But we think the ability to deal with outdoors use is more important here than getting close to the punch of an OLED TV image in a dark, dark room. Maximum brightness of 450 nits - bang on Microsoft’s claim - is bright enough to let you work comfortably outside on a bright day, which we did try, even though the Surface Pro 8 has a glossy glass display surface.Ĭontrast is typical for an IPS LCD, at around 1000:1, making blacks look a little raised if you play a game at night. The panel has well-saturated, well-calibrated colour, but doesn’t dive into the kind of next-generation mini LED tech seen in the priciest iPad Pros. It is a reminder that while this is a lifestyle gadget par excellence, it can also be a work PC if that’s what you need. The actual display panel has squared-off corners, not the cutesy rounded ones of a Samsung Galaxy Tab S7. Screenĭisplay size aside, the Surface Pro 8 screen seems familiar. This thing is the size it is for a specific reason, to provide incredible portability while still being just about large enough to let the keyboard accessory have well-spaced full-size keys.

It doesn’t bump the Surface Pro 8 into a new category, but that’s the whole point. The last generation Surface Pro 7 had a 12in screen, this one has a 12.3in screen. It’s not a dramatic change, but Microsoft has also got on board with the screen bezel improvements seen in “normal” laptops, to squeeze in a larger display. The sides are a little curvier this time, though, softening out the screen surround contours. This keeps the weight at a fairly low 890g while delivering good strength and an expensive feel. Microsoft uses, as ever, a magnesium-aluminium alloy for the Surface Pro 8’s casing.

Microsoft surface pro 8 launch date