Microsoft Surface Pro 8, Pro X, and Go 3 revealed

by Mark Tyson on 23 September 2021, 11:11

Tags: Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Surface

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At the special Microsoft Event last night, there were eight new Surface devices and accessories built for Windows 11 unveiled. Earlier we enjoyed a hard stare at the Surface Laptop Studio, and below we are going to look through the rest of the Surface offerings.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8

Microsoft's Surface Pro 8 is the latest iteration of the Surface device that started it all. From Microsoft's claim's it certainly hasn't stood still, with this being the "most significant leap forward since the Pro 3," and is the first Surface to be built on Intel's Evo platform.

Considering performance first, the Surface Pro 8 is said to be more than twice as fast as Pro 7 – with its choice of 11th Gen Intel Core processors (max spec Core i7-1185G7, 12-28W, 10nm SuperFin, 4C/8T, 4.8GHz turbo). Onboard Intel Iris Xe graphics are present.

Another important upgrade is with the screen. With this latest generation Microsoft has shrunk the bezels and users benefit from a 13-inch PixelSense display with 2880 x 1920 pixels, up to 120Hz refresh, Dolby Vision supporting, Adaptive Colour Technology screen with 10 point multi-touch and GPU Ink Acceleration. Users can buy these hybrid machines with up to 32GB of RAM, 1TB SSD (plus 128 or 256GB removable SSD).

Other specs worth mentioning are the 5MP front-facing camera, a 10MP-4K rear-facing camera, twin USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, Dual far-field Studio Mics, 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, Wi-Fi 6: 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.1, and the typical battery life of 16 hours claimed. Microsoft's Surface Pro 8 remains easily portable with its 287 x 208 x 9.3mm dimensions and 889g weight. Most people will want to add the new Surface Pro Signature Keyboard, adding weight and thickness with its bonuses of traditional laptop productivity (on a desk) and portable screen protection.

Surface Pro 8 starts at US$1,099.99 and is available for pre-order in select markets today.

Surface supporting cast

Microsoft's Surface Pro X reveal was of what I would consider a minor update. It is the same thin, light, and LTE-connected Surface Pro X, running on our Microsoft SQ2 ARM silicon that we saw last year, but now it comes with Windows 11 and 64-bit emulation built in – as well as a new Wi-Fi only SKU with keener pricing. The new model of the Surface Pro X starts at $899.99 and is pre-orderable immediately.

The highly portable and compact Surface Go 3 is more interesting as, though it is similar in many ways to its predecessor, it now packs in much more powerful processing options.

So the Surface Go, is built around the same 10.5-inch 3:2 1920 x 1280 pixels touchscreen as the predecessor, the same cameras, speakers, ports and with the same dimensions. However, if the slowness of this compact device previously put you off, the new dual-core 10th Gen Intel Core i3-10100Y processor options might appeal as it is claimed to be up to 60 per cent faster than its predecessor.

Surface Go 3 with Wi-Fi starts at US$399.99 and is available for pre-order today in select markets. LTE models will be available in the coming months.

Microsoft Surface Duo 2

Microsoft's dual screen folding Android portable was one of the high points of the event last night. It wasn't a surprise as the specs are very close to those leaked, but in fulfilling what the digital prophets had foretold it now checks a lot more boxes that a premium design/priced Surface smartphone should check.

The new Surface Duo 2 has the following key improvements that bring it head and shoulders above the first version; the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G Mobile Platform, and the triple lens rear camera system. Additionally, Microsoft has fitted larger AMOLED displays, implemented 5G connectivity (Nano + eSIM), NFC, stereo speakers, 8GB of RAM (up from 6GB) and a new 'Glance Bar' for notifications on the device spine. You also get to choose whether you want the device is Glacier or Obsidian finishes.

One of the few negative points of the Duo 2 is that, while the device is shorter in length and width, it is a tad thicker at 5.5mm open/11.0mm closed compared with the predecessor (4.8mm/9.9mm), and it is 34g weightier at 284g, too.

Surface Duo 2 starts at $1499.99, and you can pre-order today, depending on your location.



HEXUS Forums :: 7 Comments

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The end of the Surface Book?
I was considering the SP8 but lost interest entirely with their last W11 announcement.
Any AMD based products? Don't fancy a hot intel chip
Saracen999
I was considering the SP8 but lost interest entirely with their last W11 announcement.

You could possibly install Windows 10.

P.s. One day, you'll install Windows 11. People say the same, tired rubbish upon each NEW OS release.
excalibur1814
You could possibly install Windows 10.

….
Perhaps. But will it be supported on an MS product that came with 11?

excalibur1814
….

P.s. One day, you'll install Windows 11. People say the same, tired rubbish upon each NEW OS release.
I'm sure they do, but no, I won't.

I went to W10 very reluctantly only because a couple of packages I wanted don't run happily, or at all, on W7 and because I got a too-good-to-refuse offer on the Surface Pro. But I now have those packages runing on 10, and don't plan on upgrading the packages. Most of my stuff is either running on Linux, or in some cases, still running on W7 but on machines that are air-gapped from the internet.

So, for current machines with W10, they will stay on W10 while it's supported (until 2025). At that point, the W10 systems will go behind the air-gap. In truth, I could do that now, but don't need to.

For the few things, like web-browsing or email, that do still require a web connection I will use a Linux machine, because most of what I want to do already does. It won't exactly be hard, having migrated from 25 years to MS Office (and Wordstar, WordPerfect, Lotus 123 etc before it) to Libre on Windows to migrate from that to Libre on Linux.

There's not much I need W10 for (deliberately) and nothing that I need on W10 that requires W11. Even the packages that I have that are on W10 do, currently, everything I need of them, like my genealogy software. If future upgrades of that will run on W10, I may upgrade them but if they require W11 (I doubt it, any time soon) then the current versions do everything I need or want. So I'll stick with current versions of those.

I can't see any circumstances now that will necessitate either W11 features, or other software that does anything I need either, so why bother to go to W11? I regard W10 and W11 as being like screwdrivers … if my Mk.1 screwdriver still works, why buy a Mk.2?

So no, I won't.