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Windows 10 related Mobile Devices and Apps | Mobile O.S's => All Surface Devices | Surface Pro | Laptop | Studio => Topic started by: javajolt on March 31, 2015, 07:12:37 PM
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(http://s15.postimg.org/3zes3x08b/S3_1.jpg)
Rumored for a while and today revealed in real life, the Surface 3 has emerged from the dark recesses of Microsoft, a budget successor to the Surface 2. Bearing all of the 'Surface' hallmarks, a stylus, various keyboard and 'desktop' accessories and a flexible kickstand, the device nonetheless faces stiff competition in the form of the formidable Surface Pro 3. The question thus emerges, is it worth it?
Join us as we compare the two, before deciding which is most deserving of your hard-earned bucks.
Screen
Both devices sport detailed screens, with the Surface 3 enjoying a 10.8 inch full HD panel and the Surface Pro 3 offering a 12 inch 2160x1440 display. Both devices have a slightly unusual 3:2 resolution. The screens on these two devices betray their intended use-case scenarios. The smaller 10.5 inch screen on the Surface 3 is more in line with conventional 'tablet' screens, making it especially at home on the couch, while the 12 inch screen on the Surface Pro 3 makes it a better 'laptop', with the extra real-estate lending itself well to productivity.
Winner: tie, both devices offer nice panels, but have different ideal use cases.
(http://s7.postimg.org/ty25kzxrf/S3_3.jpg)
Performance
While both devices are powerful in their own right, this is where the Surface Pro 3 truly asserts itself. The Surface 3 will offer a new Quad-core Intel® Atom™ x7 processor (http://ark.intel.com/products/85475/Intel-Atom-x7-Z8700-Processor-2M-Cache-up-to-2_40-GHz), which is set as below the Core M (http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/core/next-generation-core-processors.html) series in terms of performance. This processor is constant across all versions of the device offered, which have so far been seen as sporting either 2GB or 4GB of RAM. For casual computing this will be perfectly sufficient, yet for more 'desktop' tasks and demanding applications, the Surface 3 is found lacking.
The Surface Pro 3 on the other hand offers a bevy of combinations, varying enormously in terms of power. The lowest specced version sports a 4th generation Core i3 processor and 4GB of RAM, going all the way up to an Intel i7 with 8GB of RAM, with various versions offered in-between. Combined with the in-built Intel HD Graphics, this means that the Surface Pro 3 can easily compete with the likes of various ultrabooks and MacBooks, meaning that it is serious proposition for those looking to get some work done on the go.
Winner: Surface Pro, with more options and power across the board.
Storage
The Surface 3 and the Surface Pro 3 offer an number of different storage options. The Surface 3 offers between 64GB and 128GB of built-in storage with the option to insert a MicroSD card for up to 128GB of extra storage. The Surface Pro 3 also offers a number of different storage options, varying between 64GB and 512GB and also including a MicroSD card slot. Both devices are solid performers in this regard.
Winner: Surface Pro 3, though the Surface 3 is no slouch.
(http://s18.postimg.org/i741x3b6h/S3_4_0.jpg)
Battery Life
Both the Surface 3 and the Surface Pro 3 are designed to survive a full-days work while out and about. Microsoft rates the Surface Pro 3 as able to survive around 9 hours of web-browsing (which we found to be accurate in our review), while the Surface 3 is rated as being able to last 10 hours, no doubt due to its smaller screen and low-power processor. Both devices are very capable in this regard, if not quite hitting the heights of their (more expensive) competitors.
Winner: Surface 3, though we will test this in our full review.
Camera
As is the wont of the selfie-obsessed public, every device (barring the common toaster) sports camera functionality, and both the Surface devices are similar in this regard. The Surface Pro 3 has twin 5MP efforts on the front and rear, while the Surface 3 has a 8MP rear-mounted effort and a 3.5MP selfie-cam. This should theoretically make the Surface 3 a little better for photographing documents, and the the Surface Pro 3 better for Skype calls. Give the general quality of tablet cameras however, neither is going to replace your smartphone or DSLR.
Winner: Tie, both are adequate.
(http://s8.postimg.org/6scod6f0l/surface_3_0.jpg) (http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us)
source:winbeta