Surface Pro 8 release date: Microsoft’s next 2-in-1 to launch mid-January 2021 with 11th-gen Intel CPU

More evidence recently appeared online suggesting that Microsoft is going to update its 2-in-1 tablet computer line. It appears that the company gearing up to launch Surface Pro 8, and it could be happening much sooner than anticipated.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 release date

It now looks like the year 2020 will go by without a new installment to Microsoft’s popular Surface Pro series. Tech fans saw its latest launch happen in fall 2019 with Surface Pro 7.

Now, Surface Pro 8 is once again making headlines after a leaker based in South Korea shared some images that reportedly show two upcoming computers from Microsoft. Twitter user cozyplanes reported that the tablet in one of the pictures is tentatively named Surface Pro 8 with model number 1960 and has been registered with another variant with code 1961 that supports LTE connectivity.

Windows Central’s sources echo the potential release of Surface Pro 8’s LTE variant. The same report cited that the upcoming 2-in-1 tablet computer would be launched in mid-January 2021. Since 2018, new Surface Pro devices have been launched in October. But having the Surface Pro 8 announced in January is good news as it suggests Microsoft is not waiting for an entire year to update the Surface Pro series.

Microsoft is expected to have a busy 2021

The other leaked image shared by cozyplanes is reportedly the upcoming Surface Laptop 4 with model number 1950. In the same Windows Central report, the Surface Pro 8 and Surface Laptop 4 are both expected to be powered by CPUs released from the Intel 11th generation series paired with Intel’s Xe graphics. The latter is expected to have the same release date window and with a variant powered by an AMD Ryzen chip.

These two devices are not the only product launch events Microsoft could host in 2021. The company is also expected to ship the Surface Duo in more territories next year. The foldable device was first released in September, powered by the Android operating system, but was only available to customers in the United States. It launched with Android 10 and Snapdragon 855 chipset that was optimized for dual-screen functions.

Featured photo by Zachary Fetters on Unsplash