It was a good run...

[Turbo4AWD]

Looks like M$ is ending the Surface 3 with no plans for a successor in the works. Really love my Surface 3. I'm sure a lot of you out there do as well, but that's it. No more Surface 3 or anything to follow it up.... looks like I am going to be switching to a Surface Pro 4.


Microsoft to end production on the Surface 3 by late 2016

 

[aokusman]

Love my 3. Will probably upgrade next year to a pro 4


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jrioux]

Looks like M$ is ending the Surface 3 with no plans for a successor in the works.

Don't give up hope. My recollection is that production of both the original RT and Surface 2 ended before their successors were announced.

 

[bronsky]

With production of the Atom ending at Cherry Trail and none of the Goldmont Pentiums or Celerons being able to adapt to the 2w SDP of the Surface 3, it makes sense to end the line. I don't see Microsoft letting the S3 have Core M power and competing with the SP4. I, for one, will not likely be getting the SP4. It is too big for my taste. My Surface 3 still performs adequately and I have Complete Care for another year. If there had been a successor, I would have probably purchased it and passed this S3 onto my daughter.

 

[hughlle]

You say no successors planned, yet unless I'm recalling incorrectly, the S3 came completely out of the blue.

If it really is the end, then I fully expect to see a "low end" 10" sp5 model, else as a very slim possibility, something 8". At 10", while not that powerful, the S3 has really proven the form factors viability in my opinion. The SP4 is all great and dandy, but for grab and go casual usage, the S3 is far superior imo.

 

[kristalsoldier]

I really wish/ hope MS does come out with a S3 successor. If they don't while I will upgrade to the SP5 (from my current SP3), I may have to consider the iPad though I would really not like to.

 

[Plantje]

I really wouldn't rule out the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S!
Personally I am still happy with my Surface 3. And I don't want/need a 12" screen. However, if you compare the dimensions the S3 is 7.36 inch (187mm) wide whereas the SGTPS is 7.83 inch (198.8mm) wide. And the S3 is 10.52 inch (267 mm) long and the SGTPS is 11.43 inch (290.3 mm) long.
That's about 1.18 cm difference in width and 2.33 cm difference in length.

Take in account that the S3 is 0.34 inch (8.7mm) thick and weighs 622 grams whereas the SGTPS is 0.25 inch (6.3 mm) thick and weighs 690 grams.

Yes, definitely a nice competitor! Agreed it would be better to have a device with the same specs, a 10.8 inch screen and every thing else shrunk along with it.

Other alternative would be to go for the Chuwi like devices from China. You would have nice specs and that all in iPad casings. Basically an iPad running Windows 10. The advantage of that is that most likely a lot of accessories of the iPad can be used with those tablets. Obviously there are a lot of possible downsides as well!

 

[GreyFox7]

Other alternative would be to go for the Chuwi like devices from China.

You mean Huawei MateBook? an early review said it missed the mark, it's beautiful like an iPad but fails the basics. Huawei MateBook review: this tablet wants to be a PC, but misses the basics
Hopefully there will be a MateBook 2 and it will be better, competition is good.

Interestingly there are very few entrants in the space between 10.2 and 11.5 size. There are a raft of 10.1 devices and a sudden surge of 12+ devices but the Surface 3 has staked out a perfect size IMO that nobody is making.
List of Tablets - Tablet Comparison Chart 2016 - Updated Tablet Prices
Above 10.1 and below 12 there is:
Google Pixel C at 10.2
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 - although the newer S2 went to 9.7
Dell latitude 11 at 10.8 - but it's thick and ugly
And a smattering of eight 11.6" devices that go back a couple years or more, nothing relevant.

To me 10.8 is a ideal size and they could bump it to 11.0 in the same physical size similar to the change from SP3 to SP4. Given what Samsung, Huawei, and Toshiba have done with weight on a 12" size 693g, 640g, 579g an 11" device should come in at 580g and under 7mm thick. S3 is 622g and 8.6mm.

They could present a strong challenge to the 9.7 iPad with this in the enterprise, not too small like all 10.1 and under devices with the requisite cramped keyboards and screens, all while being fully capable. I would not be too hasty to abandon this size or worry in the least about using a core-m just because the low end bigger, heavier, higher resolution, SP4 has one. After all 9.7 & 12.9 iPads have the same A9X SoC. It's a win both Intel and Microsoft need so "Pricewise" I think they could find a way to get it done somewhere within their vast pool of resources.

 

[Plantje]

No, I meant stuff like this and this and this and this...
These are just some examples. If I were in the market to purchase a new tablet and were opting for a Chinese model like one of these I would have done some more research. Just pointing out, this is an option as well.

The Huawei MateBook is more towards the Samsung and Microsoft devices (including the same pricing). By the way: I think the Verge is very Apple minded and everything not running iOS will never be valued highly.

Agreed... 10.8" is a great size. Although the 9.7" would be acceptable as well. 580grams and under 7mm thick sounds great!

And I also agree not to abandon the core M procs. The Samsung was running fine with the core M3 in my opinion!

 

[dajogejr]

I picked up a 3 for my teenage son for school work, etc. After letting him use my Pro3 (last year) and him absolutely crushing a project, I was sold.
His is in great shape and he uses it daily. Great device for those that don't need/don't want the larger screen, weight, and extra price tag.
However, price tag wasn't that different once you added in the price of the pen and a touchpad/keyboard.

Great device, but I get the choice by MS.

 

[quadtronix]

I've been scarce on this forum for awhile but I've still got my S3 (128GB) which runs fine and is holding up like a champ. It's really actually only been less than a year that I've had it. Since then I also picked up an iPad in December 2015 (Pro, Space Gray, 32GB), and an Air 2 about a month and a half ago... (Air 2, 16GB, Space Gray)...

I use the iPad Pro more than the Air 2 or my Surface 3 but they do see some use now and then. I may be in the market for the next Surface Pro and I've been reading rumors of a Pro 5 coming out! In fact, rumor has it that it will come with a 4K display and next gen Processor I think... we'll see though... If there is a new Surface 4 planned (on the low)... i might be interested in that instead, as the 12.9"iPad Pro already fills the ridiculously large tablet section on my shelf... but the op is probably right and a Surface 4 is most likely not to be...

For now though, I will be using my S3 for as long as it holds up or at least until something newer comes out and temptation gets the better of me. lol...

I did see that the Surface 3 is worth $130.00 in store credit at BestBuy or at least it was a couple weeks ago. I hardly think that that's fair but maybe if it goes towards a new Pro model it might make a little more sense. We'll see.

 

[RichBrownsDesk]

There are rumors now of a SURFACE 4: Microsoft confirms it will stop production of Surface 3 - Surface 4 ahoy?