Rumors are mounting that we’ll see the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 soon, possibly even today! Microsoft is hosting its Fall 2021 event on September 22nd, and it’s very likely we’ll see some new Surface products then, and that means it would be the perfect time to introduce the Surface Pro 8.
We’ve been expecting a sequel to the Surface Pro 7 for a while, and there was one in January FCC certificate archivingindicating some specifications and a finished design.
With the launch of Windows 11 on October 5th, it would be an ideal time for Microsoft to also introduce its flagship Surface Pro 8 to demonstrate the capabilities of its new operating system.
But we still don’t know exactly what to expect from this new device or if it actually exists. However, if you can believe an eBay offer of an alleged Surface Pro 8, we should see better specifications, but a largely unchanged design, as the tablet looks very similar on the eBay offer Surface Pro 7. Still, there have been some previously leaked patents that are encouraging and let’s hope the Surface Pro 8 will introduce some design changes.
While the rumors about the Surface Pro 8 had died down a bit earlier in the year, we just saw a new leak suggesting the tablet might come with a hefty spec upgrade, including 11th generation Intel Core processors, a 120 Hz, high refresh rate screen and removable SSD drives.
If that’s true, it means the Surface Pro 8 could be a pretty impressive Windows tablet, and the timing of the new leak again suggests that a Surface Pro 8 boot could be very soon.
In the meantime, we’re here to keep you updated on everything you need to know about the device before it hits the road. Bookmark this page as we will update it as new information comes in our way.
Today’s event begins at 8 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. ET / 4 p.m. BST, which is June 25 at 1 a.m. AEST. So we won’t have to wait long to see if the Surface Pro 8 is coming soon.
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- What is it? Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is a flagship Windows tablet
- When is it out? Probably beginning of October 2021
- What will it cost? Probably from $ 799 to $ 999 for the device only
Surface Pro 8 release date
There have been no announcements or rumors about the release date for the Microsoft Surface Pro 8. Usually the Pro series is updated once a year. And while it’s inconsistent, Surface devices are mostly released in October.
The Surface Pro 7 launched on October 22, 2019, which means we expected the Surface Pro 8 to launch in October 2020. This came and went, however, with no sign of the tablet.
Instead, Microsoft showed the Surface duo and the Surface Neo, So the Surface Pro 8’s no-show could have been giving Microsoft’s new dual-screen devices time to shine.
However, despite some convincing leaks, there has still been no sign of the Surface Pro 8. While some people think this is a sign that the Surface Pro 8 will never show up, let’s hope it does so in October 2021 Introduction of the device. It’s been two years since the Surface Pro 7 launched, so people will be screaming for an update.
We also know that Microsoft will launch Windows 11 on October 5th. What better way to celebrate a new operating system and show what it can do than by releasing a flagship product like the Surface Pro 8 with Windows 11 preinstalled?
We therefore assume that the announcement of Surface 8 at or around the introduction of Windows 11 is very likely.
Surface Pro 8 price
If you can remember the history of the Surface Pro series, we have a pretty good idea of what to expect in terms of price. The starting price for a newly released Surface Pro is typically between $ 799 (about £ 610, AU $ 1170) and $ 999 (about $ 3370).
No rumors have been circulating about the price yet, but it’s likely that the Surface Pro 8 will follow a similar pricing scheme. Unless there are major design overhauls (think Apple’s Touch Bar), entry-level models should range from $ 799 to $ 999, with upgrades in RAM and storage causing similar incremental price increases to previous models.
Where we could see a more noticeable increase in price is the nameplates. The cheapest Type Cover that works with the 7 is $ 129.99 (£ 99, AU $ 191) and the Signature model is $ 159.99 (£ 122, AU $ 235). While basic covers for the Pro 8 with the same functionality as these are most likely offered at similar prices, Microsoft has a few aces up its sleeve.
There are two patents that are causing turmoil in the computing world – the solar-powered cover and the cover with external speakers. We don’t know if any of the concepts will make it into production. If it does, however, expect a price hike for the new features.
Surface Pro 8 specifications
New Surface Pro devices have typically taken incremental steps into the future with each release. The Pro 7, for example, improved the Pro 6 by replacing the 8th generation Intel chips with the 10th chips that have just been released. Nothing has changed in terms of memory, RAM and display – among other specifications.
An FCC certification has also shown that the device uses and offers built-in LTE (Long Term Evolution) connectivity, Bluetooth 5 Wi-Fi 6 courtesy of Intel’s Wi-Fi 6 AX201 adapter. All of these hardware features should result in better optimized wireless performance when compared to previous Surface Pro models.
Then what can we expect as we move forward? While a 12.3-inch 1824p display doesn’t really need higher resolution, and larger storage and RAM options probably aren’t needed for everyone looking at a Surface device (these aren’t really geared towards heavy gaming or video editing ), we could see a newer chip in the Pro 8.
The good news is a mysterious eBay listing shows a Surface Pro 8 with an Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, 32 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD storage inside.
Another leak has confirmed that 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage are the top specs, along with a new minimum of 8GB of RAM on the Intel Core i3 model – which doubles the lower end of the Surface 7 Pro’s 4GB of RAM.
Also, a recent leak appears to be an Intel 11th processor.This would be a pretty big design change as it would result in a larger display, but the narrower bezels could mean the Surface Pro 8’s physical size is roughly the same as the Surface Pro 7’s remain.
The leak also suggests two Thunderbolt ports for super-fast data transfer and removable SSD hard drives, which could make upgrading or repairing the Surface Pro 8 a lot easier.
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Exposure ✅- Intel’s 11th Gen Core processorSeptember 19, 2021
We also hope to regain some of the battery life that the Pro 7 lost compared to the Pro 6. There’s not a lot of news right now as to what to expect in terms of battery life, so we’ll have to wait and see what Microsoft does.
Surface Pro 8 features
In line with its incremental refinements, the Microsoft Surface Pro hasn’t changed much in terms of looks. It’s still a tablet with a removable type cover that doubles as a physical keyboard. The edges of the device have stayed the same – in fact, all aspects of the display are identical between the Pro 6 and 7. Will Microsoft move with the times and use slimmer bezels? According to the latest leaks, it will, and there could also be an increase in the screen size from 12.3 “to 13”.
Where we have a clearer idea of how Microsoft is making design improvements are the two patents pending for their type covers. One of them could be a creative solution to extend the battery life of the Pro – a type cover equipped with solar panels. The patent describes a type of cover that is equipped with four outward-facing solar collectors, which can possibly even draw energy from artificial light sources.
The other patent that should be exciting to any previous Surface owner is a Type plate with external loudspeaker. The type cover described in the patent could be used with either an open or closed configuration. And when used in the stand position, it would be in an expandable enclosure with the stand pointing outward, away from the unit, as a resonance box. This would help amplify the sound without resorting to a larger or heavier speaker. If Microsoft manages to do this, it would be a massive improvement over the small speakers that Pro series users are currently limited to.
Of course, these two patents may not go into production until the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is released. Therefore, we will only know shortly before the market launch whether we will see solar-powered or speaker-equipped type covers.
Rest assured, however, that we will update this article whenever we receive new information about the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 before the device is released. Be sure to bookmark this page so you can stay current on any Surface Pro 8 questions.
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