Pull the keyboard away from the tablet to reveal the hidden magnetic charging and storage tray for the Slim Pen 2, which is a very neat solution to the problem of where to put a stylus when not in use. However, the useful microSD card slot and USB-A socket of previous models have been removed.īattery life remains very similar to previous models with only about seven hours of work between charges, which is less than half the 16 hours of the market-leading MacBook Air. Microsoft has finally adopted Thunderbolt connectivity too, kitting out the Pro 8 with two USB/Thunderbolt 4 ports, which is a big, modern upgrade for connecting to displays, high-speed drives and docks, as well as charging.

The Pro 8 ships with new 11th-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 chips (as tested), which are 10%-15% faster than previous models in benchmarks and matched the performance of the Surface Laptop 4.Ī cooling system upgrade keeps the machine silent for most of the time, requiring the fans a lot less frequently than previous versions, which was a very welcome change. It can charge from the Thunderbolt ports too.

The tablet fully charges in just over an hour and half, reaching 50% in 35 minutes using the included Surface Connect power adaptor. Processor: Intel Core i5 or i7 (11th generation)Ĭamera: 10MP rear, 5MP front with Windows HelloĬonnectivity: Wifi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, 2x Thunderbolt 4/USB-4, headphones, Surface Connect For now it is set to 60Hz by default to save battery life. The Pro 8 is waiting on a firmware update due next year to enable variable refresh rates, which allows the screen to automatically adjust its speed depending on the content on display, saving battery for static images while being super smooth for fast moving animations. The display supports a faster refresh rate of up to 120Hz too, which is common on smartphones, high-end tablets and found on Apple’s latest MacBook Pro.ĭisappointingly the 120Hz screen is a feature yet to be fully realised. It is still compact compared with a laptop, but the larger screen makes working with multiple windows a bit easier. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianĪt 13in on the diagonal, the screen is bigger than the 12.3in of its predecessors. The kickstand at the back is just as good as previous Surface devices, able to hold the tablet steady at a large range of angles.

Surface pro 8 i7 specs