Microsoft Surface Go 3 — a PC tablet that doubles as a casual laptop
Microsoft Surface Go 3. Pic: Noel Campion.
I fondly remember the Microsoft Surface RT — I still have my original one — which was first released 10 years ago this year. The RT introduced the first Microsoft tablet hybrid with the ingenious kickstand and the attachable keyboard. Nearly 10 years later the same form factor is thriving but how good is Microsoft's latest PC alternative to an iPad?
The Surface Go 3 is primarily designed as a Windows PC for those on the move. While you can, in theory, run most PC applications, it’s really priced to meet the needs of casual users who need a portable device to browse their social feeds, catch up on emails, watch the latest shows on Netflix, or perhaps, take notes or jot down ideas. However, to use some of these features you need to purchase the optional Surface Pen and Type Cover Keyboard. I received the latter for this review but not the former so I wasn’t able to test it with Windows Ink or other software that can take advantage of an advanced stylus like the Surface Pen.
The Surface Go 3 sports a 10.5-inch LCD Full HD display with large and dated looking bezels. In the top bezel is a 5MP Windows Hello camera that works exceptionally well for video calls and unlocking the device. It produces excellent results in good light but also when the lighting isn’t ideal.
The integrated kickstand around the back is nice and stiff and can be adjusted to any angle although not fully back on itself. While I love the kickstand and how great it is when used on a desk, it’s never been ideal for when you want to use it on your lap — with or without the Type Cover Keyboard.
If you don’t want to spend the extra money on the optional extras like the keyboard and stylus, the Surface Go 3 performs well as a good tablet. Out-of-the-box, it arrived to me with Windows 10 installed but you can upgrade it to Windows 11 for free.
On the right edge is the solitary USB-C port along with a 3.5mm headphone jack and the proprietary charging port. The lack of a USB-A port means you’ll have to use a dongle for standard wired peripherals. This isn’t such a big deal and inexpensive USB-C dongles are readily available.
Around the back is an 8MP rear camera and behind the kickstand is a microSD card slot, which is good since the base storage is only 64GB although there’s also a much faster and larger 128GB option that too. My loan unit was the 128GB variant and using CrystalDiskMark 8, I was able to achieve decent read and write speeds.
The 10.5-inch display is impressive with excellent contrast, colour accuracy, and brightness. Using my SpyderX Elite I measured a peak brightness of 427 nits and 100% of RGB, 74% of AdobeRGB and 76% of P3 colour spaces. It doesn’t support refresh rates higher than 60Hz but I wasn’t expecting it to at this price.
The display is excellent for watching movies and YouTube videos. The strong contrast and vibrant colours make it an ideal display for media consumption in general. I was also impressed with the audio thanks to the front-facing stereo speakers that get nice and loud.
While you don’t get the stylus with the Surface Go 3, the display supports touch and it’s fast and responsive.
My review unit came with 128GB of storage, 8GB of RAM, and the Intel Core i3 CPU. The Intel UHD Graphics 615 does a good job of keeping everything running smoothly in the OS but the humble i3 CPU is only good enough for casual PC use. Considering my review unit costs €699 it feels a little expensive for the performance you’re getting. For an extra €100, you can get this model with 4G.
The base model comes with 4GB of RAM 64GB eMMC storage and an Intel Pentium 6500Y for €449. You’ll have to pay an additional €115 for the Surface Pen and the Type Cover will add an extra €100 to the bill.
For everyday tasks, the i3 variant feels fast and smooth for browsing, checking in on Facebook or checking your emails. However, although you can play some light games don’t expect to install many thanks to the limited storage and you can forget playing even older AAA titles.
Battery performance isn’t all that great. You can expect to get around five to six hours if all you’re doing is watching videos. This is way below what you’d expect to get out of the base iPad and obvious competitor this the Surface 3 Go.
The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is an ideal tablet for those who need to run Windows software but don’t need something big or expensive. However, if you opt for the top model and add in all the extra accessories you start to go into laptop territory. Although I didn’t get to try the Surface Pen, the Type Cover is excellent, offering a brilliant typing and touchpad experience.
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