Microsoft Surface Pro 7 vs Surface Pro 8: What's the difference?

(Pocket-lint) - When Microsoft revealed the Surface Pro 8 astatine its online lawsuit connected 22 September 2021 - presented by an almost-tearful-with-excitement Panos Panay, Microsoft's Chief Product Officer - it was wide this instrumentality is nary tiny update implicit its Surface Pro 7 predecessor. 

Indeed, the Surface Pro 8 features a caller screen, caller hardware, caller accessories - conscionable astir caller everything. There are surely similarities to the older Surface Pro 7 - it hasn't forgotten its plan heritage, that's for definite - truthful however bash the 2 products disagree and should you beryllium considering an upgrade?

What's the same?

• Screen maintains 3:2 facet ratio
• Both clasp the 3.5mm headphone jack
• Both usage Surface Connect & Type Cover ports

While the Surface Pro 8 maintains a akin merchandise footprint and the aforesaid surface facet ratio, beauteous overmuch each cardinal facet has different changed for the amended compared to the Pro 7.

Both devices inactive usage the Surface Connect larboard for powerfulness - we'd overmuch alternatively it was simply different USB-C larboard for versatility - and the Type Cover larboard remains for adding a keyboard (albeit a caller 1 for the Pro 8).

Other than the 3.5mm headphone jack inactive being included - a pleasant astonishment - and the 'Platinum' decorativeness inactive being the standard, that's beauteous overmuch wherever the similarities end.

What's different?

Display

• Surface Pro 8: 13-inch PixelSense Flow Display
  • 2880 x 1920 solution (267ppi), 120Hz refresh, Dolby Vision HDR support
• Surface Pro 8: 12.3-inch PixelSense Display
  • 2736 x 1824 solution (267ppi), 60Hz refresh

The newer Surface Pro ekes retired a small much surface real-estate than its predecessor, upping the diagonal measurement from 12.3-inch to 13-inch. That's efficaciously been accomplished by reducing the broadside bezels, meaning a much screen-centric plan for the Pro 8. Happily the solution scales to present identical pixels per inch density, truthful you're getting identical ocular fidelity connected some the screens contempt the size increase.

The Pro 8's surface brings different of-the-moment upgrades too: there's a adaptable refresh rate, astatine up to 120Hz, meaning it tin rhythm astatine treble the frames per 2nd compared to the Pro 7. That volition marque for smoother visuals wherever needed, but arsenic it's adaptive it whitethorn besides assistance with artillery beingness - keeping a debased refresh complaint for much static, document-based content, for example.

It would besides look that the Pro 8's surface is susceptible of a higher maximum brightness, connected relationship of Dolby Vision precocious dynamic scope (HDR) support, though Microsoft's method specification doesn't marque immoderate circumstantial notation of this - truthful it's imaginable the 2 panels are arsenic bright, but that the newer merchandise has the applicable Dolby licence.

Design

• Surface Pro 8: 287 x 208 x 9.3mm / 889g
• Surface Pro 7: 292 x 201 x 8.5mm  / 775g
• Surface Pro 8: 2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4)
• Surface Pro 8: 1x USB-C, 1x USB-A

From a carnal standpoint the newer Surface Pro 8 is simply a tiny spot larger than its predecessor - though you'd hardly notice, arsenic it's a fewer millimetres (or fractions thereof) present and there. The flimsy summation means a small much weight, by implicit 100g, truthful a interaction much to the scales.

Elsewhere it's ports that are the biggest change. The Pro 8 has dropped the larger-scale USB-A port, replacing it with an further smaller-scale USB-C. The Pro 8 besides supports Thunderbolt 4 speeds, which has been eternally lacking from the Surface Pro line-up anterior to this release. That's a measurement guardant that we've agelong been requesting.

Power

• Surface Pro 8: 11th Gen Intel Core CPU options
  • Quad core: i5-1135G7 oregon i7-1185G7
• Surface Pro 7: 10th Gen Intel Core CPU options
  • Dual core: i3-1005G1 / Quad core: i5-1035G4, i7-1065G7
• Surface Pro 8: 8GB RAM min / Surface Pro 7: 4GB RAM min / Both: 16GB max
• Surface Pro 8: Up to 16 hours artillery beingness / Surface Pro 7: Up to 10.5 hours

The Surface Pro bid hasn't ever offered discrete graphics and that doesn't alteration for the Pro 8 - you'll request to look for the Surface Laptop Studio, coming 2022, for Nvidia RTX support.

What the Surface Pro 8 does do, however, is amp up the CPU options. There's the inevitable determination from 10th Gen successful the Pro 7 to 11th Gen successful the Pro 8. But gone is the entry-level Core i3, with the starting constituent present a quad-core i5 processor with a minimum of 8GB RAM. It's earning its "Pro" sanction each the much - but that volition mean a larger terms tag, too.

The Pro 8 besides gets the Intel Evo badge, which is similar a stamp of support confirming that the instrumentality tin surpass definite thresholds for show and artillery life. And the newer exemplary surely claims large connected the artillery life: Microsoft suggests it tin present up to 16 hours, which is simply a large summation connected the 10.5 hours of the Pro 7 (note: we typically achieved 7 hours from the Pro 7, truthful a 25 per cent little than claimed effect would look a just stake - but 12 hours from the Pro 8 would beryllium stellar).

Accessories

• Surface Pro 8 introduces 'Signature Keyboard with Slim Pen 2' (£249 / $279.99)
• Surface Pro 7 sells Type Cover and Surface Pen individually
• Neither includes pen oregon stylus successful the box

Another important alteration for the Surface Pro 8 is the instauration of a caller keyboard cover, called the Signature Keyboard with Slim Pen 2, which besides includes a caller stylus, on with its ain nook successful which to stow and complaint it. It's a large thought bundling the 2 accessories into one, overmuch neater than the abstracted Type Cover and Pen of the earlier Pro 7.

Software

• Surface Pro 8: Windows 11
• Surface Pro 7: Windows 10

With the Windows 11 operating strategy (OS) motorboat conscionable astir the corner, it's earthy that the latest Microsoft hardware volition besides diagnostic it consecutive retired of the box. This should bring immoderate app-based benefits when, for example, utilizing the caller Slim Pen 2. Pro 7 users volition apt beryllium capable to upgrade to the newer OS connected their older hardware.

That caller Slim Pen 2 besides has dedicated haptic feedback that sounds truly interesting, capable to emulate a existent pen-or-brush-on insubstantial sensation, arsenic is the claim.

Conclusion

• Surface Pro 8: from £999 / $1,099
• Surface Pro 7: present from £639 / $649.99

The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is simply a existent step-up for the series, delivering much surface acknowledgment to little bezel, much power, faster connectivity, much artillery beingness promise, and a rethought optional keyboard and stylus offering. It looks all-round smarter.

However, the Pro 8 is all-round much expensive, too, with the starting terms importantly up compared to its predecessor. Potentially good worthy it, unless the older model's cut-price is simply a temptation excessively hard to ignore.

We'd inactive similar to spot the charging larboard driblet Microsoft's Surface Connect larboard though, arsenic an other USB larboard would beryllium altogether much versatile. 

If you're upgrading past it's besides worthy noting that the insignificant diference successful size betwixt the Pro 7 and Pro 8 products volition marque compatibility with older Type Covers implausible for the newer procreation (despite sharing the aforesaid Type Cover larboard type).

Writing by Mike Lowe. Originally published connected 23 September 2021.