The latest leaks for the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 suggest that the upcoming tablet-laptop hybrid won’t be particularly different from the Surface Pro 7. The leak details European pricing for every model and shows that the base configuration will get a small spec bump.
The Surface Pro 8 is set to start at €899 with prices going as high at €1,649 for the most expensive model. In other words, almost the exact same pricing as the Surface Pro 7. It's disappointing, to say the least.
- Everything we know about Microsoft's Surface Pro 8
- Here are the best tablets you can buy right now
- Plus: This $3,000 door opens automatically when your dog needs to whiz
This news comes from WinFuture’s Roland Quandt, corroborating his previous report detailing all the different Surface Pro 8 models that will be going on sale later this year.
Surface Pro 8 US pricing:i3/8/128GB 899,99i5/8/128GB 999,99i5/8/256GB 1299,99i5/16/256GB 1499,99i7/16/256GB 1599,99i7/16/512GB 1999,99i7/16/1TB 2399,99i7/32/1TB 2799,99i5/8/128GB LTE 1149,99i5/8/256GB LTE 1449,99i5/16/256GB LTE 1649,99i5/8/128GB EDU 899,99January 11, 2021
From the looks of things, the Surface 8 Pro variants haven’t changed much since Quandt’s last big leak, though there is an additional i5 model labelled “Edu.” Presumably, that is an educational model, and explains why it’s €100 less than the standard i5/8/128GB model.
It also means the cheapest model, powered by a Core i3 processor, has 8GB of RAM this time around, effectively retiring the 4GB variant. It makes sense, and means the base-level experience should be a lot speedier than it was on the Surface Pro 7.
Of course, since there’s an i5 model available for just €100 more, the i3 model may not prove to be very popular. That’s presumably why the i3 variant will not be available with LTE connectivity.
Everything we’ve heard about the Surface Pro 8 so far suggests that it’s going to be remarkably similar to the Surface Pro 7 in terms of design. We’re expecting to see plenty of upgraded internals, most notably with Intel’s new Tiger Lake processors.
Per Quandt’s reports, we’ve also seen that the maximum amount of RAM and storage will also be increased to 32GB and 1TB respectively. Of course, it's only be available on the most premium Surface Pro 8s, which come packing Intel’s Core i7 processors.
So, if you were holding out for a Surface Pro 8, you’re probably more disappointed with each passing leak. While we can’t say for sure whether it’ll be worth buying until after launch, the more we hear, the less it seems that it’s a worthy upgrade to the Surface Pro 7. It may come to a point where it fails to earn itself a spot on our best tablets list.
