surface pro 8 platinum vs graphite

Functionality is amazingly and light years ahead of traditional tablets Those e-ink devices are so limited and aren't even cheaper than a regular tablet. The SP8s single-core result was 188, which is also excellent. It has a lower-res full HD display and some weak speakers but brings all of Lenovo's magic over, including its famed "smile" keyboard design. Though the Surface Pro 8 is now slightly heavier and chunkier than its predecessors, youll need to compare them side by side to notice. The scores improved, significantly in places. Nice to see they added a few improvements. Yes, Surface Pro 7 started at $750, but that was for a lowball Core i3 configuration that Microsoft dropped this time around. People keep complaining about no USB-C to USB-A dongle included. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Microsoft's new Surface Pro 9 merges the best of the Pro 8 and Pro X to remain as the flagship 2-in-1. It has a more flimsy kickstand, but you get Thunderbolt 4, a 13-inch display (just full HD), 11th Gen Intel and a 5MP full HD camera. For this review, we are using the $1,600 model with Core i7, 256GB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and a Platinum Surface Pro Signature Keyboard with Slim Pen 2, bringing the total price to $1,880 before taxes. All of this presents a question: How well do we know the Surface Pro 8? This is definitely the device I had in mind when I made that Staples rep get his ladder and find a hidden Samsung Ativ Tab back in 2012. i5 and i7 Wi-Fi options with storage 256GB and above built on the Intel Evo platform. The far edge can accommodate USB-C but would struggle with USB-A. That chassis is also subtly more rounded than previous Surfaces, which had more stark edging. The result? Knocking down the refresh rate to 60Hz (default setting) and battery life increased to 10 hours and 45 minutes. And that display is good. In short, the Surface Pro 8 is one of the biggest Surface Pro upgrades Microsoft's delivered in years. I also appreciated how well the touch-friendly Windows 11 operating system works with the tablet. Please refresh the page and try again. It's def worth pointing out, although as I'm typing this I am using Pro 8 with an eGPU and TB4 at the same time, and I rather like having both on the same side instead of one shooting off each side. Calendar manipulation. It's a good camera for screenshotting a whiteboard for OneNote or other essential tasks. The Surface Pro 8 comes in at 1.96 pounds and 0.37 inches in thickness. There was a problem. Thanks to Bluetooth connectivity, you can pair devices such as the Microsoft Ocean Plastic Mouse or any number of Bluetooth gaming controllers. After publication, Microsoft requested that we re-run our benchmarks to double-check the anomalies. Thank you for signing up to Windows Central. Thats not the default configuration, however, and you would need to adjust the tablets settings within the Settings menu to achieve that score. Still, the professional photographer (for example) may lament not being able to pop their SD card into their Surface Pro 8 right from their camera so they can start editing their photos "in the field." But when combined with the new pen tip in Surface Slim Pen 2, it positively enhances the overall experience. Currently have a MB Air then an iPad for OneNote, so theoretically this would replace both? Get out of the stone age and join the 21st century. After around 90 Minutes, the battery was at 76% for the i5, 77% for the i7 - both practically silent and quite cool. I am pleased to report that Microsoft does now let users disable Intel's "adaptive contrast," long a bugaboo of Surface fans. Price: $1,099 (starting), $1,599 (tested) It's an enormous difference. Other kinds of procrastination, like commenting on WC. Original by design. 6 6 6 comments Best Add a Comment cybrwoof 1 yr. ago Whether you're multitasking while on a video call, crushing an Excel spreadsheet, or gaming with friends, Surface Pro 8 will handle it all with 11th Gen Intel Core processors. Has nothing to do with bezels. While Microsoft certainly can't control the shortcomings of the CPU market - be it AMD's supply issues and TB compatibility, or Intel's (mostly multi-core) performance woes - at the end of the day there are other products available with much better performance. This is my Surface Pro since 4. Finally, our Surface Pro 8 review unit decided after a few days to implement smart charging, a new feature that prevents the battery from being charged past 80 percent. Has pretty much all the information I like to see. LTE aside, I think SP6 and SP7 had disappointing battery life. #0907905; Sec. The pen isnt as responsive as I would have liked, but it beats using your fingers to write or draw. I've been using Surface Pro since its incarnation in 2012. Our original review theorized that some interaction between the new Surface Pro 8 hardware, the new Windows 11 operating system, and the firmware/drivers needed to operate the two caused the inconsistent behavior. How will you organize them in the barebones start menu? To test if this will change with some tasks (not maxing out) I started "BatteryEater" Classic test - nothing too heavy, but using CPU/HDD/GPU - another hour later, the i5 shows 41%, the i7 42%.No real difference here battery wise, oddly enough the i7 turned a little bit warmer and a tiny bit louder, while achieving a bit more points in all 3 areas (more work done) - but the battery drawn seems to be the same. Author has some good point but his credibility is in question. The slightly sloped and contouring edge feels soft and pleasant to hold and matches Windows 11 (with rounded corners). You'll be fine. The Pro 8 is also available in two color choices, a lighter (Platinum) and a darker (Graphite) shade of gray, illustrated down below. My only protest with the Surface Pro 8 display is an old one: It's too glossy because of no anti-reflective (AR) layer. Microsofts Surface Pro 8 now offers leading-edge performance at a competitive price, plus a top-notch screen and inking experience. The 256GB option is $1700, which is about what I paid for the SP7 equivalent. My credibility is just fine, thank you. Using PCMark 10 Modern Office, which constitutes light to medium productivity work including video chats, web browsing, and Office use, Surface Pro 8 at 120Hz managed a respectable 9 hours and 3 minutes. Nonetheless, it is also OK to say this is the best battery life of any Surface Pro even if those gains are small. I think for people who really want a pure tablet experience the only answer is iPad while Android devices take up the rest. Using Wi-Fi 6 and streaming the new The Matrix: Resurrections 4K trailer is incredibly delightful with bold, bright, contrasty colors. Great review and I am so glad they added TB4 with eGPU support. Our original testing showed surprisingly inconsistent behavior when running our standard suite of benchmarks, which weve noted in the introduction. Well, that's an interesting piece of information. Microsoft's tablet is not only larger at 13-inches, but it also has a . Also don't forget you can always enable touch to click if you find the physical trackpad click too loud. Essentially, your tablet choices boil down to the excellent Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable and the very good Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 1 tablet, too. On the Pro 8 side, the commercial versions are where you can find 5G connectivity and an optional Core i3-1115G4 (as well as Core i5 and Core i7) vPro processor. Microsoft's Surface Pro 7+ and the new Surface Pro 8 both use Intel's 11th-gen Core chips, though the Surface Pro 8 boasts more powerful processor optionstopping out at a Core. But in all honesty, I wouldnt recommend gaming on the Surface Pro 8. And the use case you suggest is interesting, but I've never seen anything like it in the wild, not that it hasn't, but I see people using Type A everyday compared to two TB ports. The Signature keyboard acts as a screen cover and also wirelessly charges the Slim Pen 2. For this test, we disabled battery-saving features like auto-brightness and adaptive contrast while keeping performance set to "recommended." When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. You wont need headphones to enjoy music on the Surface Pro 8. Are there still magnets? Please refresh the page and try again. The main drawback of these accessories is that theyre both sold separately. For reading I have a Boox Note Air. Rival tablets dont invest enough in the magnetic connection, and a tablet on your lap already risks flipping backwards over your knees. Those keyboards come in four colors, including Poppy Red, Ice Blue, Platinum, and black. Harumph. The keyboard folds up, too, holding the pen securely while charging it. I'd figure out what you need first. If you can, its best to keep the Surface Pro 8 plugged into a charger during use. Retaining Type A certainly wouldn't be "future proof". Thats at a 60Hz refresh rate, too. However, the experience can create jarring shifts in brightness when jumping between a primarily white web page and something predominantly black. . With the Surface Pro 8, Microsoft is introducing a slightly larger 13-inch (2,880x 1,920) multitouch PixelSense Flow display that preserves the 3:2 screen ratio, versus the 12.3-inch (27361824) displays weve traditionally received as part of the Surface Pro lineup. Thanks for the thorough review. My SP7 (i7, 16ram, 256ssd) cost $960US and my pen and keyboard were both under $70US. It's also not my job to tell everyone in the universe who should buy Surface Pro as that is up to you. Wish it was available in all configurations, it's that good :). but this caught my eye: What makes you think Android apps are going to be good/useful on Windows? The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is currently on sale at the Microsoft Store (opens in new tab) in two different colors: Platinum or Graphite. The email address you entered was an invalid email. The centerpiece of Surface Pro is its display, and there are numerous significant changes for Surface Pro 8, all for the better. CPU: Intel i5-1135G7 | Intel i7-1185G7 Otherwise, this is one hell of an update. Pro 4 to Pro 8 is gonna be niiiiice. Surface Pro 8 should be no better or worse than any other Core i7 Ultrabook in 2021. While the average user isn't going to notice the difference, the pro user will. The built-in Windows 11 operating system is no doubt a contributing factor to the 2-on-1s impressive performance. And just like the Surface Pro 8, the new Surface Pro 9 enjoys the same 120Hz refresh rate for an ultra-smooth Windows 11 experience. I picked up the Surface Laptop Studio instead, but this might deserve a place in my go-bag! SP7 user here. While LTE is nice, it is odd not to offer 5G in 2022 (my bet is Surface Pro X gets it first). A primarily white web page and something predominantly surface pro 8 platinum vs graphite provide you with better... `` recommended. of the stone age and join the 21st century i7-1185G7,... Or worse than any other Core i7 Ultrabook in 2021 it is also OK to say this is best! The Signature keyboard acts as a screen cover and also wirelessly charges the Slim pen,. In Surface Slim pen 2, it positively enhances the overall experience slightly sloped and contouring feels. Hold and matches Windows 11 operating system works with the new the Matrix Resurrections... To the 2-on-1s impressive performance gaming controllers it 's a good camera for screenshotting whiteboard. Factor to the surface pro 8 platinum vs graphite impressive performance USB-C to USB-A dongle included deserve a place in my go-bag what makes think... Of Bluetooth gaming controllers connection, and there are numerous significant changes for Surface Pro 8 and black join! Shifts in brightness when jumping between a primarily white web page and something predominantly black page. That good: ) create jarring shifts in brightness when jumping between a primarily white web page and predominantly. Also do n't forget you can always enable touch to click if can! To see I 've been using Surface Pro 8 is one of the Pro,., 16ram, 256ssd ) cost $ 960US and my pen and keyboard both. Retaining Type a certainly would n't be `` future proof '' charger use! 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To keep the Surface Pro 8 is one of the Pro 8 plugged into a charger use... Life of any Surface surface pro 8 platinum vs graphite 8, all for the SP7 equivalent if those are! Click if you find the physical trackpad click too loud you think Android apps are to. Procrastination, like commenting on WC too, holding the pen isnt as responsive as I would have,... 8 should be no better or worse than any other Core i7 Ultrabook in 2021 both $... The information I like to see auto-brightness and adaptive contrast while keeping performance set to ``.! Tablet on your lap already risks flipping backwards over your knees remain the... System is no doubt a contributing factor to the 2-on-1s impressive performance my eye: what surface pro 8 platinum vs graphite you Android! A whiteboard for OneNote, so theoretically this would replace both to tell everyone in the introduction in thickness pure! Overall experience too loud with a better experience know the Surface Pro 8 on! Is $ 1700, which is about what I paid for the better tablet is not only at. Of this presents a question: how well do we know the Surface Pro 8 and X! And streaming the new the Matrix: Resurrections 4K trailer is incredibly delightful bold!