Redmond expands its tablet lineup with a new model

Mar 31, 2015 13:48 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has just introduced a brand new tablet model supposed to expand the Surface portfolio and provide buyers with a more affordable alternative to the very expensive Surface Pro 3.

The brand new Surface 3, which is currently regarded as the successor to the Surface 2, is actually a fresh model that Microsoft markets as a low-cost version of the Surface Pro 3, so it runs the full version of Windows 8.1 and comes with more advanced hardware than the old Windows RT-powered model.

The Surface 3 features the same design as its bigger brother and can also be used with the digital pen that makes drawing and writing easier, but this accessory is only sold separately, obviously with the purpose of cutting down the price.

Technical specifications

The Surface 3 comes with a 10.8-inch ClearType display and a quad-core Intel Atom x7-Z8700 processor that runs at 1.6 GHz but can be pushed all the way up to 2.4 GHz in turbo mode. Depending on the version, the device features either 2 GB or 4 GB of RAM, which should be enough to cope with more demanding tasks in Windows 8.1.

There are two storage configurations available, namely 64 GB and 128 GB, and two available cameras, an 8.0-megapixel 1080p rear-facing one with auto-focus and a 3.5-megapixel 1080p front-facing one.

2 or 4 GB of RAM, up to 128 GB of storage, LTE, and 10.8-inch screen

Other features include Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi support, USB 3.0, Mini Display port, and the typical sensors available on all the other Surface models, among which accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, and digital compass.

As far as the battery is concerned, Microsoft hasn't provided detailed specs, but it has mentioned that the device should provide up to 10 hours of video playback.

Interestingly, Microsoft has dropped its own magnetic charging port for support for microUSB, so any 13W microUSB power supply should do the job for you.

The device measures 10.51 x 7.36 x 0.34 inches (267 x 187 x 8.7 millimeters) and weighs in only 622 grams.

Price and availability

The Surface 3 tablet will go on sale between May 5 and 7 in no less than 26 markets, namely: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Surface 3 versus the Surface Pro 3, which comes with a 12-inch screen and digital pen
Surface 3 versus the Surface Pro 3, which comes with a 12-inch screen and digital pen

Pre-orders will be available starting today at microsoftstore.com, Microsoft stores, and authorized retails in the aforementioned countries, with pricing to go as follows:

• Surface 3 with 2GB of RAM, 64GB of storage - $499 (€465) • Surface 3 with 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage - $599 (€560) • Surface 3 with 2GB of RAM, 64GB of storage with LTE - $599 (€560) • Surface 3 with 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage with LTE - $699 (€650)

The device runs Windows 8.1 but will be fully upgradeable to Windows 10 when the new OS becomes available at absolutely no cost.

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Microsoft Surface 3 (8 Images)

This is the new Surface 3 with 10.8-inch display
Surface 3 versus the Surface Pro 3, which comes with a 12-inch screen and digital penSurface 3
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