Surface Pro 8 could launch very soon — here are the juicy details

Surface Pro 7
(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

The arrival of Microsoft's Surface Pro 8 appears imminent after FCC filings were discovered approving Wi-Fi 6 and LTE hardware inside a 2-in-1 device.

While the filing doesn't explicitly name the Surface Pro 8, rumors and leaks suggest the tablet will be the next Surface product released. And if this is indeed the Pro 8, it will likely launch soon because FCC filings typically precede releases by a few weeks or months. 

Indeed, the Surface Pro 8 is expected by leakers and analysts to launch in early 2021. 

What else can we gather from the filing? There's some good and some bad. We're disappointed to see a Quectel LTE-A Cat 12 M.12 module offering LTE connectivity instead of 5G on the mobile version although the addition of mobile broadband will be appreciated by frequent travelers. 

On a positive note, an Intel AX201 adapter retains Wi-Fi 6, the latest home internet standard, on Microsoft's convertible. The tablet also supports Bluetooth 5 for reliable pairing to headphones and other wireless devices. 

You won't see these connectivity features but they'll improve the user experience for those who need reliable internet. As for more tactile changes, those remain to be seen. A leaked photo posted by a Twitter user named @Cozyplanes shows the Surface Pro 8 as being nearly identical to its predecessor. 

You can bet on new internals, likely an 11th Gen Intel CPU, and the base is rumored to start at 8GB of RAM while high-end configs will now go up to 32GB. We're tracking the latest news about the Surface Pro 8 in our news and rumors hub. And if this FCC filing is any indication, expect our full review in the coming weeks.

H/T Windows Latest

Phillip Tracy

Phillip Tracy is the assistant managing editor at Laptop Mag where he reviews laptops, phones and other gadgets while covering the latest industry news. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Phillip became a tech reporter at the Daily Dot. There, he wrote reviews for a range of gadgets and covered everything from social media trends to cybersecurity. Prior to that, he wrote for RCR Wireless News covering 5G and IoT. When he's not tinkering with devices, you can find Phillip playing video games, reading, traveling or watching soccer.