However, under the hood Microsoft claims to have put in work on the software side that should make writing on the screen with the Surface Slim Pen 2 stylus (sold separately for $129) feel a bit more natural. Writing on the Surface Pro 9 with a Surface stylus should feel better than ever (according to Microsoft) thanks to some under-the-hood upgrades (Image credit: Microsoft) Microsoft hasn't changed up the design of the Surface Pro 9 at all, which isn't necessarily a problem since the design of the Surface Pro 8 is pretty solid. Microsoft Surface Pro 9 vs Surface Pro 8: Design Wi-Fi 6E 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, 5GĥMP front (Windows Hello + Windows Studio Effects) 10MP rearĢ USB-C/Thunderbolt 4, headphone jack, 1 Surface Connect port, 1 Surface Keyboard portĢ USB-C 3.2, headphone jack, Nano-sim slot, 1 Surface Connect port, 1 Surface Keyboard portĢ USB-C/Thunderbolt 4, headphone jack, 1 Surface Connect Microsoft Surface Pro 9 vs Surface Pro 8: Specs Note that Microsoft is currently selling the Surface Pro 8 from $699, but we're not certain how long these discounts will last. On the other hand, the Surface Pro 9 with SQ3 offers optional 5G connectivity (at an extra charge, of course), which is an improvement over the LTE wireless connectivity offered on the old Surface Pro X tablets.

Of course, last year's Surface Pro X had a starting price of $899, so it's a little depressing to see Microsoft selling the ARM-based Surface Pro 9 for $300 more. The fact that there's now a version of the Pro 9 powered by Microsoft's ARM-based SQ3 processor for $1,299 likely spells the end of the Surface Pro X, which until now was the Surface tablet sold with wireless connectivity and Microsoft's SQ1 and SQ2 ARM-based chips. Right away we see a big difference from the Surface Pro 8, which was sold only with Intel chips at a starting price of $999. The Surface Pro 9 not only comes with Intel chips, it now also comes in a 5G version packing Microsoft's new SQ3 SoC.

Surface pro 8 artist review