Surface Pro 8 specs, features, and analysis

Here's what you need to know about 2021 Surface Pro 8 including price, display info, CPU, RAM, storage, battery, and more.

Availability

Surface Pro 8
Released2021
Release Date
  • Introduced: September 22, 2021
  • Pre-ordered: September 22, 2021
  • Released: October 5, 2021
Pricing
  • $1,099.99 
    i5-1135G7 8GB 128GB
    Platinum only.
  • $1,199.99 
    i5-1135G7 8GB 256GB
  • $1,399.99 
    i5-1135G7 16GB 256GB
  • $1,399.99 
    i5-1135G7 8GB 512GB
  • $1,599.99 
    i7-1185G7 16GB 256GB
  • $1,899.99 
    i7-1185G7 16GB 512GB
  • $2,199.99 
    i7-1185G7 16GB 1TB
    Platinum only.
  • $2,599.99 
    i7-1185G7 32GB 1TB
    Platinum only.
Generations
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (2022), 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i5 Fast Processor for Multi-Tasking, 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage with Windows 11, Platinum Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (2022), 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i5 Fast Processor for Multi-Tasking, 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage with Windows 11, Platinum Microsoft Copilot
By Microsoft
$789.99
$1,099.99 28% OFF
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$737.90
$1,099.99 33% OFF
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Graphite (Latest Model) (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Graphite (Latest Model) (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$670.99
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i7-16GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i7-16GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$925.00
$1,050.01 12% OFF
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i7-16GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Graphite (Latest Model)
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i7-16GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Graphite (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$899.00
$963.17 7% OFF

Exterior

Surface Pro 8
Dimensions11.3” x 8.2” x 0.37” (287 mm x 208 mm x 9.3 mm)
Weight1.96 lb (889 g)
Colors
Matte Black Platinum
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Not included.
  • Compatible with 
    Surface Pro Signature Keyboard Surface Pro X Keyboard
  • Type Cover Features:
    • Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys
    • Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12)
    • 4 directional keys; Windows, Brightness and Media Controls Keys;
    • LED backlighting
  • Trackpad:
    • Precision glass trackpad.
    • Trackpad size: 4 x 2 inches (101.6 mm x 50.8 mm)
    • Supports a five-finger multitouch gesture.
  • Surface Slim Pen Storage
    • Magnetic dock
    • Automatically wireless charge Surface Slim Pen

Display

Surface Pro 8
Size13 Inches
Info
  • Resolution: 2880 x 1920
    5.53M Pixels.
  • Density: 267 PPI
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
    60Hz default.
  • PixelSense™ Flow Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: GPU Ink Acceleration
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch

Ports

Surface Pro 8
Ports
Surface Pro 8 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left (1)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Charging, Docking
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Surface Type Cover
Under Kickstand (1)
  • 1 x SSD slot
    M.2 2230 NVMe slot

Internal Specs

Surface Pro 8
Processor
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4
    2 cores, 4 threads, 3.00 → 4.10 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 28W
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.40 → 4.20 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 28W
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 3.00 → 4.80 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 28W

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Surface Pro 81
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G41,16382.83%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G71,19585.11%
3
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G71,404100.00%
01,404

Geekbench 5 Multi-Core

Surface Pro 81
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G42,44550.27%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G73,98081.83%
3
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G74,864100.00%
04,864
Integrated Graphics
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    48 Execution Units, 400 → 1250 MHz
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    80 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1350 MHz
Memory
8GB 16GB 32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X RAM
Storage
128GB 256GB 512GB 1TB
Removable SSD.

Connectivity

Surface Pro 8
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
BluetoothBluetooth Wireless 5.1 technology

Battery

Surface Pro 8
Size
  • 51.5Wh
    Nominal battery capacity.
  • 50.2Wh
    Minimum battery capacity.
Battery LifeUp to 16 hours of typical device usage
Power Supply
  • 60W power supply with USB-A (5W) (65W total)
  • Supports Fast Charge (0-80% in about one hour)

Software

Surface Pro 8
OSWindows 11 Home
Built-in Apps
  • Preloaded Microsoft 365 Apps
  • Microsoft 365 Family 30-day trial
  • Preloaded Xbox app
  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate one month trial

Camera & Audio

Surface Pro 8
Camera
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • 10.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD and 4K video
Audio
  • Dual far-field Studio Mics
  • 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos®

Misc

Surface Pro 8
Inking
  • Supports Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP)
    4096 levels of pressure Tilt sensing Best in class latency Paper feel 0.1mm precision magnetic storage
  • Supports Tactile signals with Surface Slim Pen 2
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
  • Ambient Color Sensor (brightness and color)
Security
  • Firmware TPM chip for enterprise-grade security and BitLocker support
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
In the box
  • Surface Pro 8
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty1-year limited hardware warranty

Key Features

Surface Pro 8
At Glance
Released in Late
2021
3:2 2.8K
13”
1920p 60~120Hz
Weight
1.96 lb
0.89 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-1185G7
4C/8T, 3.00 → 4.80 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,404
Single Core
Geekbench 5
4,864
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1350 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X
Surface Pro 8 Ports

Photos

Our analysis and reviews

Surface Pro 8 image

What we like

Reasons to like about Surface Pro 8.

Supports Windows 11

Surface Pro 8 exceed all minimum system requirements for Windows 11.

RequirementsSurface Pro 8
Secure BootYes
TPM 2.0 TPM 2.0
ProcessorIntel Core i3-1115G4 → Intel Core i7-1185G7
4GB RAM8GB → 32GB
64GB Drive128GB → 1TB
2 Cores CPU2 → 4 cores
All-day battery life of up to 16-hours

According to Microsoft, the Surface Pro 8 lasts up to 16 hours of battery life.

Up to 16 hours of typical device usage
Upgradable storage

Surface Pro 8 comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that you can replace and upgrade in the future. Learn more

Storage SlotsSurface Pro 8
M.2x1
SATA0

What we don't like

Reasons not to like about Surface Pro 8.

Non-upgradable memory

The memory on Surface Pro 8 is soldered to the motherboard, and there is no additional RAM slot for expansion. Since you can't change or add more RAM after you buy, you want to make sure you pick the configuration with the right amount of memory at the initial purchase. Learn more

MemorySurface Pro 8
Slots0 - Onboard
TypeLPDDR4X
Speed4267 MHz

What's new

Improvements over its predecessor.

Slightly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-1185G7 inside Surface Pro 8 has a 8% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-1165G7 inside Surface Pro 7 Plus.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Surface Pro 8 - Intel Core i7-1185G7
4,864
Surface Pro 7 Plus - Intel Core i7-1165G7
4,487
Surface Pro 8 - Intel Core i5-1135G7
3,980
Surface Pro 7 Plus - Intel Core i5-1135G7
3,980
Surface Pro 8 - Intel Core i3-1115G4
2,445
Surface Pro 7 Plus - Intel Core i3-1115G4
2,445
5% larger display

Surface Pro 8 has a 13-inch screen size 5% larger than the 12.3-inch Surface Pro 7 Plus.

Display size
Surface Pro 8
13-inch
Surface Pro 7 Plus
12.3-inch

What's missing

Downsides over its predecessor.

About 14% heavier

Surface Pro 8 weighed 1.96 pounds, 14% heavier than the 1.70 pounds Surface Pro 7 Plus.

WeightSurface Pro 8Surface Pro 7 Plus
Pound
1.96 lbs.
1.70 lbs.
Kilogram
0.89 kg
0.77 kg
Has one fewer port and slot

Surface Pro 8 has fewer ports and slots count than the Surface Pro 7 Plus. It has only six versus seven amount of ports and slots on the Surface Pro 7 Plus.

PortsSurface Pro 8Surface Pro 7 Plus
headphone jackYesYes
microSD card slotNoYes
nanoSIM card slotNoYes
SSD slotYesNo
Surface ConnectYesYes
Surface Type CoverYesYes
Thunderbolt 4Yes x2No
USB-ANoYes
USB-CNoYes
Total67
Worst versatile connectivity

Surface Pro 8 has less versatile I/O connectivity than the Surface Pro 7 Plus. It has only two versus four commonly used ports and slots on the Surface Pro 7 Plus.

PortsSurface Pro 8Surface Pro 7 Plus
headphone jackYesYes
microSD card slotNoYes
Thunderbolt 4YesNo
USB-ANoYes
USB-CNoYes