Microsoft is about to launch the Surface Pro 8 that I’ve been waiting for for years

Microsoft plans to launch its latest Surface Pro 8 tablet tomorrow. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans say The edge that the new Surface Pro 8 will come with the biggest changes in design and hardware specifications since the Surface Pro 3 launched over seven years ago. The Surface Pro 8 looks like the Surface Pro redesign that I’ve been waiting for a long time.

Microsoft plans to bring most of the sleek design cues of the Surface Pro X to the Surface Pro 8. The tablet itself will be more rounded around the edges, and a new Surface keyboard will house a new slim Surface Pen inside. , just like the Pro. X does. While the Surface Pro 8’s top and bottom display bezels won’t be completely eliminated, they’ll be much smaller and almost edge-to-edge on the sides. However, the Surface Pro 8 will still be slightly thicker than the Pro X.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

I also expect Microsoft to replace the Surface Pro 8 display with a 120Hz panel that will use the new dynamic refresh rate feature of Windows 11. The dynamic refresh rate is similar to how ProMotion screens work at frame rate. Apple’s high refresh rate, allowing the screen to fluctuate between different refresh rates depending on the task. Microsoft primarily uses this new Surface Pro 8 display to improve inking performance on the device and make scrolling through web pages and some apps much smoother.

The inking improvements on the Surface Pro 8 will be significant thanks to this new display and an updated Surface Pen. The same slim stylus design as the Pro X will be available on the Pro 8, and Microsoft is making some solid improvements here. The new Surface Pen will support haptic feedback so you get the subtle sensations of drawing, and the tip has been improved for better pressure sensitivity.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Microsoft is also switching to Thunderbolt on the Surface Pro 8, ditching the USB-A port and moving to two USB-C ports that will support high-speed data transfers. Again, this is similar to the Surface Pro X which also comes with two USB-C ports.

When I reviewed the Surface Pro 7 two years ago, I said “I wish it looked like a Surface Pro X,” and the Pro 8 offers most of the improvements from Pro X. Microsoft does that. sticks to the 11th Gen Intel chips, which means the big differences between a regular Surface Pro and the Surface Pro X will be due to battery life and performance.

If the Surface Pro 8 can deliver solid battery life, it could be the best Surface Pro Intel has ever made. After years of refining the design of the Surface Pro 3, the Surface Pro 8 is ready for a just-in-time design overhaul for Windows 11 with its refreshed user interface.

The edge will cover all Microsoft Surface news tomorrow. We’re expecting the Surface Pro 8, a new Surface Book design, updates to Surface Pro X, a Surface Go 3, and the Surface Duo 2. Microsoft’s event kicks off at 11am ET on September 22, and we’ll cover all of them. live news.