Watch our Surface 3 unboxing and first impressions

The Surface 3 went on sale this week in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States! It's the thinnest and lightest Surface Microsoft has ever shipped. It has a 10.8-inch screen, runs full Windows, and starts at $499.

You're probably interested to see what comes with the sales packaging, so we've shot an unboxing video for you. Check it out.

Surface 3 specifications

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CategoryFeatures
Size10.52 x 7.36 x 0.34 in (267 x 187 x 8.7 mm)
Weight1.37 lbs (622 g)
Display10.8-inch ClearType Full HD Plus Display, 1920 x 1280 resolution, 3:2 aspect ratio, Surface Pen support
Battery LifeUp to 10 hours
Storage/RAM64GB storage with 2GB RAM or 128GB storage with 4GB RAM
ProcessorQuad-core Intel Atom x7-Z8700 processor (2MB Cache, 1.6GHz with Intel Burst technology up to 2.4GHz).
Network (Wireless and Cellular)Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.0
PortsFull-size USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, microSD card reader, Micro USB charging port, Headset jack, Cover port
SoftwareWindows 8.1, 1-year of Office 365 Personal
Cameras3.5 megapixel front-facing camera, 8.0 megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus
SensorsAmbient light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer

Sales packaging

  • Surface 3
  • Power Supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and Warranty documents

The Surface 3 Type Cover ($130) and Surface Pen ($50) are sold separately, so keep that in mind when making the purchase.

The Surface 3 is pretty much a slimmed down version of the Surface Pro 3. You get the same design, same 3:2 form factor, even support similar accessories. One noticeable difference is the kickstand on the Surface 3 is a little more limited with just three different positions compared to the variable positions on the Surface Pro 3.

Overall, we're very happy with the Surface 3. It's a very fun device to use. It's not as powerful as the Surface Pro 3, but it's not meant to be. The Surface 3 has a lower starting price than the Surface Pro 3, so that makes it very appealing. We'll have a full review very soon. Are you looking to buy the Surface 3? Let us know in the comments!

Mark Guim

Mark Guim is Video Editor at Windows Central. He switched to Windows because the MacBook Pro isn't Pro enough. You can follow him on Twitter at @markguim.