Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Review

Specifications:

• Brand: Microsoft
• Series: Surface Pro 8
• Memory Storage Capacity: 128 GB
• Screen Size: 13 Inches
• Operating System: Windows 10 Home

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Introduction

The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is an amazing offering straight from Microsoft. Now in its 8th generation, Microsoft has revamped the ageing design to make it look modern and fresh. We will get into further depth on the design front in the next section.

While the design of the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 has been refreshed with this new model, its price has also been increased. However, the blazing-fast performance warrants such a steep price tag. The laptop surely falls on the pricier side with the Intel Core i5 8GB RAM version costing ₹1,05,990 in India.

Hence, let us understand what makes the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 so amazing that many outlets are claiming it to be the best iteration of the Microsoft Surface Pro lineup yet.

Design

The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 brings some fresh design updates to the old design. The most visible difference is the new graphite colour, which looks gorgeous from every angle. The rounded edges and thinner bezels also mean that the device looks fresh from every angle. Due to the slimmer bezels, the laptop is able to squeeze in 11% more screen in the limited real estate.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 weighs only 890 gms, which is adequate considering that it is a laptop that can be used as a tablet too. The built quality is sturdy as is the case with all of the Surface line up. The backside of the laptop has a glossy finish with the Microsoft logo and the kickstand. There is also an option to add an optional removable SSD.

Configurations

There are several configurations available for the Microsoft Surface Pro 8. While the base model has an Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8GB RAM and a 128GB SSD, you can upgrade it by paying extra all the way up to an Intel Core i7 CPU, 32 GB RAM and a 1TB SSD.

However, the steep price has made it lose its entry-level appeal. Additionally, irrespective of the version that you choose, you still need to pay extra for the accessories such as the keyboard cover, stylus, etc. 

Performance

The performance of the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is top-notch. It blows away the competition in the wind with its blazing-fast performance. The specifications of the device are Intel Core i5-1135G7 CPU, 8GB DDR4 RAM and 128GB SSD. Since it is supposed to be used as a tablet too, it was expected to have an all-around performance. However, it is 50% faster than the Microsoft Surface Pro 7. The minor gripe would be the omission of a dedicated GPU. Considering the tablet and the smaller form factor, Microsoft went with Intel Xe GPU, which is integrated into the CPU itself. If you wish to have a dedicated GPU, you should be able to get it in the Microsoft Laptop Studio. The added fluidity of the high refresh rate display and the smooth animations of Windows 11 out of the box is bound to enhance the experience with the laptop.

Display

Speaking of the display, the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 boasts of a crisp 13” touchscreen with a resolution of 2880×1920 and a 120 Hz refresh rate. It comes with 60 Hz out of the box to save battery. However, that can be changed if you wish so. The display is also quite bright at 450 nits of peak brightness in real-world usage. Owing to such a bright and vibrant display, it is visible even under direct sunlight. With such a vibrant display, the colour pop due to it covering 71.9% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and 103.7% of the sRGB colour gamut.

Audio

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 houses its stereo speakers behind the top bezel, which is an interesting choice considering that it makes sense when the device is used as a tablet. However, since the laptop is so thin and light, the speaker lacks the punch and bass required to hear songs. On the other hand, it is perfectly fine for YouTube and popular streaming platforms’ content. You will have to keep the volume of the laptop around 70% to hear the sound with the best clarity available.

Input

Speaking of input, trackpad, keyboard, Microsoft Slim Pen 2 and the touchscreen are all input devices. The trackpad is excellent with good real estate, satisfying clicks and Windows gesture support owing to Windows precision drivers. The keyboard also produces a satisfactory keystroke and hence, typing on this laptop feels good. Although we do wish for the keyboard to be back-lit, it was omitted in this model by Microsoft. The touchscreen remains a good interface to interact with the laptop owing to its smooth operation. The Microsoft Slim Pen 2 is also a great accessory to have whenever you are using this laptop as a tablet.

Battery

Microsoft has claimed that the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 will last up to 16 hours if the screen is lowered to 150 nits of brightness with the adaptive colour option disabled under moderate usage. However, in real life, the figure is closer to around 9 hours under moderate daily web browning with the screen kept at 60 Hz to save battery.

Although 10 hours might seem less than the forecasted 16 hours by Microsoft, it is still better than the average 7 hours in the price range. In fact, in a standard video loop test, the laptop was able to run around 12 hours. With 51.5 Watt-Hours, the Lithium-Ion batteries provide adequate backup to carry through a day on a single charge unless you are stressing out the CPU.

Connectivity

Microsoft has been a bit conservative with the number of connectivity options with its Surface lineup and we observe the same philosophy applied with this tablet. On the right side, we have the power button, 2 Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports and a Surface Connect port. On the left side of the tablet, we have the volume rocker and the 3.5mm headphone jack.

The lack of a USB Type-A port might be a deterrent for some. However, considering that it is a tablet, we can allow Microsoft to get away with it. They have also provided Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 and an optional 4G LTE option (for business models) for wireless connectivity.

Conclusion

All said and done, the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is the best update to the Surface Pro lineup until now. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it refreshes the lineup enough for the world to take notice. The design is much more premium, the performance is solid, and the overall experience is silky smooth with Windows 11 out of the box. The only major issue with the tablet is its price and the omission of a USB Type-A port. Considering that it also provides the option of adding an SSD externally into the tablet itself, the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is an all-around performer.