Microsoft Surface Go 3 | Review
There are three Surface Go 3 configurations available: the basic one offers an Intel Pentium 6500Y processor, 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM, 64GB of eMMC memory and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. The intermediate improves RAM and storage, which pass respectively to 8GB and 128GB on NVMe SSD instead of eMMC, for a price of 619 euros, while the best integrates an Intel Core i3-10110Y processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD, priced at 699 euros. Cover with keyboard and stylus are separate, with prices of 99 or 129 euros for the cover (depending on whether you choose microfiber or alcantara) and 114 euros for the Surface Pen. For our review we received the intermediate configuration, with alcantara cover, but without a pen.
In short, to have a real 2 in 1 and not a simple tablet with Windows 11, you will have to spend at least 549 euros , which can become around 940 euros if you choose the top-of-the-range configuration, alcantara cover and Surface Pen.
Before moving on, let's see the remaining technical specifications of Surface Go 3: we have a 10.5 "PixelSense screen with a 3: 2 ratio and a resolution of 1920 × 1280 pixels, Gorilla Glass 3 and a contrast of 1500. : 1, 5MP front camera with support for Windows Hello and 1080p video recording, 8MP rear camera with autofocus, dual microphones, 2 watt stereo speakers with Dolby Audio support and 28Wh battery. The supplied ports include only a USB type C port, a MicroSD reader hidden behind the stand that supports cards up to 2TB, the Surface connector for charging and a 3.5mm jack for headphones, while the operating system is Windows 11. in S mode, which allows you to install apps only from the Microsoft Store. In this regard, we remind you that it is always possible to convert Windows 11 S to the classic version to install any program, but the choice is irreversible.
Aesthetically, the new Surface Go 3 is identical to the previous model: it chassis is completely in an alloy of magnesium and aluminum and gives the feeling of having in your hands a premium product, extremely resistant. The stand is the usual of Surface products, well done and offering many inclination angles, also allowing you to hold the tablet only slightly tilted, in an ideal position for writing with the pen or drawing. The bezels around the screen are quite thin, overall the device measures 245x175x8.3 mm, weighing 544 grams (without keyboard).
User experience
To understand how Surface Go 3 behaves in everyday life, we have used it for a few weeks to carry out our daily work activities, as well as to watch some TV series and movies streaming on Netflix and Prime Video.Let's start right from the screen, of excellent quality: the color rendering is very good, the sRGB space is completely covered and the maximum brightness reaches 400 nit. the user experience is satisfactory and without problems, whether you are watching a TV series, filling out a report in Excel or interacting directly with the touchscreen, even without a pen.
The Surface Type Cover connects to pogo pin and can be magnetically hooked to the bottom edge of the screen, so as to have a slight inclination which improves and facilitates writing. It offers three levels of brightness, very convenient if you happen to use the device in the dark. It took us longer than usual to get used to this keyboard, mainly due to the small distance between the keys and the fact that we don't have small hands. Once you "get the hang of it" the writing experience is smooth and error-free, however on more than one occasion we felt it was a bit too small.
In Cover is also integrated a touchpad with small dimensions, but not too small. Operation is hassle-free: scrolling is smooth, Windows 11's tap to click and navigation gestures are all recorded without problems and recognized correctly.
The front webcam offers above average quality, which makes it ideal for participating in online meetings and video calls, if used for login with Windows Hello it does not disappoint. The rear one, on the other hand, has a slightly lower quality, but enough to imagine in which cases the camera will be used on a device like this.
The audio sector is also good, especially if we consider the limited space available for the speakers. The bass is not particularly powerful, but if you are having a meeting, or you want to watch a streaming video, the volume is quite high and the overall quality more than enough for the purpose.
Generally speaking, always working with many Chrome tabs open, 8GB of RAM proved to be fundamental, but unfortunately the Intel Pentium processor slowed us down in several situations, struggling to support the workload: on many occasions we ran into slowdowns when switching from a Chrome tab to another, or from one chat with a colleague to another in Slack. We imagine that the more powerful version, equipped with Core i3, offers a smoother user experience, but we believe that the situation cannot improve that much.
As for autonomy, in a typical working day we have not exceeded 6 hours by much, remaining always connected in Wi-Fi and keeping the screen brightness at 50% (so about 200 nit). This is a rather low value, close to what we usually record on mid-range notebooks and much lower than that of the Surface Go 2, which approached 12 hours.
Verdict
The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is a product that unfortunately has not completely convinced us: autonomy is not the best and performance is problematic, making it suitable only for those who have to carry out basic and not particularly demanding activities, such as document management e-mail, watching multimedia content or browsing the web.If you need a Windows 11 tablet to study, or to carry out the activities described above, the Surface Go 3 could be a viable option, however it is difficult not to recommend taking a look at the offers on the previous model, the Surface Go 2: the performance with these workloads is similar, it also supports Windows 11 and the autonomy is superior, a feature that you will certainly appreciate. if you love to watch your favorite TV series on the sofa, away from the power outlet.
