Microsoft Surface 3

The Surface 3 offers a welcome price break from the pricey Microsoft Surface Pro 3, and it's well built, offers a full version of Windows, and boasts impressive battery life. But in a crowded field, a solid tablet that relies heavily on expensive accessories falls short of top marks.

Is the third time the charm for Microsoft's tablet?

The Surface 3 is Microsoft’s best compromise between price, size and power yet. As a tablet it performs admirably – not as good as dedicated tablets with longer batteries, crisper screens and slimmer profiles, but good enough.

Think of the Surface 3 as a smaller, cheaper Surface Pro 3, with slightly disappointing battery life but surprisingly good performance.

Objectively, the Surface 3 is the best compromise between a laptop and tablet. It’s a highly portable gadget which can run full Windows programs and it costs less than the Surface Pro 3. It’s not exactly cheap by the time you’ve added the keyboard and stylus, though. It’s also only good for lightweight duties – it’s less powerful than laptops costing the same – and some people will find the screen is too small for ‘proper’ productivity. It’s a better work tool than an iPad and Bluetooth keyboard, it has to be said, and if you only need to use office apps and a web browser, it could be exactly what you’re after. Most people are better off spending more on the Surface Pro 3 or, if you don’t need a touchscreen, a Core M laptop such as the Asus UX305F.

I've been using the base model of the Surface 3 as my daily driver for the past 3 months. It's beautifully crafted, decent to type on, and won't break the bank. However, the Surface 3, and especially the most basic model, has a few shortfalls.

The Nexus 9 is the cheaper option here and will suit those who a tablet for enjoyment but also need to do the occasional bit of light work. However, the Surface 3 is the better package for working with a more suitable design comprised of the kickstand and Type Cover. A larger screen, more storage and useful ports are all big benefits.

Our review unit is equipped with 128 GB, and 93.2 GB of the 110 GB was free at the start of the review.