Just when you thought Microsoft's Surface tablets were dead in the water, the company announces a brand-new addition to the family: the Surface 3. Unlike previous Surface tablets, though, which ran the now defunct Windows RT operating system, the Surface 3 will run full Windows 8.1 like its big brother, the Surface Pro 3, and get a free upgrade to Windows 10 once it's available.
The Surface 3 takes several design cues from the Pro 3, including its magnesium chassis and 3:2 aspect ratio, but its display is much smaller, measuring 10.8in with a 1,920x1,280 resolution. Powered by Intel's new 1.6GHz quad-core Atom x7-Z8700 processor, Microsoft says the Surface 3 should be able to last for up to 10 hours of video playback. It will also have stereo speakers with Dolby Audio-enhanced sound, a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera and a 3.5-megapixel front facing camera.
Like all Surface tablets, the Surface 3 will also be able to double up as a laptop thanks to Microsoft's new Surface 3 Type Cover keyboard. To help prop up the screen, there's a kickstand round the back. The kickstand has three positions, making it easier to use on your lap as well as your desk. This isn't quite as flexible as the Surface Pro 3's stand, but we'll have to wait and see how it fares once we get one in for a full review.
You get a decent amount of ports as well considering its size. As well as a single full-sized USB3 port, there's a mini DisplayPort, a microSD card reader, a headphone jack and a micro USB charging port. If that's not enough, you'll be able to expand your range of connections with a docking station. It also comes with all manner of sensors, including an ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer and a digital compass.
The Surface 3 will be compatible with Microsoft's optional Surface Pen as well. We liked this a lot when we tested it with the Surface Pro 3, so we're pleased to see it making a return appearance.
Available in both 3G and 4G variations from May 7th, the Surface 3 will be available from £419 up to £499 with pre-orders opening today (March 31st). The £419 will get you 64GB of storage and 2GB of RAM, while the £499 version will have 128GB of storage and 4GB of RAM. You'll also get a one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal and OneDrive storage if you buy one before December 31st 2015. We'll bring you our full review as soon as we get our hands on a review sample.