Like its predecessors, the Go 3 does away with the fan as well as the vents, letting the magnesium chassis passively radiate any heat that the tablet generates. It seems they’ve dimmed the display a bit, however, as we recorded a maximum brightness of 374 nits as opposed to the Go 2’s 483 nits. Microsoft typically uses the chunky bezels as landing pads for your fingers and thumbs. The Surface Go 3 looks physically identical to its predecessor, with slightly thinner bezels than the original to accommodate the 10.5-inch, 1920×1280 PixelSense display.

Optional accessories: Surface Go Type Cover ($84.99-$129.99 MSRP), Surface Pen ($99.99).

Operating system: Windows 11 Home in S Mode.

Camera: User-facing: 5.0MPixel (1080p video) Rear-facing: 8.0MP (1080p video).

Ports: USB-C (5Gbps), Surface Connect, microSDXC, Surface Connect, Surface Type Cover.

Processor: Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y, Core i3-10100Y (Core i3 as tested).

The rear of the Microsoft Surface Go 3, showing the rear camera, volume rocker, and power switch.

Unfortunately, there’s no pen loop to secure the pen with the Go 3, though the side of the tablet is magnetized to help keep the pen in place when not in use. For inking, there’s the older $99.99 Surface Pen. The Type Cover’s prices range from $59.99 to $129.99, depending on color and available discounts. And yes, you still have to buy the keyboard separately. Unlike the Surface Pro 8, the Surface Go’s Type Cover has not been redesigned to accommodate the Surface Slim Pen 2. The Business configuration also allows you to chose either Windows 10 Pro or Windows 11 Pro, an odd choice given the optional 4GB RAM configuration.

Microsoft reserved the LTE option for what it calls the Surface Go 3 for Business, which ships in both a $499.99 (Core i3/4GB RAM/64GB SSD) and a $679.99 (Core i3/8GB RAM/128GB SSD) configuration, each with an LTE SIM tray that the consumer version lacks. It’s a somewhat odd omission, though our Go 2 review indicated that its cellular reception was spotty. Unlike the prior Surface Go 2, the current version of the Surface Go 3 consumer version doesn’t ship with cellular options.

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