Microsoft’s September 22 launch event has kicked off and the Surface Go 3 was one of the first devices to be unveiled, alongside the latest Surface Pro 8.
Read on to discover everything there is to know about the Surface Go 3.
Release date
Microsoft announced the Surface Go 3 at its launch event on September 22, almost a year and a half after the Surface Go 2 was unveiled in May 2020.
The device will be available to order from October 5.
Price
The Surface Go 3 starts at £369.
This is slightly cheaper than the Surface Go 2 which started at £399 for the Intel Pentium 4425Y Wi-Fi model 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, climbing up to £719 for the Intel Core M3-powered LTE model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
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Specs
According to Microsoft, the Surface Go 3 is the “fastest, most capable Go yet”.
The 2-in-1 is powered by a 10th Gen Intel processor, offering 60% faster performance than the Surface Go 2. The chip won’t be as powerful as Intel’s 11th Gen, but it’s certainly a step up from the 8th Gen in the Go 2.
The Go 3 was actually rumoured to be getting a 62% boost according to supposed benchmarks, so that leak seems to have checked out.
The tablet has also been given a major software boost with the introduction of Windows 11, which is set to roll out on October 5.
There’s support for Windows Hello facial recognition sign in, arranging and rearranging apps with the new Snap feature, cloud gaming in Xbox Games Pass and Microsoft Teams built-in.
Interestingly, Microsoft focussed a lot on features kids can access in the launch event, making it clear the company wants to market the Go 3 as a family device.
Other family-friendly features include Kids Mode in Microsoft Edge and the Family Safety widget, which allows parents to view their kids’ screen time to decide whether its time to log off.
It isn’t clear whether the device is designed to be used in Windows S Mode as its predecessor was, but it would make sense considering S Mode focusses on security.
Design
We didn’t expect the Surface Go 3 to see any major design changes and it seems the rumours were right, with many of the improvements taking place within the device.
Microsoft did reveal that the Go 3 includes Surface Pen support for note taking and sketching on the go, and that the speakers support Dolby Audio.
The company also unveiled the new Ocean Plastic Mouse, a mouse built from 20% recycled ocean plastic that can be used with the Surface Go 3.
While Microsoft marketed the Surface Go as a 2-in-1 device, you were required to spend an additional £99.99 on the Type Cover (attachable keyboard) if you wanted to use the Surface Go 2 as a laptop. It seems this still rings true for the Go 3.
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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.
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.
