The new Microsoft Surface Pro must fill big shoes. The Surface Pro 8 gives the 2-in-1 laptop-tablet its long-overdue update.
The Surface Pro 8 has modernized the series with its Tiger Lake Intel CPUs, better display, longer battery life, and higher-resolution back camera with 4K video capability. We wouldn’t call it perfect, but it’s close, leaving its replacement with few ways to improve — unless it introduces a fresh idea.
Surface Pro 8 could be better. Will its successor fix these? Hopefully so. It should come with the Type Cover and strong internals — Intel Alder Lake, perhaps – to live up to its moniker.
Not yet. Next Surface Pro rumours, speculations, and leaks remain limited. Here’s all we know about the Surface Pro, along with some guesswork.
Release date and price
2020 passed without a new Surface Pro due to the pandemic and supply chain bottleneck. Microsoft has released a new Surface Pro model every year from 2013 to 2019, usually in the third quarter, and will do so again in 2021.
Microsoft hasn’t confirmed a Surface Pro 8 successor or a release date. Our best prediction is based on the release date or previous entries.
- Surface Pro 8 – October 2021
- Surface Pro 7+ (for business and education) – January 2021
- Surface Pro 7 – October 2019
- Surface Pro 6 – October 2018
- Surface Pro 5 – June 2017
Microsoft has settled into a regular Surface Pro upgrade schedule, excluding 2020. It’s probable we’ll see the Pro 9 in October 2022, however the launch event could be earlier. This year may bring something new.
We expect the new Surface Pro will be priced like the Pro 8, which starts at £999 and tops out at £2,459. Any price increase at this point will be a deal-breaker for most consumers, especially since the Type Cover is still missing.
- Surface Pro 8 – from £999/US$999.99
- Surface Pro 7+ – from £909/US$899.99
- Surface Pro 7 – from £799/US$749
- Surface Pro 6 – from £879/US$899
- Surface Pro 5 – from £799/US$799
Specifications and features
Microsoft has stopped several leaks ahead of the Surface Pro 9’s unveiling in a few weeks. Only tech site Laptop6 claimed to have the item.
Intel’s 12th-gen CPUs are the only noticeable upgrade. Just the i5-12600K is specified, but i7 will likely return. AMD’s Ryzen 6000 Series is another possibility; Ryzen 7000 isn’t scheduled until 2023. All models should have Intel CPUs with Iris Xe GPUs.
Assuming the Pro 8 uses Alder Lake CPUs, its innovative hybrid design offers performance and power-efficient cores. This might improve battery life, although Laptop6 claims Microsoft will still claim “up to 16 hours of normal device use.” Strangely, you’ll get a 60W adaptor instead of the Pro 8’s 65W. Again, these specs are suspect.
Microsoft’s Pro 8 has a 120Hz variable refresh rate, thus the 13in, 28801920 display is unlikely to alter. No need for a greater resolution, although an OLED screen would be excellent. That would allow an in-display fingerprint sensor, but the Pro 9 doesn’t have one.
Both Surface Pro 8 USB-C ports support Thunderbolt 4 data transfer. The magnetic charging cord in the box is for the Surface Connect connector. This is more bothersome than useful, so perhaps Microsoft will drop it with the Pro 9. Extra ports wouldn’t hurt, but neither seems likely.
Could Surface Pro 9 and X merge this year? Zac Bowden of Windows Central hypothesised that, considering their similarities. Microsoft only changed the Pro 8 in 2021 by adding a Wi-Fi-only option.
Adding ARM-based setups would make it easy to deploy. It would be a good moment to add 5G, especially if it uses the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3. Despite Bowden’s track record providing Surface news, this is merely his perspective, not insider information. Microsoft hasn’t abandoned 4G on the Pro 9.