Forget Windows 11, the Surface Go 3 could be a killer Android tablet

Android and Windows to go

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Microsofthas released a new Insider Build that allows US users totry out Android appsinWindows 11from the Amazon app store.

This is a feature that’s been long awaited since its announcement in June, where you can download apps from the redesigned Microsoft Store and run popular Android apps alongsidePaint, Office and others.

Yet the feature is set to go deeper than that. Microsoft announced new Surface products such as theSurface Pro 8,Surface Laptop 4and theSurface Go 3, and if this feature is done well,it could mean that the budget Surface Go 3 may be thebestAndroid tabletyou can currently own.

How did we get here?

Since the Windows Phone, Microsoft has wanted to make an impression in the mobile space, but ironically it was the company’s Surface line of products that helped make Windows on mobile more appealing.

Being able to use touch controls on Windows with a device that’s been partly designed for it gave greater potential for Android to appear on theoperating systemeventually. While you could organize your phone’s content through an app, the app store on Windows Phone andWindows 8toWindows 10were severely lacking. Combine this with the Store on Windows 8 being  it always felt like there was opportunity for more, and now there is.

While it’s only available in the US for now, the amount of Android apps that you can use could be vast, from TikTok, to Instagram, and even to your banking apps.

However, thanks to the Surface Go 3’s budget price, it could make a positive impact on other Android tablets, but with the benefit of runningWindows 11.

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The best Android tablet you never knew you needed

While we said inour Surface Go 3 reviewthat the tablet disappointed when it comes to performance and battery, it can still be a great secondary device to use for Android once the feature fully rolls out on Windows 11.

Using it as a banking and gaming device alongside watching content through your favorite Android apps will be alluring to many, and there’s inevitably going to be other ways of loading Android apps onto a Windows 11 device instead of using the Microsoft Store. It would also mean you don’t have to buy two devices, as something like the Surface Go 3 will act as both a Windows 11 deviceandan Android one as well.

There may even be a small resurgence of developers wanting to create tablet layouts for their apps, just so they look better on a Windows tablet.

However, some of this could be wishful thinking, and Android apps on Windows might just not take off. But there is a huge opportunity here for Microsoft,AmazonandGoogleto take advantage of Windows tablet users.

Daryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related. In his spare time, he’s written a book, ‘The Making of Tomb Raider’. His second book, ‘50 Years of Boss Fights’, came out in 2024, with a third book coming in 2025. He also has a newsletter called ‘Springboard’. He’s usually found playing games old and new on his Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, and MacBook Pro. If you have a story about an updated app, one that’s about to launch, or just anything Software-related, drop him a line.

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