Windows is available on a huge range of different form factors, although you won’t find many smaller than the Surface Go. Comparing to the high-end Surface Pro, it miniaturise the experience without sacrificing full 2-in-1 functionality.
The 2nd Gen Surface Go increased the screen size from 10in to 10.5in. Microsoft has stuck with these dimensions for its third iteration, with the only notable changes taking place in the device.
The Surface Go 3 is unique because there aren’t many small, inexpensive Windows tablets . Otherwise, the Go 3 is priced similarly to Microsoft’s budget clamshell laptop. Let’s see the Surface Go 3 . Wheather it is enough of an upgrade to justify a new device ?
Display
The Go 3 has the same 10.5in, 1920×1280 touchscreen as its predecessor. Microsoft describes it as a ‘PixelSense’ display, although it’s LCD and not OLED. It delivers impressive detail and good colour accuracy, making it a great option for content consumption.
The Go 3 sticks with a 60Hz panel, while the Pro 8 has made the move to 120Hz.
Specs and performance
The Go 3 has had its biggest upgrade. It features an Intel Core i3 processor (up from Core M3), although this is a 10th-gen chip and not from the latest Tiger Lake. With the same 8GB of RAM, the jump in performance was very noticeable – although that’s compared to the Pentium Gold model of the Go 2.For basic everyday usage, the Go 3 is just fine. Streaming videos is another highlight, but not suitablet for tasking like video editing or gaming.
The Surface Go 3 is one of the first batch to run Windows 11 . It’s Windows 11 Home in S mode here.
Design
The Surface Go 3’s design will be familiar to the one which was used of predecessors. It uses the same magnesium alloy construction that we’ve seen countless times before, but this one is at more affordable price point.
The back of the Go 3 is a built-in kickstand. This is impressively sturdy and can be adjusted to a wide range of different positions to suit your workflow. Once in place, it would not slip.
Camera
The Go 3 has 5.0Mp front-facing camera as its pricier sibling, it supports Full HD (1080p) video. That’s still better than you’ll find on the majority of modern laptops – combined with dual mics, it makes the Go 3 an excellent device for video calls.
The Go 3 also has the single 8Mp rear camera. The latter is fine for document scanning or the occasional home photo, and it does support video up to 4K.
Dual 2W stereo speakers is impressive for a device this size. It’s particularly good at delivering clear, crisp voices. It’s perfectly listenable, but lacks bass and is prone to distortion at higher volumes.Connecting external audio equipment is an easy solution.
The Go 3 has a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C (with no Thunderbolt support), a microSD card slot and Surface Connect for charging.
Battery life
The Go 3 has a nominal capacity of 28Wh. It will last up to 11 hours.Charging speeds are pretty decent - 19% in 15 minutes and 32% in 30 minutes from off.
Price
The Go 3 starts at £369/US$399.99 – that’s £30 cheaper than the Go 2 in the UK. However, that gets you an Intel Pentium 6500Y processor, alongside just 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC.
The Go 3 is a lateral upgrade for Microsoft’s uniquely affordable tablet. You also could consider Go 2.
Post time: Dec-10-2021