Everyone has lots of questions about the newly announced Surface Pro 3 (SP3). I thought I’d address some of them in this post.
As you know, the SP3 has not yet hit the store shelves but there is enough information from Microsoft to answer some of the most common questions folks seem to be asking.
Before we get started, if you’re looking for technical details, you might want to check out these posts first.
If you have questions about specs, please see our post on Surface Pro 2 vs. Surface Pro 3.
If you have questions about some of the best features of SP3, see Surface Pro 3 features.
Assuming those posts didn’t help, go ahead and look at my list below…
Questions and Answers About Surface 3: When will the SP3 be available?
Microsoft will begin shipping SP3s on June 20th in the U.S.A. Some models, however, will not ship until the end of August. Outside of the U.S.? – unfortunately, there is no information available yet.
Questions and Answers About Surface 3: Will I be able to use my Surface 2 (S2) / Surface Pro 2 (SP2) keyboard with the new SP3?
Yes, although the profile of the older type keyboard is obviously smaller, we’re told that you will still be able to use them with the new SP3s. Obviously though, they will not work the same on your lap as the new ones.
Questions and Answers About Surface 3: Will SP3 have 4G-LTE?
As of right now – No. However, that doesn’t mean that Microsoft will not offer this option in the future as they did with the Surface 2 line of tablets.
Questions and Answers About Surface 3: Can I charge my SP3 with SP2’s charger?
No, the SP3 comes with a new power connector and the old one simply will not fit.
Questions and Answers About Surface 3: Will my laptop’s software, like Photoshop, be compatible with SP3?
Yes. Just about anything you run a PC will run on the SP3. Only limitation you may see is software that requires heavy graphics, like certain games.
Order your Surface Pro 3 Now!
Questions and Answers About Surface 3: When will the new docking station for SP3 come out?
Microsoft has not posted any information on the release date yet; however, I’d expect it to show up sometime after June 20th. It may even take a month or two longer. Keep an eye on the Surface blog, they often announce accessories there.
Questions and Answers About Surface 3: Can my SP2 can be upgraded to use the same stylus as SP3?
No. Unfortunately the SP3 stylus uses a different digitizer technology (N-trig instead of Wacom) and so it’s not backwards compatible with the SP or SP2.
Questions and Answers About Surface 3: Will my older Surface Pro accessories work with the new SP3?
It depends. USB adapters should work the same. However, if you have a carrying case you like, you will probably need to get a new one to fit the new form factor. As I mentioned above, the pen is also different. So, it really depends on the accessory.
Questions and Answers About Surface 3: Is Surface Pro 3 better than iPad Air?
That is like comparing apples to oranges. Which is better? I think the better comparison would be of iPad to Surface 2. But if you are wondering if you should upgrade to Surface Pro 3 from Surface Pro/2, check out Tim’s post on Should I upgrade to Surface Pro 3?
OK, that’s it for the questions and answers. Did I miss a question you wanted answered? If I did, just leave a comment and I’ll see what I can come up with for you.
You may also like our posts on Surface Security and other Surface Tips and Tricks.
Joanna –
