The Surface Go 3 gets new Intel processors

Microsoft’s Surface Go 2 is one of the best cheap laptops you can buy, and it’s gotten a sequel today: the new Surface Go 3.

The device looks identical to the Surface Go 2. The two devices have the same 10.5-inch 1920 x 1280 display, the same set of cameras and speakers, the same ports, and the same dimensions.

There’s one significant difference: new Intel processors. The Surface Go 3 can be configured with an Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y or Core i3-10100Y, a straightforward upgrade over the Go 2, which came with a Gold 4425Y or a Core m3. Microsoft says the chip bump will make the Surface Go an even more powerful device for out-and-about use — 60 percent faster than its predecessor.

The device runs Windows 11, and the camera supports Windows Hello facial recognition. Commercial devices will run Windows 10 Pro or Windows 11 Pro. The Go 3 supports the Microsoft Pen Protocol, though a stylus isn’t included. There’s optional LTE, and Microsoft claims it’ll deliver all-day battery life.

The Surface Go 3 starts at $399.99 and is now available for preorder on the Microsoft Store in “select markets.” You can’t buy LTE models yet, but Microsoft says they’re on their way “in the coming months.”