The Surface Pro 3 is the third professional tablet from Microsoft that doubles as an Ultrabook. It was announced May 20 at a press event in New York City. Despite being called the Surface Pro 3, it is not a direct follow-up to the Surface Pro 2. Instead, the Surface Pro 3 is an entirely new model with a larger screen. Microsoft hopes the Surface Pro 3 is the tablet that replaces your laptop.
On March 31, 2015, Microsoft announced a lower-cost version of the Surface Pro 3 called Surface 3. It features an Intel Atom processor, smaller display, and a fanless design.
The larger display is what you’ll notice first in the Surface Pro 3. Microsoft has increased the size of the display to 12-inches and upped the resolution to 2160 x 1440. That makes the screen 38% larger than the Surface Pro 2 and adds 50% more pixels.
By increasing the size of the display, Microsoft has made new keyboards a necessity with the Surface Pro 2. While your old ones will work, they won’t cover the entire screen when closed. Microsoft also introduced a new Type Cover that comes in five colors and features a trackpad that is 63% bigger than before.
A new Surface Docking Station has also been announced to give the Surface Pro 3 more capabilities at your desk.
The new kickstand in the Surface Pro 3 has been changed. No longer are you limited to the two positions in the Surface Pro 2. Instead, you get a multi-position kickstand that features a friction-hinge. This hinge allows you to pick any angle between zero and 150 degrees for viewing.
Some additional specs for the Surface Pro 3 include: nine hours of battery life, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ pen support, 5 MP camera in front and rear, full-size USB port, micro SD card slot and Windows 8.1 Pro.
The Surface Pro 3 comes in a variety of configurations that differ in processor, memory, storage and price. Here they are:
- Intel Core i3 / 64 GB / 4GB of RAM / $799
- Intel Core i5 / 128 GB / 4GB of RAM / $999
- Intel Core i5 / 256 GB / 8GB of RAM / $1299
- Intel Core i7 / 256 GB / 8GB of RAM / $1549
- Intel Core i7 / 512 GB / 8GB of RAM / $1949
The Surface Pro 3 was made available on June 20, 2014.
