Microsoft announces thinner, faster 12-inch Surface Pro 3 starting at $799

[Jos]

Well what do you know? Despite shooting down rumors last week Microsoft has taken the wraps off the new Surface Pro 3 at a press event in New York City today. The new device is faster and thinner than its predecessors, and despite packing a larger 12-inch screen, it’s lighter than the Pro 2 at 800 grams.

Microsoft went with a 2160 x 1440 resolution display and 3:2 aspect ratio, which is rare for this screen size. Surface chief Panos Panay says Windows has been optimized for the form factor and it actually allows the new Surface Pro 3 to show more on its 12-inch screen than a MacBook Air can in 13-inches.

Although technical specifications were a bit scarce during the presentation, Panay did say the new Surface includes a Core i7 that’s 10% faster than the one on its predecessor. Microsoft worked closely with Intel to get this chip into a 9.1mm form factor, and though it still requires a fan, it’s 30% more efficient than anything else on the market. You won’t hear it or feel it, he claims.

Another big area of focus was the redesigned kickstand. While the Surface Pro 2 took the original 22-degree angle and added a more sloped 55 degree position, the new kickstand just smoothly slides into any position you like within a 150-degree angle. You can tell Microsoft has put a lot of work into this and Panay admitted that this is essential to their laptop-replacement promise.

Also improving the device’s “lapability” is a new Type Cover that seals itself to the screen at an angle to provide more sturdiness and easier typing. It’s a subtle tweak that might go a long way in improving the experience along with a 68% larger trackpad -- addressing another pain point of its predecessor.

Lastly Panay talked up the new stylus, which can launch OneNote even when the Surface Pro 3 is powered off. When writing notes you can then click the top of the stylus again to save the content directly to OneDrive, and double-clicking it with the camera open will snap a photo and let you write on it.

Other features include front-facing speakers, an USB 3 port, and the ability to push out video to a 4K monitor via an optional docking station.

Pre-orders open tomorrow starting at $799 for the base Core i3 model.

Surface Pro 3 Pricing

• Intel Core i3, 64 GB  and 4 GB of RAM - $799
• Intel Core i5, 128 GB and 4 GB of RAM - $999
• Intel Core i5, 256 GB and 8 GB of RAM - $1,299
• Intel Core i7, 256 GB and 8 GB of RAM - $1,549
• Intel Core i7, 512 GB and 8 GB of RAM - $1,949

Technical specifications

Operating System	Windows 8.1 Pro
Exterior	Dimensions: 7.93 in x 11.5 in x 0.36 in Weight: 1.76 lbs Casing: Magnesium Color: Silver Physical buttons: Volume, Power, Home
Storage	64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Display	Screen: 12-inch ClearType Full HD display Resolution: 2160 x 1440 Aspect Ratio: 3:2 Touch: Multitouch input
Pen input	Pen input and pen (included with purchase) Pen features 256 levels of pressure sensitivity
CPU	4th-generation Intel Core i5-4300U (1.6 GHz - 2.90 GHz) with Intel HD Graphics 4400 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM — dual-channel LPDDR3 TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module — for BitLocker encryption) 4th-generation Intel Core i3/i5/i7 Processor 4GB or 8GB memory options TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
Wireless	Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11ac/802.11 a/b/g/n Bluetooth 4.0 low energy technology
Battery	Up to nine hours of Web-browsing battery life
Cameras and A/V	5MP and 1080p HD front- and rear-facing cameras Built-in front- and rear-facing microphones Stereo speakers with Dolby Audio-enhanced sound
Ports	Full-size USB 3.0 microSD card reader Headset jack Mini DisplayPort Cover port Charging port
Sensors	Ambient light sensor Accelerometer Gyroscope Magnetometer
Power supply	36W power supply (including 5W USB for accessory charging)
Warranty	One-year limited hardware warranty

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https://www.techspot.com/news/56819-microsoft-announces-thinner-faster-12-inch-surface-pro-3-update-full-specs-and-pricing.html

 

[wastedkill]

So were gonna get worse battery life is that what your telling me?

 

[TomSEA]

$800 for the base model means $1100 for the model you really want.

No thanks.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

800 bucks just for a for a tablet? You're kidding, right?

 

[Guest]

If you want to support Microsoft you have to buy one of these.

 

[wastedkill]

$800 for the base model means $1100 for the model you really want.

No thanks.

They probably cost only $300 to make lol!

 

[davislane1]

I have yet to handle a Surface personally, but this update looks like a decent potential replacement for my laptop in a couple years time. I'll have to see their pricing (which apparently starts at "steep" and threatens "vertical") for more powerful setups, but it appears they're taking the design where it needs to go.

 

[spectrenad]

Ofc it will cost a bit more than a laptop with the same specs, but you pay for the versatility, the touch screen, the increased resolution and the reduced size/weight of the components (miniaturization). If you don't need that, fine, I don't either, but stop bashing MS for the fun of it... At least they are trying to bring full fledged PCs to the tablet market, unlike Google and Apple, who sell mostly toys with limited functionality...

 

[davislane1]

Ofc it will cost a bit more than a laptop with the same specs, but you pay for the versatility, the touch screen, the increased resolution and the reduced size/weight of the components (miniaturization). If you don't need that, fine, I don't either, but stop bashing MS for the fun of it... At least they are trying to bring full fledged PCs to the tablet market, unlike Google and Apple, who sell mostly toys with limited functionality...

Don't bash Microsoft! Bash Apple/Google!

 

[VitalyT]

For anyone camping for a new Surface, this looks like the first version that may be worth buying.

 

[madboyv1]

Oh man that 3:2 screen... 35mm photographers rejoice, you can view your pictures with no letterboxing/pillarboxing! Also, editing said images with Lightroom with toolbars minimized is probably going to be a dream.

That price though... =(

 

[Guest]

So no mini, eh? I was actually looking forward to it.

 

[GhostRyder]

The price has always been high, when you compare the specs to other applicable devices you see the price is more in the ballpark than you would think. It maybe pricey, but you get a decent machine for your money that has full windows support in a tablet form with alot of power to back it up for the size.

Its not for everyone, but as with any device not everyone is going to want/need it. I still love my surface pro but I got mine for a slight discount.

 

[Guest]

Seems like most of you guys are posting/complaining about a device you've obviously never used yet and most likely haven't used the older models either!? If you want to compare the Surface to an ipad or Android tablet then look at the Surface RT, This new Pro 3 model is truly looking like a valid laptop replacement (even decked out at $1,100)

 

[RustyTech]

So no mini, eh? I was actually looking forward to it.

what? there is..it's called Windows Phone

 

[Guest]

Looks like a perfect replacement for my ASUS EP121 tablet

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

Ofc it will cost a bit more than a laptop with the same specs, but you pay for the versatility, the touch screen, the increased resolution and the reduced size/weight of the components (miniaturization). If you don't need that, fine, I don't either, but stop bashing MS for the fun of it... At least they are trying to bring full fledged PCs to the tablet market, unlike Google and Apple, who sell mostly toys with limited functionality...

I hear ya, I'm sick of people complaining about the Surface Pro being an overpriced tablet, when really it's a very competitively priced touchscreen ultrabook. I don't think the iPad and Android tablets are toys though, they serve their purpose.

I have the same feeling about the Pro 3 as I did with the 2... I wish I had a reason/excuse to buy one. They look really slick.

 

[Jad Chaar]

Wow I was really excited, but for $800 seems like a real stretch.

$800 for the base model means $1100 for the model you really want.

No thanks.

Yeah my exact feelings .

 

[IAMTHESTIG]

Wow they aren't screwing around... wonder how useful the docking station is though. I at least want to hook up two monitors to it. This really is a laptop replacement, albeit a much slicker one. You get laptop hardware in a tablet that can be a makeshift laptop. I love that they stuck with the magnetically attached keyboard too and only made it better. This looks like it may be on our list to replace many laptops someday.

 

[madboyv1]

I hear ya, I'm sick of people complaining about the Surface Pro being an overpriced tablet, when really it's a very competitively priced touchscreen ultrabook. I don't think the iPad and Android tablets are toys though, they serve their purpose.

I have the same feeling about the Pro 3 as I did with the 2... I wish I had a reason/excuse to buy one. They look really slick.

At $1650/$2050 before taxes for the i7 version plus the touch cover, I do not find it competitively priced against ultrabooks at all. The lower end Surface 3 Pros I'd agree with the statement, but certainly not the higher end ones.

I wish I had an excuse to drop the money for one as well, but I've got a computer in the waiting later this year where the $1700-$2100 would be much better spent on. Whether or not I can wait for Broadwell is up in the air.

 

[Railman]

Wow I was really excited, but for $800 seems like a real stretch.

$800 for the base model means $1100 for the model you really want.

No thanks.

Yeah my exact feelings .

Seems to be around double the price of an equivalent laptop. Frankly a laptop is more versatile but I still prefer a proper PC.

 

[Jad Chaar]

Seems to be around double the price of an equivalent laptop. Frankly a laptop is more versatile but I still prefer a proper PC.

Yeah, the only reason I would buy a surface is for the touch screen/tablet form factor for taking notes. But yeah, typing notes is not much harder. Eh, I wonder if they will unveil a surface 3 with Windows RT on it. I feel like it must have been such a failure since they didnt update it this time around.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

$800 for the base model means $1100 for the model you really want.

No thanks.

They probably cost only $300 to make lol!

Make that $100.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Wow I was really excited, but for $800 seems like a real stretch.

$800 for the base model means $1100 for the model you really want.

No thanks.

Yeah my exact feelings .

Seems to be around double the price of an equivalent laptop. Frankly a laptop is more versatile but I still prefer a proper PC.

There's no denying the fact that nothing comes remotely close to being as good as a desktop PC but unfortunately they're not terribly portable. It's a good thing I'm not reliant on portable computing, my phone is all I need for that little task.

 

[Guest]

I have a surface RT and albeit a watered down pc, it is still fabulous. I've been wanting a new surface for a while now. If I had the money and a tablet made sense for college I would totally buy this guy. I don't know what they're doing with the keyboards though, bigger screen is probably going to mean a bigger keyboard. Anyways, this looks so good. The kickstand would be amazing. Either way, I love my surface and I would so get one if I had money. Glad Microsoft is adding updates and building on their product.