Best Microsoft Surface: Find out which is the right Surface laptop or tablet for you
Microsoft offers seven different devices within its Surface portfolio – the Surface Pro 8, Surface Pro X, Surface Go 3, Surface Laptop 4, Surface Laptop Go, Surface Book 3 and Surface Studio 2. This makes the task of picking the right Surface laptop or tablet pretty daunting.
The good news is that it’s not as complicated as it first seems, and, to help you figure out the differences between them all, we’ve provided both a quick summary of the Surface devices and highlighted some of our favourites for you to consider.
Just so you know, this lineup doesn’t include the business-orientated Surface Hub interactive whiteboard, or the Android-based Surface Duo 2.
Microsoft Surface lineup: Quick summary
• The Surface Pro 8 is a Windows 11 Pro 2-in-1 PC with a detachable keyboard, but it’s definitely not for people who want a conventional laptop. It retains the same design as the last few generations but the internals have been updated including Intel’s 11th generation Core processors.
• The Surface Pro X is a look at a more premium 2-in-1. It’s designed for always-on connectivity and includes cellular connectivity thanks to its platform developed by Microsoft alongside Qualcomm.
• The Surface Go 3 is a 10.5-inch touchscreen tablet that, at first glance, looks like a smaller Surface Pro, but it’s a little more portable and has less powerful processors – such as the Intel Core m3 and Pentium. Microsoft is targeting Apple iPad users and Chromebook users with this device, as it’s the smallest Surface available and the cheapest.
• The Surface Laptop 4 is a traditional clamshell laptop, still with a touchscreen. It’s available in 13.5 and 15-inch versions and is an upgraded version of the Laptop 3, with new internals including Intel’s 11th generation Core processors.
• The Surface Laptop Go is a more budget-oriented version of the Surface Laptop. It has a smaller 12.4-inch display and less powerful specs but still retains the premium design of its pricier sibling.
• The Surface Book 3 is a professional-grade laptop available in 13.5 or 15-inch sizes. What makes it stand out, however, is its detachable screen that can act as an independent tablet PC. There’s also the option of a discrete GPU. It’s bigger and more expensive than the Surface Laptop, but it offers more in terms of performance.
• The Surface Studio 2 is the most expensive Surface device, and it’s primarily for creatives. It’s a gorgeous high-end all-in-one Windows PC with a Zero Gravity Hinge. With a light push, it can be pushed down to a desk position and then used with the included Surface Pen or even the optional Surface Dial to sketch. It’s long overdue for an updated model though.
