Surface Go 3 leak reveals possible specs for the 2-in-1 tablet device

Microsoft has announced one of its regular Surface events for September 22, and one of the devices that might well be featuring is the Surface Go 3: an affordable tablet that also works rather well as a Windows laptop once you've got a keyboard cover attached.

Well that's what we think anyway, because the Surface Go 3 isn't actually official yet. Now sources in contact with WinFuture (via GSMArena) have revealed some of the specs and details of the rumored device, with most of the changes happening on the inside.

As far as the design goes, the new tablet is going to look a lot like the Surface Go 2, according to this latest leak – so expect the same 10.5-inch screen running at a resolution of 1920 x 1280 pixels, and a similar approach to device aesthetics.

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Under the hood

Under the hood, the big change is said to be the inclusion of the updated Amber Lake Y chips from Intel, slated to appear on the higher-end configurations of the Surface Go 3. Specifically, the Intel Core i3-10100Y quad-core chipset alongside 8GB of RAM has been spotted in a benchmark.

At the basic end of the configuration spectrum, the Surface Go 3 is expected to be available with a slower (but cheaper) Intel Premium Gold 6500Y processor. That comes with 4GB of RAM on board, though these spec options might not be final.

Since we saw the original Surface Go appear in 2018, these cheaper tablets have provided a genuinely appealing alternative to the likes of the Surface Pro 7 from Microsoft – and it looks as though the 2021 addition to the series is going to continue that trend.

Analysis: all eyes on September 22

Microsoft event September 22, 2021 teaser — Microsoft's teaser image for the September 22 event. (Image credit: Microsoft)

The Microsoft Surface line has been with us in some form or another since way back in 2012, and as its tenth anniversary approaches, Microsoft will be reasonably happy with the impact that its own line of hardware has had on the market – though there's still plenty of room for improvement.

With another big unveiling on September 22, there's a lot riding on the event: not only are we expecting a major refresh of all the Surface devices that matter, we're also going to hear more about Windows 11 as the release date of October 5 gets closer.

By this time next month we should have the complete picture when it comes to Microsoft's hardware and software line-up for 2022 – some brand new Surface devices running on a brand new operating system, ready to take on everything Apple has to offer.

We've already heard rumors about a premium Surface Laptop Studio, complete with a tilting screen and haptic pen, while the Surface Pro 8 might also put in an appearance. As soon as everything is made official, we will of course bring you all the details and reaction here on TechRadar.