Microsoft Surface 3 10.8″ Tablet with Intel Atom CPU, Optional Keyboard & Pen
The Microsoft Surface 3 is a tablet with a 10.8″ display and an entry-level Intel Atom processor. However, it isn’t just another model in the sea of affordable Atom-based Windows tablets. As stand-out features, it has a non-standard 3:2 display aspect ratio, digitizer pen input support, a kickstand, and optional 4G LTE connectivity.
The Surface 3 takes design cues from the popular Surface 3 Pro, with beefier hardware components and larger display. But, the non-Pro version is still suitable for daily home and office duties, thanks to the brand new Intel Atom x7-Z8700 quad-core processor with decent performance and an extremely low power consumption.
System memory and data storage options are 2GB / 64GB and 4GB / 128GB.
The 3:2 screen aspect ratio and is a bit unusual for a modern PC. But, that’s good productivity-wise. When coupled with 1920×1280 resolution instead of common 1920×1080, the aspect ratio provides roominess for extra rows of text in your Word, Excel, web browsers, and other apps.
To help you with productivity even more, Microsoft delivers separately sold backlit keyboard cover and digitizer pen. The 3-position kickstand on the back of the device enables its use as a traditional laptop.
The slate has two cameras. The rear shooter has an 8-megapixel sensor, while the front cam has 3.5 megapixels. Both are capable of capturing 1080p videos and the rear one has autofocus. The frontal camera provides a better resolution than the average Windows tablet, usually having a 720p cameras, so Surface 3 is obviously good for video chats.
Other notable features are Wi-Fi supporting the latest 802.11AC standard, Bluetooth, aforementioned optional 4G LTE connection (no word on mobile carrier support yet), a full-size USB 3.0 port, micro DisplayPort video output, a microSD card reader for storage expansion, and a micro USB port which is used for charging.
Primarily thanks to the power-savvy processor, the Surface 3 has a long battery life of up to 10 hours (according to Microsoft’s estimation).
The tablet weighs in at 1.4 pounds, so it’s quite light considering the screen size. The thickness or better said thinness of the system is just 0.34″.
The Microsoft Surface 3 starts at $499. The Wi-Fi-only version is available for pre-order now and will be on sale beginning May 5th, whereas there’s no info on availability date of the 4G variant. All models include a 1-year Office 365 Personal subscription.
Update: Best Buy will have the Surface 3 with a $100 discount during Black Friday 2015 sales event.
Specifications of the Microsoft Surface 3
Here are the specs of the Microsoft Surface 3 with descriptions of its features. For comparison against other laptops, you can use the "Compare Specs" button.
Brand | Microsoft |
---|---|
Screen Size | 10.8-inch This is a very small display for a laptop or tablet PC. |
Screen Resolution | 1920x1280 pixels This screen resolution provides a decent image sharpness and a lot of space on the display for the user interface and programs. It's similar to the popular Full HD. However, these resolutions aren't as good as the premium-class 4K Ultra HD and similar. |
Touchscreen | Finger multi-touch input The screen supports finger touch input, including multi-touch gestures. Active digitizer pen input The screen supports active digitizer pen input, besides the common finger multi-touch input. In comparison to simple capacitive pens you can use on any touchscreen, active digitizer pen input provides advanced features like pressure sensitivity. Check with the laptop seller whether the active pen is included in the package. |
Other Display Specs | IPS type Displays based on IPS technology provide much wider viewing angles than the budget-class TN screens. |
Processor (CPU) | Intel Atom x7-Z8700 quad-core 1.6-2.4GHz 2MB cache (User Benchmark CPU score: 20) |
Graphics (GPU) | Intel HD integrated graphics of low-end CPUs (only for the lightest gaming) |
System Memory (RAM) Size | 2GB RAM 2GB RAM size is rare nowadays and makes laptops with it almost unusable due to the low capacity. The recommended size is at least 8GB. 4GB RAM 4GB is a small RAM size for computing in 2023. For smooth operation of a laptop during everyday tasks, at least 8GB is recommended. |
Data Storage | 64GB eMMC A very small but usable capacity. 128GB eMMC 128GB is a relatively small storage space. However, it is usable if you don't store a lot of large files like movies and don't install a lot of programs. |
DVD Optical Drive | None |
Keyboard & Input | Touchscreen Active digitizer pen |
Speakers & Audio | Stereo speakers As usual, the device features a pair of built-in stereo speakers. |
Camera | Front + rear Laptops usually feature a frontal webcam located on the display bezel. This device additionally has a rear camera. |
Wi-Fi Wireless | 802.11AC The 802.11AC is the previous-generation wireless networking standard. It's also known as Wi-Fi 5. 802.11AC is succeeded by 802.11AX Wi-Fi 6 with data transfer speed and multi-device connectivity improvements. |
Ethernet Network Port | No This laptop has no Ethernet LAN port for wired internet and networking connectivity. |
Mobile broadband (4G LTE) | Yes (Optional) |
Bluetooth | Yes This laptop has a built-in Bluetooth module. It enables you to connect the computer to Bluetooth mice and other Bluetooth peripherals, smartphones, and other Bluetooth-equipped devices. |
USB Ports | 1 x micro USB 2.0 1 x USB 3.0 A standard full-size USB port. |
Video Output Ports | 1 x mini DisplayPort DisplayPort is a digital video output port. It is not as widely used as HDMI. The laptop has a compact "mini" version of DisplayPort on its side. |
Media Card Reader | MicroSD card reader The laptop has a slot for MicroSD memory cards. These are small SD cards commonly used in smartphones. |
Other Features | Microsoft (Office) 365 Personal 1-year subscription for free By purchasing this laptop, you get a free-of-charge 1-year subscription for Microsoft 365 Personal package that also includes MS Office programs. |
Battery | "up to 10 hours" battery life |
Weight | 1.4 pounds |
Height | 0.3" |
Width | 10.5" |
Depth | 7.3" |
Windows Version | Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Home is aimed at the regular home and office computer users. Only select business users need the Professional edition. Windows 10 Home users are eligible for a free upgrade to the latest Windows 11 Home. Windows 8.1 Windows 8.1 is eligible for free upgrade to Windows 10 Home. Check Windows.com for more info. |
Warranty | 1-year A typical laptop warranty. |
User Reviews and Q&A on the Microsoft Surface 3
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