Microsoft is holding an event on September 22 when the company is expected to introduce next-gen hardware including new Surface Book, Surface Pro, and Surface Go devices.
We’ve already got a good idea of what to expect from the budget-friendly Surface Go 3 tablets, thanks to several recent leaks. But now a Thai retailer called Shopee has posted product pages for the Surface Go 3, complete with pictures and detailed specs for the upcoming tablets.
According to Shopee, the new tablet will look nearly identical to the Surface Go 2. It’s the same size and shape, and has the same display, speakers, cameras, and wireless capabilities. But the listings do confirm that Microsoft is giving its entry-level tablets a processor upgrade… albeit a modest one.
The Surface Go 3 is expected to be available with a choice of Intel Pentium 6500Y or Core i3-10100Y processors, which is a step up from the Pentium 4425Y and Core m3-8100Y processors used for the Surface Go 2 in terms of base and boost speeds for the CPU and graphics.
TDP | Cores / Threads | Base / Boost Freq | GPU Base / Boost Freq | |
Core i3-10100Y (Surface Go 3) | 5W | 2 / 4 | 1.3 GHz / 3.9 GHz | 300 MHz / 1 GHz |
Core m3-8100Y (Surface Go 2) | 5W | 2 / 4 | 1.1 GHz / 3.4 GHz | 300 MHz / 900 MHz |
Pentium 6500Y (Surface Go 3) | 5W | 2 / 4 | 1.6 GHz / 3.4 GHz | 300 MHz / 900 MHz |
Pentium 4425Y (Surface Go 2) | 6W | 2 / 4 | 1.7 GHz / N/A | 300 MHz / 850 MHz |
These are still 14nm chips that are part of Intel’s low-power “Amber Lake Y” lineup, so don’t expect the same level of performance you’d get from an 11th-gen “Tiger Lake” processor, but the both the entry-level and top tier Surface Go 3 should be a little faster than their predecessors.
Here’s a run-down on the specs for the new tablet. Note that Microsoft may also plan to launch a WiFi + cellular model, but that’s not currently shown at the Shopee website.
Surface Go 3 specs | |
Display | 10.5 inch PixelSense Display 1920 x 1280 220 pixels per inch 3:2 aspect ratio 1500:1 contrast ratio 10-point multi-touch |
CPU | Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y Intel Core i3-10100Y |
GPU | Intel UHD Graphics 615 |
RAM | 4GB / 8GB |
Storage | 64GB eMMC or 128GB SSD |
Rear camera | 8MP with autofocus |
Front camera | 5MP |
Ports | USB-C 3.5mm audio microSD card |
Wireless | WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.0 |
Sensors | Ambient light sensor Accelerometer Gyroscope Magnetometer |
Audio | Dual microphone 2 watt stereo speakers with Dolby Audio |
Dimensions & weight | 245 x 175 x 8.3 mm 640 grams |
Given the modest spec bump, I suspect Microsoft will keep the same $399 starting price it has for the Surface Go 2 when the new models launch in the United States. But prices on the Shopee website range from the equivalent of about $450 for a model with a Pentium 6500Y processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage, to $675 for a Core i3-10100Y/8GB/128GB model.
via WinFutureÂ
Cool. I guess I’ll be upgrading my Surface Go 1 LTE with the 3 soon.
I suspect that the jump from 4GB of RAM to 8GB does a lot more for performance than the jump from the Pentium to the i3. It’s sort of horrifying to see 4GB of RAM in a new Windows machine in 2021.
So the Surface Go 3 is really more like a Surface Go 2+ or a Surface Go 2 refresh (akin to the Surface Pro 2 refresh, which bumped up from the Core i5-4200U to a Core i5-4300U).
If this is what Microsoft is aiming for, it sounds like the Surface event is going to be a snorefest.
To be fair, the Surface Go 3 is probably the least exciting, yet most-leaked device expected to launch at the event 🙂
Interesting to me as a owner of the original Go. The appeal to me is the fanless cooling. A core i3 version is a welcome performance boost.
Yeah, I’m surprised MS is naming it a “3”. Based on the previous articles, it seems more like Intel stopped making the chips that are used in the Go 2 so MS is forced to create a new SKU with barely faster “current” (ie. still being made) CPUs. Doesn’t seem to warrant a new version number bump.
Oh well, I’ve been meaning to upgrade my Go 1 LTE with the 2. Might as well get the Go 3 LTE.