Microsoft Surface 3 (Windows 8.1, 2015)

1451 reviews

Dec, 2025

Positive
usability (355)
performance (342)
portability (311)
price (150)
screen (148)

Negative
reliability (94)
GPS navigation (3)

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 1451 reviews of Microsoft Surface 3 (Windows 8.1, 2015). The average rating for this product is 4.0/5, compared to an average rating of 4.2/5 for other products in the same category for all reviews. Reviewers really like the size and screen. The portability and usability are also mentioned favorably. Many are negative about the GPS navigation and reliability, and there are mixed opinions on the storage and price.

performance, usability, portability, screen, size

reliability, GPS navigation

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other products in the same category the Microsoft Surface 3 (Windows 8.1, 2015) is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 89/100 = Very good quality.

Review analysis

(Based on 1451 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

(48% of reviews)
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Features

performance
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usability
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portability
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price
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screen
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Showing 1 - 526 of 1247 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (198)

Consumer review (amazon.co.uk)

Amazon.co.uk review summary for Microsoft Surface 3 (Windows 8.1, 2015)

alaTest has collected and analyzed 48 user reviews of Microsoft Surface 3 (Windows 8.1, 2015) from Amazon.co.uk. The average user rating for this product is 4.0/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.3/5 for other products in the same category on Amazon.co.uk. Reviewers are impressed by the battery and price. The usability and portability also get good feedback.

performance, portability, usability, price, battery

81% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

Dec, 2025

Consumer review (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Microsoft Surface 3 (Windows 8.1, 2015)

alaTest has collected and analyzed 468 user reviews of Microsoft Surface 3 (Windows 8.1, 2015) from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 3.8/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.1/5 for other products in the same category on Amazon.com. People are impressed by the size and price. The portability and usability also get good views, whereas there are some negative comments about the connectivity and GPS navigation.

performance, usability, portability, price, size

reliability, touch screen, GPS navigation, connectivity

76% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Dec, 2025

Expert review by (engadget.com)

Surface 3 review: Finally, a cheap Surface you'd actually want

Microsoft's Surface 3 is the purest distillation of its hybrid tablet/laptop concept yet. It packs in a healthy amount of functionality for its $499 price, though be ready to pay another $130 for its keyboard.

The lightest Surface yet ; Extremely versatile as both a tablet and laptop ; Runs all Windows software ; Stylus support is a nice bonus

Keyboard is another $130 ; Entry model has only 2GB RAM ; Not powerful enough for anything beyond basic computing

I can't recommend the Surface 3 to everyone, but it's the first $499 Surface that I can recommend to someone. And that's more than I can say for the Surface 2 and RT. It's a machine that's capable of doing a lot -- within limits. And come the eventual...

Apr, 2015

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Expert review by (pcmag.com)

Microsoft Surface 3 Docking Station Review

The Microsoft Surface 3 Docking Station lets you connect a monitor and peripherals to your Surface 3 if you want to use the tablet as a primary PC.

Apr, 2015

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Expert review by : Mark Hachman (pcworld.com)

Surface 3 review: This is the one worth recommending, though it’s no bargain

Microsoft added Windows 8.1 and a surprisingly powerful Intel Atom chip to create the Surface 3, but it still feels expensive for what you get.

Intel Atom processor performs better than expected ; One year of Office 365 Personal included ; Goodbye, Windows RT. Hello, Windows 8.1 (and 10!)

499 advertised price is currently just for the tablet ; Battery life is actually less than the Surface Pro 3 ; Limited to Microsoft Office, Web browsing, some basic games and apps

Think of the Surface 3 as a smaller, cheaper Surface Pro 3, with slightly disappointing battery life but surprisingly good performance.

Apr, 2015

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Expert review by : David Pierce (wired.com)

Review: Microsoft Surface 3

Microsoft's less-expensive Surface lands firmly in the middle ground between laptop and tablet.

Lovely, clean design. Type Cover is a really smart, useful accessory. It runs full Windows! It really can replace both your laptop and your tablet

Still out of many people's price range. Slightly underpowered for real laptop work. Windows still isn't a touch-friendly operating system. Tweener size is too big for tablets and too small for laptops

Apr, 2015

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Expert review by : Tom Warren (theverge.com)

Microsoft Surface 3 review: a tablet that wants to be a laptop

What is a laptop? What is a tablet? For most people, the answers are obvious. But for Microsoft's Surface line, it's been a bit murky. Microsoft's first attempt, the Surface RT, flopped. So much...

Full version of Windows ; 3:2 aspect ratio improves tablet use ; Bright and colorful display

Awkward hardware for laptop use with small trackpad ; Performance isn't as good as similarly priced laptops ; Weak touch apps for tablet use

Apr, 2015

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Expert review by (cnet.com)

Microsoft Surface 3

And there lies the biggest tragedy of the otherwise-excellent Surface line. When you're adding a $129 keyboard cover to a thousand-dollar tablet , it's an added expense, but doesn't dramatically change the value proposition of the system. Adding the...

The new Surface 3 costs less than the Pro version, but trickles down much of the design and materials of its more expensive sibling. This budget model finally runs the full version of Windows. The keyboard cover remains the best way to transform a...

Trading down to a low-power processor means this isn't a full-time PC. The clever keyboard case is still sold separately, and costs a lot compared to the base hardware. The kickstand has only three preset angles.

The budget-priced Surface 3 is a solid tablet that finally runs the real version of Windows, but it would be a much better value if the must-have keyboard cover was included.

Apr, 2015

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Expert review by (pcmag.com)

Microsoft Surface 3 Review

The Surface 3 offers a welcome price break from the pricey Microsoft Surface Pro 3, and it's well built, offers a full version of Windows, and boasts impressive battery life. But in a crowded field, a solid tablet that relies heavily on expensive...

Apr, 2015

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Expert review by : Brett Howse (anandtech.com)

The Surface 3 Review

The Surface lineup for Microsoft has been extremely interesting to watch. What first launched in October 2012 as the Surface RT has been constantly iterated upon, and of course the Surface Pro line has evolved even faster. Surface Pro 3 has finally...

With Windows 10 right around the corner, the Surface 3 feels like Microsoft’s best attempt yet at creating a great tablet computer. If you in the market and you want a Windows 8.1 tablet, it would be worth your time to check out the Surface 3.

May, 2015

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Expert review by : Laptop Mag (laptopmag.com)

Microsoft Surface 3

Bright, colorful display; Attractive design; Good keyboard feedback; Excellent audio; Totally quiet ; Awkward lap experience; Slow storage; Keyboard not included ; The Microsoft Surface 3 is a versatile tablet and laptop in one, offering an improved...

Awkward lap experience; Slow storage; Keyboard not included ; The Microsoft Surface 3 is a versatile tablet and laptop in one, offering an improved keyboard, a vibrant display and strong battery life.

The Microsoft Surface 3 is a versatile tablet and laptop in one, offering an improved keyboard, a vibrant display and strong battery life.

Apr, 2015

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Expert review by : Allen Ngo (notebookcheck.net)

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15-inch Core i7 Review: Better with Ice Lake

We all know that Intel's Core i7 Ice Lake can outperform the cheaper AMD Zen+ Ryzen 5. The real questions are how much of a performance boost can users expect and if the advantages are worth the price premium.

full performance on battery power;good performance sustainability;faster storage performance;no DPC latency issues;long battery life;generally quiet

hardware-based AI acceleration has yet to be exploited;no card reader or Thunderbolt 3;PWM at lower brightness levels;barebones set of features;no vPro or WWAN

Dec, 2019

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