Microsoft Surface 3 launches with quad-core Atom x7 CPU

Not a popular and trendy thing anymore, but Microsoft launches the Surface 3 and it is powered by a quad-core Atom x7 Z8700 1.6GHz SoC. Staring at 499 USD you'll receive a version with 64GB storage abd 2 GB of system memory. If you cough up 599 USD you'll get a 128GB version with 4GB RAM.

As we planned the next addition to the Surface family, the questions to answer for our customers became simple. What product would we build to be sure we could make the very best of what we built in Surface Pro 3 available to many, many more people? We started with what we’re known for — a great tablet that works as a laptop, the ability to run all Windows apps including full Office, and a pen experience that really sets Surface apart. We knew we would offer all of this in a more affordable package but decided at the outset that we would make no compromise on maintaining the beautiful fit and finish, the craftsmanship that so many love in our Surface products.

The result is Surface 3, as well as a mobile-broadband version, Surface 3 (4G LTE). It’s the thinnest and lightest Surface we’ve ever shipped. It runs full Windows, including desktop applications. It includes a one-year subscription to Office 365 to help you really get down to work. And it starts at just $499.

Surface 3 features the same beautiful design and premium materials as Surface Pro 3 in a more compact and efficient package. It is thin (just 8.7 mm) and light (1.37 pounds or 622 grams) and has a 10.8-inch screen. Compared to the 12-inch Surface Pro 3 it is slightly smaller and it feels great when you’re using it as a tablet. The 3:2 aspect ratio that we first introduced on Surface Pro 3 is also used here, and, like its larger sibling, it feels natural whether you’re holding it in portrait mode for reading or writing a quick note with the pen or in landscape mode to watch a movie or play a game. The screen on the Surface Pro 3 is not only beautiful to look at — with incredibly accurate colors and clarity from multiple viewing angles — but also offers a world-class multitouch and pen experience. All that we did to make the Pro 3 screen one of the best in the industry is present in Surface 3, and you’ll appreciate this as you work and play on it.

Surface 3 also has front- (3.5MP) and rear-facing (8MP) cameras that both capture 1080p video. The rear-facing camera now features autofocus to take better photos but is also particularly useful for capturing images of documents, barcodes and the like. The battery will last up to 10 hours (our test results are based on video playback) so that it will see you through your work or school day with ease. New with Surface 3 is a Micro USB charger, which means it uses the same connector as most mobile phones. The included 13W charger will be the fastest charging option, but if your battery is running low you’ll be able to use your phone charger as well.

Like every Surface before it, Surface 3 has a kickstand that very capably supports the device when you need it and totally disappears when you don’t. This kickstand has three preset positions — a narrow angle that’s great for working at a traditional desk, an intermediate angle that is designed for sitting on the couch or using the device on your lap, and a wide angle that provides a natural writing or drawing canvas.

The capabilities of a laptop — including full Windows and Office

Surface 3 runs full 64-bit Windows 8.1 and will be available with Windows Pro for business customers. It will be upgradable to Windows 10 for free when it’s available. With full Windows, it will run the desktop applications you depend on for work or school. This point is so important to understand. You are not compromising anything when you buy this device. For my kids, they can now do everything they are asked to do at school and still play the PC games they love on this device. When you click in the Surface 3 Type Cover, the tablet becomes a laptop. Surface 3 will also include a free one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal, including full versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote as well as 1 TB of OneDrive storage.