Microsoft launched a refreshed Surface Pro 8 with its biggest upgrade so far and unveiled a new Surface Go 3 that looks more or less the same but it can do more now. Microsoft also unveiled a new Pen, a mouse made out of ocean plastic, a dual-screen smartphone, and a potent MacBook competitor in the form of the Surface Laptop Studio. There’s also a new Wi-Fi-only Surface Pro X with Microsoft’s own silicon inside.
Starting with the Microsoft Surface Pro 8, this one is a significant upgrade that comes with Intel’s Evo branding featuring the latest 11th Gen Intel processors and a larger high-refresh-rate display. The Microsoft Surface Go 3, on the other hand, remains more or less the same from the outside but carries a more powerful processor. The Surface Duo 2 is Microsoft making yet another attempt at breaking into the smartphone market, but it’s the Surface Laptop Studio with its unique display and powerful hardware that took our breath away.
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Specs and Price
The Surface Pro 8 features a larger 13-inch Dolby Vision display with an increased 2880×1920 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, therefore a new name, PixelSense Flow. The aspect ratio is 3:2, and it supports 10-point Multi-Touch with the new Surface Slim Pen 2. The new Pen is an exciting launch too. It features Microsoft’s own G6 processor that uses haptics to mimic the feel of using an actual pen, and it now resides inside a new space in the keyboard. It’s also compatible with the Surface Dial, which, however, did not receive any updates.
Microsoft will offer the Surface Pro 8 in two configurations — Intel Core i5-1135G7 or Core i7-1185G7, with either 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB SSD storage options. It also comes with an upgradeable SSD slot just like its predecessor. Also, with the Intel Tiger Lake upgrade, the Surface Pro 8 now qualifies for the Intel Evo branding, and Microsoft claims 16 hours of battery life!
For ports, the Surface Pro 8 carries 2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a Surface Connect port and a Surface Type Cover Port. Moreover, it offers Windows Hello based facial authentication through a 5MP front camera, and there’s also a 10MP rear camera with auto-focus and 4K video recording. The audio comes out of twin Dolby Atmos speakers.
The Surface Pro 8 comes in two Graphite and Platinum colorways and starts at $1099. You can pre-order the Surface Pro 8 starting today.
Microsoft Surface Go 3 Specs and Price
The Surface Go 3 didn’t get the design makeover this year. Instead, Microsoft has given it a nice spec-bump with the choice of either an Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y or an Intel Core i3-10100Y processor that has two cores and four threads. The multitasking boost in performance from two extra threads should be significant. You can configure the Surface Go 3 with either 4GB or 8GB RAM and 64GB eMMC or 128GB SSD storage. Microsoft claims the Surface Go 3 is 60 percent faster than its predecessor and can deliver up to 10 hours of battery life.
The Surface Go 3 features the same 10.5-inch display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, and it will support the new Surface Slim Pen 2. You can now configure it with LTE connectivity, but that support is coming down the line. It runs on Windows 11 Home in S Mode, which means you can only use apps available on the Windows Store and Android apps available on the Amazon app store.
The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is priced at $399 and can be pre-ordered in the US starting today.
Microsoft Surface Pro X Specs and Price
The Surface Pro X has received a minor refresh with a Wi-Fi-only version with Windows 11, and everything else remains the same. It still runs on Microsoft’s custom 8-core SQ2 chip based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 processor. The older SQ1-variant also remains in stock. The ARM-based tablet runs on Windows 11 Home in S Mode, but you can play the latest games by streaming online or from your Xbox using Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
The Surface Pro X features a 13-inch touchscreen display with a 3:2 aspect ratio and supports the new Surface Slim Pen 2. It weighs 1.7lbs, and it is the thinnest Surface Pro in the whole lineup. It has a kickstand, and you can connect it with the Surface Pro X Type Cover.
The new Wi-Fi only Microsoft Surface Pro X is priced at $899 and can be pre-ordered starting today.
