Hands on review: Microsoft Surface 3 tablet
By Adam Turner
Updated May 4, 2015 — 8.52am first published May 1, 2015 — 3.20pm
Finally running a full version of Windows 8.1, the Surface 3 strikes a surprisingly good balance between notebook and tablet.
While not everyone appreciated having Windows 8 foisted on their desktop PC, the touch-friendly operating system certainly makes a lot of sense on tablets. Microsoft's slick Surface Pro tablets run a full version of Windows, but until now the standard Surface tablets only featured the stripped-down Windows RT which refused to run most desktop applications ­– a limitation which didn't win it many friends.
Thankfully Windows RT has finally been abandoned and the new Surface 3 tablet runs a full version of Windows 8.1. It starts at $699 with 2GB of RAM and a 64GB solid state hard drive, or for $839 you can bump this up to 4GB of RAM and a 128GB drive. There are also LTE 4G mobile broadband models coming, which will set you back another $140.
The $699 starting price makes the Surface 3 a more affordable option for students and others on a budget who need a full version of Windows but can't justify the $979 starting price for the Surface Pro 3. The Surface makes a few significant sacrifices to keep down the price tag, but it still might hit the sweet spot for some shoppers.
Microsoft is expected to release a new version of its Surface 3 tablet device next month. Credit:Adam Turner
Light on your shoulder
The Surface 3 is only 8.7mm thick and it tips the scales at a mere 622 grams, making it easy to slip into your bag. It sports a bright, crisp 10.8-inch 1080p screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio similar to an A4 sheet of paper. The screen is shaped for productivity, rather than 16:9 tablets which feel better-suited to watching movies.
Size-wise it's a step down from the Surface Pro 3's 12-inch screen, which means you might not be satisfied with the Surface 3 as your everyday workhorse, but it makes for a handy secondary machine and travel companion.
The Surface 3 features all the mod-cons such as 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, full-sized USB3.0, mini DisplayPort, microSD card reader, headset jack and microUSB charging port. You'll find a 3.5 megapixel camera on the front and 8 megapixel on the back. Business users might lament the lack of the TPM2.0 security chip found on the Surface Pro 3.
While the screen looks great, the multimedia features are hit and miss. The auto-focus rear camera is very slow when you're shooting video. Low-light performance is good but the dynamic range struggles with bright backgrounds.
Meanwhile the built-in microphone is terrible in noisy conditions. In the video review above, the audio from my piece to camera at the end was recorded on an iPhone and then dubbed over the video playing on the Surface 3. Otherwise you couldn't hear a word over the noise in the cafe.
Doesn't skip a beat
The Surface 3's biggest sacrifice is that it relies on an Intel Atom x7 processor rather than the Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 power plants found in the Surface Pro range. While they're less powerful, you can run a full version of Windows 8.1 on an Atom chip, so you're not missing out on functionality. The Surface 3 can take advantage of both Microsoft's Modern UI tablet apps and traditional desktop software including Microsoft Office and third-party software.
Under benchmarks the Surface 3's new Atom "Cherry Trail" processor naturally can't match up to the more powerful Surface Pro 3, but the Surface 3 with 4GB of RAM still holds up surprisingly well handling day-to-day tasks.
The tablet still feels snappy when you're running Microsoft Word and Internet Explorer side-by-side while occasionally flicking to the Modern UI Mail app. Under this load the battery is good for a respectable seven hours, around two more than you'll get out of the Surface Pro 3 in similar circumstances. As an added bonus, the Surface 3 runs cooler and is fanless.
The Surface 3 doesn't miss a beat even when you increase the load by opening more Word files, spreadsheets and PDFs as well as firing up the Rdio tile app for playing music in the background (although the built-in speakers are a little tinny for my liking).
Not surprisingly, at this point you're starting to call on more than the 2GB of RAM in the entry-level model. I'd really be reluctant to opt for the 2GB model unless I was absolutely sure that I'd only need the Surface 3 to handle one or two tasks at a time. Even with the 4GB model don't get your heart set on anything too ambitious like serious video editing or high-end gaming.
Down to work
If you're looking for a portable productivity tool, Microsoft throws in a 12-month Office 365 Personal subscription which lets you run Office on one computer and one tablet (the Surface 3 counts as the tablet). You get the full desktop versions of Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint, plus Microsoft throws in Publisher for desktop publishing, Access for databases and OneNote for note-taking. If you're a fan of OneNote then it alone might win you over, with the option to use it on the desktop or as a Modern UI app.
With Office 365 comes an online Office suite and seamless integration with OneDrive cloud storage and the rest of the Microsoft ecosystem. This makes it easier to cope with the limited onboard storage, keeping in mind Windows 8.1 takes up almost 20GB once you install all the Office 365 desktop applications.
The big gotcha
Before you get too excited about using the Surface 3 as a productivity tool, it's important to appreciate the major gotcha which has always plagued Microsoft's Surface and Surface Pro. The detachable Type Cover keyboard isn't included in the box, it's a $180 optional extra. You're up for another $60 if you want a stylus to make the most of OneNote and take advantage of handwriting recognition.
A lot of the shine comes off the Surface 3 as a hybrid device when you realise that you have to cough up another $180 to convert it into a notebook. In this price range you need to start weighing it up against ultra-portable tablets, notebooks and hybrids from third-party PC makers.
The detachable keyboard adds another 265 grams to your travel bag and is surprisingly good for something so thin. It attaches to the tablet using magnets and folds over the screen as a protective cover.
The keyboard is backlit and there's no flex in the middle as you type, although the keys are obviously shallow and perhaps a little too firm under the fingertips for some people's liking. The trackpad has a satisfying click, although it's fiddly when you're trying to be precise.
As with the screen size, you wouldn't want to use this keyboard all day, every day, but it can hold its own as a secondary computer when you're on the road. Trading portability against usability all depends on whether you'll spend more time using your computer or carrying it. If you'll be typing for hours at a time I'd seriously consider a larger device.
One disappointment is that the Surface 3 hasn't inherited the kickstand of the Surface Pro 3, which can rest at any angle as far back as 150 degrees. The Surface 3 kickstand only sits in three positions, which isn't a deal-breaker but will frustrate some people until they grow accustomed to it. The tablet and keyboard are stable enough to balance on your lap, but here the limitations of the kickstand become more obvious.
So what's the verdict?
There's a lot to like about the Surface 3, it's a worthy addition to Microsoft's tablet range – especially as it banished Windows RT once and for all. That said, it's hard to overlook that the starting price is really $849 when you consider that the keyboard would be an essential feature for many people – particularly if you're using Office.
If you'd rarely use the desktop Office applications and the keyboard then you have to ask whether the Surface 3 is the best fit for your needs. If you've been eyeing off hybrid devices with interest, and need the flexibility of Windows, then the new Surface 3 is certainly worth a closer look.
Adam Turner
Adam Turner is an award-winning Australian technology journalist and co-host of weekly podcast Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News.