Just days ahead of Microsoft’s next Surface hardware event, Twitter user @Shadlow_Leak has posted what appears to be a leaked retail listing showing some key specs of a new Surface Pro device (via The Verge). According to the listing, the new convertible tablet appears to ditch USB-C and USB-A ports in favor of a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, and it also adds 11th-gen Intel Core processors, a 13-inch screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate, and a user-replaceable SSD like the ones in some other current Surface devices.
The renders show a Surface with a design similar to the current Surface Pro 7, just with a notably larger screen and smaller bezels than the current Surface Pro 7. Take this with a larger grain of salt—the “screens” in these press renders are often superimposed on the devices after the fact, and they’ve been known to get the screen size wrong. Still, a larger screen with smaller bezels lines up with other Surface Pro 8 rumors that have been circulating, as well as general design trends in the PC industry.
A larger screen for the Surface Pro 8 would make this the biggest overhaul of the hardware since 2014’s Surface Pro 3. Microsoft has been intentionally conservative about updating the device’s design over the years in order to maintain compatibility with existing chargers, keyboard covers, and accessories. 2019’s Surface Pro X introduced a refined design, but that tablet is only available with ARM processors rather than x86 chips from Intel or AMD, limiting compatibility and performance for many existing Windows apps.
We’re hoping to see a new Surface Pro and all kinds of other Surface hardware at Microsoft’s hardware event on September 22. Current rumors also point to a redesigned Surface Book, and a new iteration of the dual-screened Surface Duo Android phone has just been cleared by the FCC.
