The Lenovo is also more up to speed in wireless support, with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 compared to the Surface Pro 8’s Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1. The Surface Pro 8 also includes a microSD card reader, which the Yoga lacks. The Surface Pro 8 has two USB-C 3.2 ports with Thunderbolt 4 support, the proprietary Surface Connect port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. It includes a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, a USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port, two USB-C 4.0 ports with Thunderbolt 4 support, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The Surface Slim 2 Pen also snaps into a slot on the Signature Type Cover for storage and charging, while the Yoga’s pen has no such convenience.Ĭonnectivity is one area where the Yoga 9i 14 Gen 7 outclasses the Surface Pro 8. The Yoga 9i 14 Gen 7’s included active pen is fine, but it can’t match the Surface Pro 8 for precise and natural inking. The optional Surface Slim 2 Pen mates perfectly with the display and includes haptic feedback that more closely mimics the feel of a pencil on paper. The Surface Pro 8 excels in this arena as a tablet made for pen use.
There’s no doubt, though, that the Yoga’s larger version is more functional. Both are precise, though, thanks to Windows Precision drivers, and both provide reliable support for Windows 11’s multitouch gestures. The Yoga 9i 14 Gen 7’s touchpad is quite a bit larger than the one provided on the Signature Type Cover. We rate the Surface Pro 8’s keyboard as better if you can handle the bounce. The Yoga’s switches aren’t as deep, however, and they’re softer, making it a much lighter keyboard that might not offer the precision some fast-touch typists are looking for. The Yoga 9i 14 Gen 7’s keyboard is also full-size, with a helpful row of special function keys along the right side that let you change the performance tuning, turn on background blur in video, switch audio and video modes, and log in via fingerprint reader. It’s a precise keyboard, with the only complaint being that it bounces around a bit when it’s propped up at an angle. It offers large keycaps and wide key spacing with deep and snappy switches. The Surface Pro 8’s optional Signature Type Cover provides a surprisingly good experience for a detachable keyboard. Choose either of these machines and you’ll gain some of the best build quality available in a laptop. The Surface Pro 8’s kickstand holds the tablet firmly in place from almost straight up to lying almost completely flat, while the Yoga’s hinge allows opening the laptop with one hand while confidently keeping the lid in its chosen orientation. Both laptops are built incredibly well, with no bending, flexing, or twisting.
That’s a switch for the Surface Pro 8, which was previously made of lighter magnesium.
The Yoga 9i 14 Gen 7 and Surface Pro 8 are both constructed of CNC machined aluminum. Which of these styles is better for you depends entirely on whether you need a tablet that can stand in for a clamshell or a clamshell that can function as a tablet on occasion. It’s more stable as a clamshell than the Surface Pro 8, but it’s not nearly as comfortable to use as a tablet. The Yoga 9i 14 Gen 7 is a 360-degree convertible with a display that swivels all the way around and allows the laptop to be used in four modes - clamshell, tent, media, and tablet. It’s not as stable in a lap as a typical laptop, but it works well when sitting on a flat surface. The Surface Pro 8 is a tablet first, with a Signature Type Cover keyboard that snaps magnetically to the bottom of the slate and turns it into a pseudo-clamshell machine. The most significant difference between the two laptops is their 2-in-1 design. Both laptops are attractive, modern machines among the best-looking in their class. It retains the same slate design as before, coming in either Platinum (silver) or Graphite (black), with the iconic Surface Pro kickstand that extends out from the center of the back of the tablet. The Surface Pro 8’s display increased from 12.3 inches to 13 inches, and its bezels were thinned out, making the new version only slightly larger than its predecessor despite the larger screen. You have a choice in colors, either Oatmeal (silver) or Storm Gray (dark gray), which carry throughout the laptop’s design. Those round chrome edges not only give the Yoga 9i 14 Gen 7 an elegant sleekness, but they also make it much more comfortable to hold in tablet mode. The lid’s edges retain an angle, giving the laptop a distinctive look from the sides. The Yoga 9i 14 Gen 7 saw its sharp edges completely rounded out and layered in chrome, especially along the edges of the chassis. Fitbit Versa 3ġ2.52 inches by 9.06 inches by 0.6 inchesīoth machines received significant revisions in their latest versions.