a new Graphite scheme, which is the colorway of our review sample shown here. Microsoft has made upgrades beyond the general shape, though, so let’s dive into those. It’s certainly not the only good detachable 2-in-1 in the game, having helped create a competitive market: Our favorites this year to date have been the Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable and the Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable.Īt its core, the design ethos is the same as it’s been for years with the Surface Pro, which may not thrill you as a prospective buyer looking for radical changes.
The Surface Pro series set the bar for these types of devices, and while it may have inspired others since, the build quality still stands out. If anything, it does feel slimmer, but we know that must be an illusion given the dimensions. Combined with the larger display (more on that in a moment), the Pro 8 is a more attractive machine from the first moment you lay eyes on it. It has a more modern, rounded look versus the Surface Pro 7, and it feels very nice to the touch. What matters is that it still feels like a sleek, high-quality build, sturdier and more premium than many Windows tablets. The chassis has also swapped from magnesium alloy to recycled anodized aluminum, which is another recent example of Microsoft employing more environmentally conscious design.
That said, this is an exceedingly compact and portable device to begin with, so those margins are mostly negligible (and if anything, slightly more thermal space may lead to improved performance, which we’ll get to). The Pro 7 came in at 0.33 by 11.5 by 7.9 inches and 1.7 pounds, so this redesign actually does not trim down the overall footprint. It measures 0.37 by 11.3 by 8.2 inches (HWD), and this trim chassis weighs 1.96 pounds, excluding the keyboard. The past few iterations of the Surface Pro hadn’t seen much physical design change, but some noteworthy alterations finally-ahem-surface with the Pro 8.įirst, let’s touch on the size. Despite losing its value play, the Pro 8's boosted performance, smart redesign, and new stylus make the Surface Pro line an object of envy once again, and a repeat Editors' Choice winner among Windows tablets. And its expensive accessories jack up the price whichever config you choose, with the keyboard being essential if you aim to use the Pro 8 as a laptop replacement.
Mind you, the $1,099.99 starting price is much higher than the Surface Pro 7's $749.99, reducing the appeal of its lower-end configurations. This is still a best-in-class detachable 2-in-1 in terms of design, and when paired with the improved 11th Generation Core i7 "Tiger Lake" processor in our model (and the advantages of Windows 11), this tablet can compete as a true laptop replacement.
It's much more attractive, thanks to its new thin-bezel 13-inch screen, but its core functionality is otherwise unchanged. The Surface Pro 8 changes that, introducing a sleeker chassis with a larger display than the Surface Pro 7. It's been a few years since Microsoft launched an all-out new entry in its Surface Pro line, and even longer since there's been a noticeable redesign. Best Hosted Endpoint Protection and Security Software.