Microsoft Surface Go 3 Review
Verdict
The Surface Go 3 has seen minor improvements since its predecessor, with a CPU upgrade and Windows eleven improving the tablet experience. But there's petty here to make it more tempting than Apple'due south iPad, especially in one case you gene in the poor bombardment life and mediocre specs.
Pros
- Additional operation
- Windows 11 improves the tablet experience
- Bully pattern, with congenital-in stand
Cons
- Small-scale improvements compared to Surface Go 2
- Poor bombardment life
- Blazon Cover costs extra
- iPad is faster and has a better screen
Availability
- Britain RRP: £369
- Us RRP: $399.99
Key Features
- Improved CPU functioning: Microsoft has upgraded the CPU for the Surface Become 3, boosting the performance compared to its predecessor.
- Pre-installed with Windows 11: Windows 11 enhances the tablet experience with a more than impact-friendly navigation and an improved app store.
- Uniform with Type Encompass: The Surface Go iii can exist connected to a detachable keyboard, turning into a makeshift laptop, merely you'll need to pay extra for this accessory.
Introduction
The Surface Become 3 is the latest entry in Microsoft's range of tablets, which can also be turned into a makeshift laptop when paired with the sold-separately Blazon Cover.
It'southward an appealing form factor for watching video and scrolling through social media, while also beingness handy for writing duties with a clip-on keyboard.
But tin it compete with Apple tree's iPad or the more than fordable Lenovo Chromebook Duet? I'one thousand unconvinced, despite the additions of Windows eleven and a more powerful CPU making information technology a slightly improved experience compared to the Surface Become 2.
Pattern
- No changes to design since Surface Go ii
- Type Encompass still costs extra
- Cracking build quality, and born stand
The Surface Laptop 3 has the exact same design as its predecessor. Even if y'all whip your ruler out and start meticulously measuring every edge, you lot'll realise the dimensions are unchanged at but 8.3mm thick.
I personally don't think this is an event, every bit the Surface Get 3 both looks and feels great, with a metallic build and a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screen boasting a far higher quality than say the cheaper Amazon Fire tablets.
The built-in stand is ane of my favourite aspects of the Surface Go range, assuasive yous to prop it up on a tabular array without the need of a separate accessory. The stand up feels study too, so should easily withstand the bumps of a train journey.
It's unfortunate that Microsoft doesn't packet the Type Embrace with the Go, which costs a whopping £99 – or an even more than costly £124.99 if you desire an Ice Blueish, Platinum or Poppy Red variations. It'due south a similar story with Apple's iPad, but the Lenovo Chromebook Duet is worth checking out if you desire everything arranged together at default.
The Surface Go Blazon Encompass feels fine. Information technology magnetically clips to the tablet's underside, as well as the bottom bezel to create a comfortable slant. Just the keys are rather shallow, and the keyboard's deck is noticeably flimsy, causing the Type Embrace to bounciness upwardly and down as yous hammer at the keys.
Information technology'due south fine for the likes of web browsing, writing emails or even completing short bursts of homework, but those who demand to write lots and lots of copy will likely want a proper keyboard instead.
You'll detect a few ports on the device'southward edge, including USB-C, a MicroSDXC bill of fare reader, 3.5mm headphone jack and the Surface Connect port for power delivery. I'd personally like to accept at to the lowest degree one additional USB-C port, but can understand why Microsoft hasn't been able to clasp a USB-A onto its slender frame.
At that place's too a 1080p webcam to a higher place the screen, which captures surprisingly decent video, at to the lowest degree for the likes of Microsoft Teams and Zoom. It even supports Windows Hello for facial recognition logins. A rear-facing 1080p camera can also be constitute round the back of the device, although it'southward nowhere near the standard of flagship smartphone sensors, and then I don't recommend using it for your holiday snaps.
Display
- Total HD display is ideal for watching video
- Has cracking contrast and a adept range of colours
- iPad boats superior specs and costs less
I've got no complaints with the 10.5-inch screen. The 1920 10 1280 resolution is enough sharp enough for a tablet this size, and it presented video with plenty of effulgence and colour.
I enjoyed watching Netflix and the like on this tablet, proving to exist a good device for portable watching. I was especially impressed to see how vivid the colours looked when watching cartoons such as SpongeBob SquarePants, making it ideal for children.
I used a colorimeter to test the performance of the screen, and the results backed up my first impressions. The 375-nit effigy is easily bright enough for use outdoors, while the 1368:1 recorded contrast is improve than nigh laptop or tablet screens at this price, resulting in a pleasant video feel.
Colour accurateness is high enough for watching video and creating digital art, although you'll want a greater range of colours here for professional piece of work – the Surface Go simply isn't designed for such use cases.
But while I'm quietly pleased with the Surface Go three's display, it's besides worth knowing you lot can become improve elsewhere. Apple's entry-level iPad is not only cheaper, just boasts a x.two-inch screen with a 2160×1620 resolution and up to 500-nits of brightness. And the Surface Become iii screen is no improvement on that of the £279.99 Lenovo Duet Chromebook either.
Performance
- Ii processor options available
- High-stop chip offers reasonable speeds
- Windows eleven improves the tablet experience
Performance is the only area Microsoft has significantly improved the Surface Go iii compared to its predecessor. You now get the choice of ii fries: the dual-core Intel Pentium 6500Y (from £369) or the dual-core Intel Core i3-10100Y (from £569). Neither options are powerful plenty to compete with a high-end laptop, but they're acceptable for a tablet.
Microsoft sent me a unit with an i3-10100Y flake, which is the most powerful you can currently go. The Surface Get 3 ran perfectly well with this chip, hopping from web page to web folio without much delay. Merely don't expect this tablet to ability through taxing applications, equally it's designed for basic twenty-four hours-to-day tasks and trivial else.
| Surface Go 3 | Surface Become 2 | Lenovo Chromebook Duet | |
| Processor | Intel Core i3-10100Y | Intel Pentium Gold 442Y | MediaTek Helio P60T |
| PCMark ten | 2648 | 1888 | N/A |
| Geekbench 5 single-cadre | 907 | 427 | 263 |
| Geekbench 5 multi-cadre | 1596 | 970 | 915 |
The benchmark results show a sizable performance jump compared to the Surface Go 2, although that'south admittedly an unfair comparing since I'thousand using the results of the entry-level Surface Go 2 configuration. In Geekbench 5, the iPad (9th Generation) profoundly outpaces the Surface Get 3 with its 3330 multi-cadre score thanks to the power of the Bionic A13 bit – it'south withal another area where Apple beats Microsoft.
Microsoft sadly hasn't improved the storage capacity, with just 64GB eMMC and 128GB SSD options available. That really isn't much storage infinite at all, so you'll likely need to make a lot of use out of cloud services in order to shop all of your documents, photos and videos.
The Surface Go 3 comes with Windows 11 preinstalled, and the new operating system makes for a far ameliorate tablet experience than Windows 10. The centralised taskbar and a focus on icons and widgets (opposed to claustrophobic menus) take all been designed with a touchscreen in mind. And the improved Windows 11 app store is besides a big boon for those who desire to use the Surface Become iii like a traditional tablet.
That all said, I still retrieve Windows 11 lags backside the likes of iPadOS and ChromeOS for touchscreen utilize. The iPad just offers a far more than streamlined and convenient experience, with no extra fiddling required to get every homescreen and app optimised for prods and swipes. The Surface Go three is arguably more intuitive when used with a keyboard and mouse, merely you're amend off ownership a Chromebook or mid-range Windows laptop if that'southward going to be your main method of use.
Information technology'south besides worth pointing out that Windows 11 is available for free on any Windows laptop or tablet device, as long as it meets the system requirements. This means y'all tin install Windows xi on a Surface Become 2, then you're not getting any benefits in terms of software by spending extra on the Surface Become 3.
Battery life
- Worse battery life than the Surface Get ii
- Lasted simply 7 hours and 30 minutes in benchmark examination
The upgrade to a new processor has actually come at a price for Surface Go 3, as benchmark results suggest it really has worse stamina than the Surface Go 2.
Afterwards turning the effulgence downwards to 150 nits and running the PCMark 10 function battery criterion, the Surface Go 3 lasted just seven hours and 30 minutes before shutting down. For comparison, the Surface Go two lasted 9 hours and 13 minutes in the same exam.
That'south a major issue, every bit the Surface Get 2 already had an average battery life compared to the competition. The iPad (ninth Generation) lasted around 10 hours during testing, while the Lenovo Chromebook Duet was capable of a far more impressive 13-hour figure.
The Surface Go 3'southward poor bombardment life also means that you may be better off sticking with the older Surface Go two instead, particularly since information technology has been discounted this year and will likely feature in the Blackness Friday sales.
Latest deals
Should you buy information technology?
You want a Windows 11 tablet:
Windows xi is a nice step up on Windows x for tablets, with more impact-friendly icons making it far easier to navigate. Yet, it's worth pointing out that Windows 11 is available as an upgrade for the Surface Get two likewise.
You're happy to get for an iPad or Chromebook:
The biggest issue with the Surface Become 3 is that it doesn't offer up an advantage over the iPad, despite Apple'southward tablet seeing a lower price. Lenovo'southward Chromebook Duet also represents superior value by bundling in the detachable keyboard.
Concluding Thoughts
Information technology'due south hard not to be disappointed past the Surface Go 3. The only real improvement here compared to the Surface Become 2 is a speedier processor, simply that'due south also been offset past the shorter battery life.
This is still a good tablet, with a great design and lovely screen, but Apple's iPad offers superior quality at a cheaper toll, while the Lenovo Chromebook Duet represents far better value since it bundles in the keyboard attachment free of charge.
How we exam
Nosotros examination every tablet we review thoroughly. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly and we utilise the tablet as our master device over the review period. We'll always tell y'all what we discover and we never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Used as our master tablet during test flow
Tested with constructed benchmarks and real world employ
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FAQs
Can you apply a mouse with Surface Get?
Yep, you lot'll be able to use a wireless mouse since it features Bluetooth. Wired mice are a niggling more than tricky, as there'southward no USB-A port, but you can plug an adaptor into the USB-C port instead.
Does the Surface go have USB ports?
Yes, only simply the latest USB-C standard. It does feature the old rectangle-shaped USB-A connexion.
Does Microsoft Surface Go come with keyboard?
No, you lot'll need to pay extra for the keyboard accompaniment, which has a starting toll of £99.99.
Trusted Reviews test data
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PCMark 10
Geekbench five unmarried cadre
Geekbench 5 multi core
3DMark Time Spy
CrystalDiskMark Read speed
CrystalMarkDisk Write Speed
Brightness
Blackness level
Contrast
White Visual Colour Temperature
sRGB
Adobe RGB
DCI-P3
PCMark Battery (office)
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Full specs
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Screen Engineering
Convertible?
Touch Screen
Ports
GPU
Connectivity
RAM
Colours
Brandish Technology
Refresh Rate
ASIN
Release Appointment
First Reviewed Appointment
Resolution
Weight
Bombardment Hours
Front Camera
Size (Dimensions)
Screen Size
Manufacturer
Storage Capacity
CPU
USA RRP
UK RRP
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Jargon buster
Refresh Charge per unit
The number of times the screen refreshes itself per second.
Nits
The effulgence level of a display. 300 nits is regarded as the minimum target for loftier-end screens.
USB-C
The modern USB connector you'll find on most Android phones, new laptops, cameras and games consoles. It's reversible and used for charging along with data-transfer.
Source: https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/surface-go-3
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