Microsoft Surface Go 3: A still-impressive design is undermined by a puny entry-level CPU that is barely fit for purpose

Excellent display, Very good speakers, Top-quality webcam

Thick screen bezels, Keyboard a costly extra, Pentium models underpowered

The Surface Go premise makes sense. It’s a tablet that can run any Windows app you like. But it arrives with already dated-looking performance thanks to Intel’s lack of major progress in battery-sipping processors.

A far better webcam than almost all laptops, High-quality, ultra-portable design, Can run full Windows 11

It’s begging for more power, Price gets less appealing when you consider the must-have keyboard

The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is a fully-featured, Windows 11, 10.5" tablet that is perfect for for travel, students, and commuters.

Enough power for everyday tasks and content consumption, Expandable to dual 4K@60Hz screens, Fair price for Windows 11 tablet

No IP rating (few tablets have this)

The Surface Go 3 is the latest entry in Microsoft’s range of tablets, which can also be turned into a makeshift laptop when paired with the sold-separately Type Cover. It’s an appealing form factor for watching video and scrolling through social media, while also being handy for writing duties with...

Boosted performance, Windows 11 improves the tablet experience, Great design, with built-in stand, You want a Windows 11 tablet : Windows 11 is a nice step up on Windows 10 for tablets, with more touch-friendly icons making it far easier to navigate.

Minor improvements compared to Surface Go 2, Poor battery life, Type Cover costs extra, iPad is faster and has a better screen, You’re happy to go for an iPad or Chromebook : The biggest issue with the Surface Go 3 is that it doesn’t offer up an advantage over the iPad, despite Apple’s tablet seeing...

As home-based learning became common earlier this year, I began looking at the Surface Go 2 laptop-♥♥♥-tablet as an affordable and portable machine for my daughter. So, when the new Surface Go 3 emerged in recent weeks, I was expecting a nice update.

The Surface Go 3 looks nice, feels great and has a lot of potential as a mini tablet that offers a full Windows 11 PC experience. But it is hindered by slow chips with inconsistent, laggy performance and a poor battery life.

Pros: slim, light, good screen, great kickstand, decent speakers, USB-C, Windows Hello, full Windows 11 Home, microSD card reader, wifi 6, Bluetooth 5.

Cons: slow, inconsistent performance, short battery life, no USB-A ports, £100 keyboard essential but not included, Windows 11 not fully baked, comparatively expensive.

The Surface Go 3 remains quite unrivaled, since there are hardly any Windows convertibles with such small displays. This device class is now dominated by Android and iOS tablets. Microsoft's small convertible is more versatile with the new Windows 11, but you should not expect too much because the...

sturdy housing, Display with very accurate color representation, Wi-Fi 6 & microSD, silent operation, optionally with LTE

low power, PWM flickering, mediocre battery life, only 1x USB-C

The Surface Go 3, which Microsoft unveiled in late September, is an exceedingly well-built tablet, with a lovely screen and strong kickstand.

The Microsoft Surface Go 3 makes the Surface Go 2 look like a fluke. Just like the original Surface Go, the new model's battery life disappoints. Its performance is also troublesome, and will be a let-down for multitaskers.

Colorful display, Solid design and durability, Excellent webcam

Battery life is much shorter than the Go 2, Performance is no better than the Go 2, Optional Type Cover keyboard is cramped, Heavier than competing tablets

From what I can tell, Microsoft intends the Surface Go 3 to be sold to two kinds of customers: kids and IT professionals who need a tiny computer when they’re out in the field. I’m in the third category of potential customers: people who love tiny computers.

Small and light, Windows 11 looks nice, Multi-user support

Bad battery life, Keyboard cover too flimsy, Too expensive