Surface Event 2021: With Surface Pro 8, Microsoft finally changes the Surface Pro line

Just a bit ago, Microsoft took the wraps off its flagship Surface Pro line as it introduced its eighth generation.

Many Surface fans have anticipated some drastic changes for Microsoft’s aging design language following the unveiling of the Surface Pro X which proved Microsoft could iterate and bring some well-liked design changes to the Pro’s detachable form.

However, Microsoft held fast and kept the Surface Pro 7, which launched alongside the Surface Pro X, mostly unchanged from its historic Pro 4 design.

Now, it seems the company has threaded the needle between making a Surface Pro X clone and bringing some meaningful upgrades to its famed 2-in-1 that include, new screen tech, port upgrades, and SSD accessibility.

Here are the details:

• Surface Pro 8 is over 2 times faster than Surface Pro 7. Delivering over 40% higher sustained CPU performance and 74% faster graphics sustained performance,
• 2 Thunderbolt™ 4 ports. Support for multiple 4K monitors, keep large creative files on hand with an external
  hard drive or create a dream gaming setup with an external GPU.2
• 11% larger, 10.8% higher resolution, 12.5% brighter, individually calibrated and virtually edge-to-edge, high-resolution 13”
  PixelSense™ Flow touch display. Now with up to 120Hz refresh rate (60hz default) for an even
  smoother pen experience and more responsive touch.
• Full HD cameras with improved low-light performance and consistent brightness across different lighting conditions, Studio Mics, and optimized speakers for
  crystal-clear sound delivers an even better video calling experience. HD rear-facing camera with support for 4K video.
• The most advanced digital pen experience on a Pro. Unlock new experiences with Surface Slim
  Pen. Tactile signals is a new digital pen experience that uses the built-in haptic motor in Surface Slim Pen 2 to give you the same feeling you get with pen on paper when notetaking and drawing. Surface Pro 8 with Surface Pen 2 has greater precision and lower latency when inking compared to Surface Slim Pen. Always charged, ready, and securely stored in Surface Pro Signature Keyboard.

The Surface Pro 8 upgrade has been a long time coming for the company as competitors such as HP, Dell, Lenovo, and Apple begin to encroach on its perceived detachable dominance.

The Surface Pro 8 will start shipping on October 5 in the US, and the base model starts at $1,099. For consumers and commercial customers alike, today’s announcement should go a long way in keeping Microsoft’s flagship computer front-and-center of buying decisions this Fall and holiday season.

Does today’s upgrade put you in a purchase column for a new Surface Pro? Don’t forget to check out all our Surface Event 2021 coverage here at OnMSFT.com!