Tested: Surface Pro 8 | The best of both worlds

With the Surface Pro 8, Microsoft has redesigned a device that has established itself since 2013 as the perfect two-in-one, between tablet and laptop. On the menu: a superb touch screen, a more modern look and remarkable power. But you have to pay a high price and be satisfied with two USB-C inputs.

Karim Benessaieh
Press

WE love

The Surface Pro 8 is essentially a gifted tablet, equipped with an Intel i5 or i7 processor, which is grafted to a flexible keyboard to become a laptop computer. Its touchscreen is compatible with the Surface Pen, which has a small discreet space between the keyboard and the screen for storage.

Microsoft offers eight different configurations, the model we tested being the middle one with 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD hard drive, and an Intel Evo Core i7 processor.

We first note that the screen has good sensitivity, quite comparable to that of the best tablets on the market, but that it also has an attractive sharpness and brilliance. That’s because the Surface has finally been given a refresh rate of 120 Hz, on a larger screen that is now 13 inches. The screen adapts its brightness and contrast according to the ambient lighting, a rather effective function.

The look is now more rounded, much like the beautiful Surface Pro X, but without the headache of the ARM architecture of the latter model. The magnesium in the shell has given way to aluminum, which makes the device a bit heavier, at 891 grams, but feels more upscale.

You can unlock the device by facial recognition, which is very effective here. In addition to the 5-megapixel front camera which can capture 1080p video, we now have a respectable 10-megapixel rear camera that can go as far as 4K capture.

On the power side, according to our Geekbench 5 benchmarking tests, the Surface Pro 8 is roughly on par with a 2020 MacBook Pro, but outperforms Samsung’s Galaxy Pro Book. On the other hand, its graphics management capacity is exceptional, approaching an iMac 2021 and comparable to our video game computer equipped with an Nvidia GTX 1050 card. The Surface Pro 8 is of course not made for gaming. video, but can handle most productions correctly, if we lower the resolution of the most resource-intensive. On the other hand, she does a more than satisfactory job of broadcasting films and video clips, working on image processing or performing basic video editing.

The battery life is theoretically 16 hours for “normal” use. In our test, it was more like eight hours in constant use for a working day, around seven hours if asked for video streaming.

It has two Thunderbolt USB-C inputs for faster data transfer, a 3.5mm audio jack and a Microsoft plug for charging.

We like less

As is the norm with Surface Pro, the eighth version is expensive. To have 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which we consider the desirable minimum in 2021, you have to pay $ 1,799.99, plus the keyboard and stylus for $ 360.

Two USB-C inputs, even Thunderbolt is not much, and the lack of USB-A inputs always irritates us a bit, most devices still having this format.

In configuration with keyboard, it is very difficult to access the menu at the bottom of the keyboard with your finger.

One buys ?

At this price and with its two-in-one design, you don’t buy a Surface Pro 8 just for everyday work in the office or at home. It is designed to be easily transported, transforming into a tablet when needed while giving the power of a laptop.

The obvious with the Surface Pro 8 is that power is there and not sacrificed in the name of portability. You have to be prepared to pay the price for this versatility, of course.