Download Microsoft Surface Go 3 Review: A Compact Tablet With Laptop Aspirations for free

The newest and cheapest tablet from Microsoft, the Surface Go 3 is designed for basic computing. While there is no shortage of convertible Windows laptops, detachable 2-in-1s are still a rarity and usually cost an extra charge. This makes the Surface Go 3 quite interesting as it is cheaper than the Surface Pro range. It’s also much more wearable, hence the name.

The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is primarily a Windows tablet that can be converted into a laptop with the optional keyboard holder. Think of it like the Microsoft version of an iPad, but with the full Windows desktop experience you’re probably used to. It can be an attractive solution for anyone looking for a hybrid computer that meets both work and entertainment needs, such as a home office. B. the consumption of content. But is the Surface Go worth it? Let’s find out.

Microsoft Surface Go 3 theme

Thanks to the hybrid nature of a detachable 2-in-1, the Microsoft Surface Go 3 works infinitely better as a tablet than most convertible Windows laptops with 360-degree hinges. It’s about 8.3mm thick and weighs 544g, which makes it quite slim and light. It can be easily carried in one hand. The matte gray finish does not attract fingerprints and the metal housing feels robust and well made. When used in portrait format, you will find the power and volume buttons on the right and the headphone jack, the USB Type-C port and a patented Surface Connect port on the underside. The latter is used to quickly charge the tablet and connect accessories, but the Surface Go 3 can also be charged via the Type-C port.

The integrated stand of the Microsoft Surface Go 3 offers a variety of angles of use

On the left side of the Microsoft Surface Go 3 there are contacts for powering an optional keyboard. Unlike most tablets, the Surface Go 3 has a built-in stand that gives you a wide variety of uses. A microSD card slot is hidden behind the stand, which is very easy to overlook as there is no label or marking.

The Microsoft Surface Go 3 has a 10.5 inch full HD touchscreen (1920 × 1280) with an aspect ratio of 3: 2 and Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The brightness is good and the colors are vivid and punchy. The bezel around the screen is thick enough to allow plenty of room for your thumbs when you are holding the tablet. There is a 5 megapixel webcam and an infrared camera for Windows Hello face recognition. The Surface Go 3 also has an 8-megapixel camera on the back. You will also get cutouts on either side of the edge of the screen for the front-facing stereo speakers.

Microsoft Surface Go 3 specifications and software

The Microsoft Surface Go 3 was launched in several variants, but at least at the time of this review, only one configuration is available online. It’s the same one Microsoft sent me, and it has a 10th Generation Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y CPU, 8 GB LPDDR3 RAM, and a 128 GB SSD. This variant officially costs Rs. 57,999, although you should find it online for less.

Further variants can be found under a separate section on Microsoft’s Surface for Business site. Including a basic version with 64 GB eMMC storage and 4 GB RAM as well as a top version with an Intel Core i3-10100Y CPU. The Surface for Business variants are optionally equipped with LTE connectivity and are supplied with Windows 11 Pro. These variants are available for sale mention Resellers, however, are not easy to find on mainstream ecommerce platforms.

There’s only one USB Type-C port, which means you’ll need a dongle to connect multiple peripherals at the same time

Microsoft chose the right configuration for consumer use in my opinion, as the lower variants have eMMC storage and only 4GB of RAM, which is not ideal for Windows. The Core i3 CPU in the top variant does not offer much compared to the Pentium Gold, only higher clock rates of the CPU cores and a slightly better integrated GPU. All variants of the Surface Go 3 are equipped with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.

On the software side, the Microsoft Surface Go 3 comes with Windows 11 in S mode, with which you can only download apps from the Microsoft Store and use the Microsoft Edge browser for security and management. You can easily switch into Standard Mode, which lets you install almost any Windows application, but there’s no going back. There aren’t many third-party apps preinstalled, which is a refreshing change. You will receive a trial version of Microsoft 365 Family. A full version of at least Office Home and Student would have been nice, and many Microsoft OEM partners offer this with their laptops.

The Type Cover keyboard completes the transformation of the Surface Go 3 into a laptop

Before we go any further, let’s talk about some of the accessories that you are likely to want to buy with your Surface Go 3. Microsoft offers a standard Type Cover keyboard (10,950 rupees) or a Signature Type Cover (15,699 rupees). which is made of Alcantara fabric. Microsoft also sent me a Surface Pen which costs Rs extra. 9,099 in India. The pen runs on a single AAAA battery and clicks magnetically onto the top of the tablet. These drive up the total price considerably.

Microsoft Surface Go 3 performance and battery life

I have been using the Microsoft Surface Go 3 for a few weeks now, both professionally and privately, and I can confidently say that it fulfills its intended purpose without any problems. I can’t speak for the basic variant, but the one with the 128 GB SSD and 8 GB RAM is good enough for basic arithmetic tasks like writing, video calls, answering emails, and even a little Photoshop work. Windows 11 runs fine, but you have to get used to a slight delay. In my experience, that was always present. It was noticeable when I woke the Surface Go 3 from sleep and every time I had to navigate the Windows user interface. Heavy apps like Photoshop take longer than usual to load, although this worked fine for me after launching it.

Without a keyboard, the Microsoft Surface Go 3 is a decent tablet. Windows is a bit tricky without a stylus, and the lack of good tablet-friendly apps in the Windows Store doesn’t help either. However, when it comes to viewing content, the built-in stand is a lifesaver. You can place the tablet at any angle, anywhere and start looking. Surface Pen is useful for taking notes or drawing, although I’m not a huge pen user, so I haven’t used it too often. The only tablet feature I miss on Windows is the ability to simply turn off the screen without putting the entire device to sleep, which would enable use cases like listening to music.

Consuming content is a good experience on Surface Go 3

Surface Go 3 works just fine as a productivity device once you attach the keyboard. The entire setup wasn’t as easy and comfortable to use on my lap as a regular laptop because the Type Cover keyboard is a bit pliable and the sharp edge of the stand digs into my thighs after prolonged use. However, it worked well when placed on a stable surface. The keys on the keyboard are very pleasant to type, with even backlighting. The glass trackpad is also very good.

Casual games went well, but anything with heavy 3D graphics was struggling. Fortnite, for example, was hardly playable despite the lowering of the graphics quality and resolution. Asphalt 9: Legends was also a bit stiff in places. The sound from the stereo speakers is loud and clear. The 1080p webcam is very good too, and the video is clean, even in a dimly lit room. The rear camera has an auto focus and is good for occasional photos or for scanning documents.

The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is almost the same size as the 11-inch iPad Pro 2021

Microsoft claims the Surface Go 3 can deliver up to 11 hours of runtime on a single charge, which was a little over-optimistic in my experience. I could last about four and a half to five hours with continuous use, but if I took breaks in between I could stretch it to about seven hours. It’s not bad for a 10.5-inch tablet with Windows, but far from ideal. I’ve used this tablet most of the time with the keyboard attached, so you may have a little more battery life without it. With a light workload, economical use, and a more conservative battery profile, you could handle almost a full day of work on a single charge, but it would be difficult.

The tablet (without keyboard) ran for a reasonable 2 hours and 40 minutes in our Battery Eater Pro test. With the included adapter, the Surface Go 3 can be quickly charged to around 80 percent in an hour, which is not a bad thing. The charger also has a USB Type-A port that can be used to charge any device.

The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is compact and portable, but quite expensive in India

verdict

The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is arguably the company’s cheapest 2-in-1 Windows tablet, but Rs. 57,999 is a lot of money. One argument that is often made is that you can get much better specs in a standard laptop for the same price, which is true, but is not convenient to use as a tablet. The variant I tested was sufficient in terms of performance. It also has a bright screen, good speakers, a good webcam, and solid build quality. Battery life is a little weak and the accessories that most people want are relatively expensive.

If you add in a pen and keyboard, the Surface Go 3 costs almost Rs. 80,000, at this point the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i seems like a much more attractive offer. It has better specs, which makes it more of a Surface Pro competitor, and the keyboard and pen are included.

The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is a very good little tablet with the potential to become a 2-in-1 tablet, but the average battery life and the total cost of the overall package will deter many people from taking the plunge. .

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