This new tablet from Microsoft is not your ordinary tablet but instead, you might even call it a laptop that sits in the palm of your hand while your relax with your feet-up in bed.
While we all know Surface Pro 3 packs a punch in terms of processing power and ability to consume tasks fast, it does however come with a large price tag of $1,500.00, but with Microsoft’s new Surface 3, you’ll get a smaller, lighter and a cheaper version and with all the goodies intact – armed with an Intel x86 processor, the new Surface 3 is somewhat a mini PC.
What’s A Better Windows Tablet? – The Surface 3 Vs Surface Pro 3?
So, which is the better tablet and bang for buck? – the Surface 3 vs Surface Pro 3. By only its name, we can tell that there’ll be a slight differences from what you may be used to with the Surface Pro 3.
Here Are A Few Notable Differences Between The Surface 3 And Surface Pro 3
Performance – While Surface Pro 3 may be ahead with its Intel i3, i5 and i7 chipsets and 8 GB of RAM, Surface 3 is not far off with its Intel Atom x70Z8700 CPU with up to 4 GB of RAM. While it seems to be a big deficit on the new Surface 3’s part, let us consider its goal being a more affordable tablet that still runs smooth and fast.
Display – Both having a ratio of 3:2 display, it proved to be a viably good one for web surfing. The Surface 3 however offers a smaller 10.8-inch display compared to its predecessor the Surface 3 Pro at 12-inch display. Resolution-wise, the new Surface 3 is only at 1920 x 1280 px while the Surface Pro 3 is at 2,160 x 1,440 px.
Cameras – Considering most people uses their built-in cameras on their devices, you probably want to know that Surface 3 is way ahead at 8 MP on the rear and 3.5 MP in front. A bit better compared to Surface Pro 3’s dual 5MP camera.
Battery Life – Surface Pro 3 had issues with its battery life that was claimed to reach 9 hours but instead, only reaches 7 hours in regards to its usage. The new Surface 3 sadly offers the same “up to 9 hours” claim and could also probably be having the same results that of with the Surface Pro. However, the new Surface 3 does seem to only require less power so it might be true this time.
Price
Surface 3 is out for a reason and that reason is to simply offer a more affordable option in case you don’t want to spend a huge amount on a Windows Tablet.
- Surface 3 – $499 for a 2GB RAM or $599 for a 4GB RAM.
- Surface Pro 3 – From a whopping $1,949 down to $799, whichever is your desired specification; a $300+ difference is big sum of money.
Thoughts
Just by introducing an affordable Windows Surface tablet, Microsft have done a great job with their new Surface 3. While it doesn’t quite carry the grunt that its bigger brother does, it has the perks of being more portable than the pro.
Regardless of being seemingly dwarfed by the Surface 3, this is still an immensely powerful piece of kit.
