The Surface Go is Microsoft's latest Surface device, and is the second device from Microsoft to come with Windows 10 S out of box. Microsoft originally touted better battery life with devices that come with Windows 10 S on out of box, so does that mean battery life will be worse on the Surface Go if you turn S mode off?

The answer is: it depends. Seriously, the touted "better battery life" on Windows 10 S only counts because your selection of apps is limited to the Microsoft Store. Once out of S mode, you can install what you want, including more battery intensive programs such as Chrome or Premiere Pro.

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sahmad88

I am new to Windows 10 S. My battery life dropped by half after switching to Windows Home. I don't remember the exact numbers, but I had something like an estimated 9 hours and 47 minutes in Windows 10 S at 100% battery. After switching, my batter dropped to 4 hours and something. Now, only after 5 minutes, it dropped to 3 hours and 32 minutes with 95% batter left. Do these numbers sound...

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If you're using heavy applications, then battery life will absolutely be worse. But, if you're keeping things light, even when S mode is off, your battery life shouldn't change. Surface Go's battery life is already on the lower side, so it's probably best to keep things light anyway.

How to turn off Windows 10 S mode on Surface Go

Of course, if you've got a Surface Go with S mode off, we'd love to hear about your battery life experiences. Let us know in our forums!