The matte finish looks nice, despite being prone to picking up fingerprint marks and scratches a little too easily, and the tablet is light enough to carry and use on the go without breaking your back. The tablet’s metal frame feels well-built and offers next to no flex when pressed. The smaller bezel is welcome, and like past Surfaces, there is plenty to like about the design. The only big visible difference is that the new Surface Pro 8 has a smaller, but still noticeable, bezel around its screen. It also comes with a built-in kickstand, which can be used to prop the tablet up at varying angles, including an artist’s easel. The tablet adds slightly rounded edges and a flat back. This changed with the Surface Pro 8 and its contemporary design boost, but the new Surface Pro 9 reverts to type with no visual differences, sans a new Forest green colour option.

Surface devices traditionally have fairly utilitarian designs, with Microsoft tending to make minor refinements, rather than outright changes year-on-year. The Type Cover and Slim Pen 2 are sold separately.The Surface Pro X-esque redesign is excellent.But niggling issues with its software make it feel a little difficult to use as a standalone tablet.īut the flipside, when paired with a Type Cover, and the Slim Pen 2 its Windows 11 software lets it function much better as a full fat laptop replacement than its Apple rival, making it better for office use. Microsoft has refined its design and added upgrades like more powerful components and a 120Hz screen. This puts it in direct competition with Apple’s iPad Pro line of tablets. The Surface Pro 8 is Microsoft’s flagship convertible tablet-come-laptop from 2021, letting buyers use it as a Windows tablet or portable laptop/sketch station when paired with the optional Signature Cover case and Slim Pen 2. Does not ship with keyboard or stylus You have to pay extra for the Signature Cover keyboard and Slim Pen 2.Windows 11 software The Surface Pro 8 runs using the latest version of Microsoft’s Windows operating system.

Fast refresh rate screen The 13-inch screen can run at 60 or 120Hz, making it better for gaming than past Surfaces.

Microsoft surface pro x 13 inch