Review: Microsoft 15in Surface Laptop 3
Price: £1,699 from fave.co/31H18wa
Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 3 feels fresh again, after two successive generations of relatively stagnant designs. Those eager for a larger computing experience now have a new 15in option, which also boasts something novel: a custom-designed mobile AMD Ryzen processor. In all, it’s an intriguing mix of style and speed.
The new Surface Laptop 3 has a modern USB-C port in addition to the tried-and-trusted Surface Connector, expanding your charging and I/O options. Microsoft’s stunning PixelSense display remains, and while the touchpad has grown larger and more functional, you may find the keyboard a tad less enjoyable.
But wait, there’s a choice to be made. Microsoft also has a Surface Laptop 3 for Business. This 15in option essentially replicates the consumer version we reviewed, but includes a 10th-gen Intel Core processor, advanced wireless, and improved memory options. (Microsoft’s 13in Surface Laptop 3 is built around Intel’s 10th-gen chip, too.) Disappointing battery life in the consumer version has us wondering whether the true enthusiast version of the Surface Laptop 3 might be the Business edition. Let’s see if you agree.
A sleek, svelte design
Whereas not much differentiated the original Surface Laptop from the Surface Laptop 2, a number of new updates set the Surface Laptop 3 apart: the new 15in form factor, of course; the AMD-based ‘Surface Edition’ mobile Ryzen processor option; and new colour and chassis options, too. We were offered the Matte Black 15in Surface Laptop 3 for review, but after viewing the dusky Sandstone option at the launch, we can recommend that as well.
Surface Laptops have always aspired to be more than just computing devices, and the sleek, svelte swathes of metal that inform the 15in Surface Laptop 3 are lovely, both to view and to hold. For its size, the Surface Laptop 3 feels uncommonly light, although, to be fair, other laptops in its class have also moved to lighter materials and their internal components have slimmed down too. Even Microsoft’s 65-watt charger is
