Microsoft has officially confirmed the Surface Laptop 3, with both a 13-inch and 15-model of the portable now available to order on the UK Microsoft store.
According to Microsoft, the Surface Laptop 3 is a whopping 3x more powerful than the MacBook Air. The new laptop was confirmed to feature an optional custom-made Ryzen processor which Microsoft claims is the most powerful mobile CPU chip AMD has ever made.
Intel’s 10th Generation Ice Lake processor was also confirmed to feature in the Surface Laptop 3 as an alternative option, with multiple configurations launching for Microsoft’s laptop.
Other new additions include a USB-C port, fast charging and a new fancy machined aluminium finish.
Related: Surface Laptop 3 15 review
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 Release Date – When is it coming out?
The Surface Laptop 3 will ship this month on 22 October and is available to preorder right now.
Related: Hands on Surface Pro X review
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 Price – How much does it cost?
The entry-level 13-inch Surface Laptop 3 will cost £999, while the cheapest 15-inch model will cost £1999.
The £999 13-inch Surface Laptop 3 bosses a an Intel Core i5-1035G7 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage. You can see the price rise all the way up to £2,349 by upgrading the specs, with this specific configuration boasting an Intel Core i7-1065G7 CPU, 16GB of RAM and a whopping 1TB storage hard drive.
The baseline 15-inch Surface Laptop 3, meanwhile, costs just £1199 and gets you an AMD Ryzen 5 3580U CPU, 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. If those specs aren’t good enough for you, you can pay £2599 for the most expensive configuration which bags you an AMD Ryzen 8 3780U CPU, 32GB RAM and 1TB of storage. You might struggle to get this option though, as it’s already sold out on Microsoft’s store.
Related: Surface Pro 7 review
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 Specs – How powerful is it?
Microsoft chief product office Panos Panay claimed the new Surface Laptop 3 is 3x more powerful than the MacBook Air and 2x faster than the Surface Laptop 2. This boost in performance power is thanks to a new custom-made Ryzen processor which is apparently AMD’s most powerful mobile CPU chip yet.
There looks to several configurations for the Surface Laptop 3 available, with the 13-inch model offering up two Intel Ice Lake options, while the 15-inch version sees four CPU configurations in total, two of which include the aforementioned custom-made Microsoft Surface Editions of the AMD Ryzen 5 and 7.
Every processor available will feature industry-leading integrated graphics with seemingly enough GPU grunt to run the likes of Fortnite and Apex Legends without issue. With no need to integrate a dedicated GPU, this allows Microsoft to keep the Surface Laptop 3 outstandingly thin and lightweight.
Related: Hands on Surface Laptop 3 13 review
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 Specs
Microsoft has detailed all of the specs for the Surface Laptop 3, which can all be found below.
A number of configurations for the laptops look to be available, with the 13-inch model offering Intel Core i5-1035G7 and Intel Core i7-1065G7 options, while the 17-inch edition boasts four processors to pick from, including Microsoft Surface Editions of the Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7.
There are also healthy options of RAM ranging from 8GB to 32GB, while the SSD storage capacities start from 128GB and go all the way up to 1TB if you’re willing to splash the cash.
Neither display resolution can quite offer enough pixels for the panel to be classified as Quad HD, but you’re still getting a sharper image than what you find with Full HD.
| Surface Laptop 3 13.5-inch | Surface Laptop 3 15-inch | |
| OS | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| Display | 13.5-inch, 2256 x 1504 | 15-inch, 2496 x 1664 |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i7-1065G7 |
AMD Ryzen 5 3580U (Microsoft Surface Edition)
AMD Ryzen 7 3780U (Microsoft Surface Edition) Intel Core i5-1035G7 Intel Core i7-1065G7 |
| Integrated Graphics | Iris Plus Graphics 950 | Intel: Iris Graphic 950
AMD: Radeon 9/11 Graphics |
| RAM | 8GB / 16GB | Intel: 8GB / 16GB
AMD: 8GB / 16GB / 32GB |
| Storage | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB |
| Battery | Up to 11.5 hours | Up to 11.5 hours |
| Dimensions | 308 x 223 x 14.51 mm | 339.5 x 244 x 14.69 mm |
| Weight | 1250kg | 1540kg |
Related: Microsoft Surface Duo
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 Design – How does it look?
Microsoft wont’ be ditching the Alcantara fabric design, but it won’t come as standard with every model now. Instead, you’ll find select versions flaunting a machined-aluminium finish. This admittedly makes it look a lot more similar to most other laptops.
The precision trackpad has also seen a 20% increase in size. There’s also a decent number of ports here, including connections for USB-C, USB-A and 3.5mm headphone jack. Not much else looks to have changed in terms of design and appearance though.
Microsoft confirmed there will be both 13- and 15-inch models made available. The bezel still seems to be a little on the chunky side though, especially when compared to competitors such as laptops from the Dell XPS range.
It also revealed the Surface Laptop 3 would be available in various finishes, including Matte Black, Cobalt Blue and Platinum and Sandstone.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 Battery and Fast Charging – How good is the battery life?
Microsoft revealed the Surface Laptop 3 will retain all-day battery life, but its the fast charging which impressed most here.
Panos Panay suggested you’ll be able to replenish the battery by 80% with under an hour’s worth of charging, equating the same kind of fast charging performance that you get with smartphones.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.