Microsoft Reveals Surface Go 3, Adds Cheaper Surface Pro X

Surface Pro X Wi-Fi
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Along with a new Surface Pro 8 and Surface Laptop Studio Microsoft is also making some minor adjustments to two existing devices, the company said on a stream today. It announced the Surface Go 3, which will receive a bump up to 10th Gen Intel processors, as well as a Wi-Fi-only version of the Surface Pro X with a new lower price.

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Header Cell - Column 0 Microsoft Surface Go 3Microsoft Surface Pro X
CPUIntel Pentium Gold 6500Y or Intel Core i3-10100YMicrosoft SQ1 or SQ2
GraphicsIntel UHD Graphics 615SQ1: Adreno 685
  SQ2: Adreno 690
Display10.5-inch PixelSense, 1920 x 1280, 3:2, touch13-inch PixelSense, 2880 x 1920, 3:2, touch
Storage64GB eMMC, 128GB SSD (consumer), 256GB (commercial)Up to 512GB SSD
RAM4GB of 8GB RAM8GB or 16GB LPDDR4x
Webcam5MP 1080p with Windows Hello, 10MP rear-facing5MP 1080p with Windows Hello, 10MP rear-facing
ConnectivityWi-Fi 6, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, optional Qualcomm Snapdragon X16 LTE modemWi-Fi 5 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, optional Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 LTE
PortsUSB Type-C, 3.5 mm headphone jack, Surface Connect, microSD Card reader, Nano SIM (LTE only)2x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, Surface Connect port, Nano SIM (LTE only)
Release DateOctober 5, 2021October 5, 2021
Starting Price:$399.99 $899.99

Surface Go 3 - Teams

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The Surface Go 3 hasn't seen any physical changes from its predecessor. The big difference here are the new processors: either a dual-core Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y or Intel Core i3-10100Y. You're still getting up to 8GB of RAM and up to 128GB of storage, and the connectors haven't changed either. It's still a 1.2-pound, 10.5-inch device. This time around, however, it will come with Windows 11 in S Mode for consumers, while businesses can pick between Windows 11 Pro or Windows 10 Pro. It will start at $399.99 and is available for pre-order now.

The Surface Pro X has a new base model. None of the parts are changing: There are still two Microsoft-branded processors based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors, and you still get a thin design with minimal bezels. The new version without LTE and works only on Wi-Fi, bringing the cost down to $899.99 before accessories. It will ship with Windows 11 Home on ARM.

In fact, for the Pro X, the bigger details are based around Windows 11, which will offer both 32-bit and 64-bit emulation, which means it should support far more software than when the Surface Pro X came out with only the former. However, it still won't handle some games, third-party drivers and antivirus. Office, too, is getting a 64-bit version for ARM.

In fact, with a Wi-Fi-only version of the Surface Pro X, the device effectively becomes an ARM version of the new Surface Pro 8, which has a similar design, but requires a fan to cool its 11th Gen Intel processor options.

Microsoft's other announcements today include the flagship Surface Laptop Studio, redesigned Surface Pro 8 and the Surface Duo 2 smartphone.

Andrew E. Freedman

Andrew E. Freedman is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware focusing on laptops, desktops and gaming. He also keeps up with the latest news. A lover of all things gaming and tech, his previous work has shown up in Tom's Guide, Laptop Mag, Kotaku, PCMag and Complex, among others. Follow him on Threads @FreedmanAE and Mastodon @FreedmanAE.mastodon.social.