Surface Laptop vs. Surface Go.
Microsoft revealed the Surface Go this week, targeting the rise of Chromebooks and cheap iPads for consumers and education services. The Surface Go starts at just $399, making it the cheapest Surface available today, and it will launch in 35 countries by the end of 2018. But what exactly is powering this thing?
Surface Go overview
The Surface Go is a small 10-inch tablet which comes with Windows 10 in S mode, locking it to the safety of approved Microsoft Store apps. Users can upgrade to Home to free, or Pro for business customers, granting it full access to the Windows app ecosystem.
The Surface Go uses a fanless Pentium Gold CPU, which is more than twice as powerful as the Surface 3 (non-Pro) of yesteryear. This isn't built to be a graphics editing, gaming powerhouse. Instead, it's intended for casual note-taking, Microsoft Office, web browsing, research, and media consumption. Despite that, you most likely could run some less intensive, older games from Steam on this device, and enjoy some casual graphics and drawing apps, such as Sketchable in the Microsoft Store.
The Go starts at $399, without a keyboard or pen, both of which are available starting at $99.
Surface Go specs
| Category | Surface Go |
|---|---|
| OS | Window 10 Home in S-mode |
| Display | 10-inch 3: 2 aspect 1800 x 1200 with touch 216 ppi |
| Processor | Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y (1.6GHz) Fanless |
| Graphics | Intel HD 615 |
| RAM | 4GB or 8GB 1866MHz LPDDR3 |
| Storage | 64GB eMMC 128GB or 256GB SSD |
| Security | TPM 2.0 |
| Ports | 1x USB-C 3.1 (aux. charge, video out, data), microSD (up to 1TB), Surface Connect, headphone jack |
| Surface Pen | 4,096 levels of pressure, tilt suppport |
| Camera | 5MP front-facing with Windows Hello 8MP rear auto-focus |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.1 Optional LTE (late 2018) |
| Audio | Dual front-facing speakers Dolby Audio Premium |
| Battery | Up to 9 hours |
| Dimensions | 9.6" x 6.9" x .33" (245mm x 175mm x 8.3mm) |
| Weight | 1.15 lbs (0.52 kg) without keyboard 1.7lbs (0.77 kg) w/keyboard |
| Colors | Magnesium |
| Power | 24 W power supply |
| Price | Starts at $399 Keyboard $99 or $129 (Alcantara) |
More information
For more information on the Surface Go, such as pre-order availability, our hands on impressions, and more, hit the links below. Let us know in the comments if you intend to buy!
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
Microsoft Edge Dev channel gets new collections features, extension sync
Another weekly update is out for the Microsoft Edge Dev channel, and it has a host of handy features to check out. New in this release are a couple of improvements to collections, extension sync, and more.
Join us for the latest Windows Central Video Podcast
We're live with the Windows Central Video Podcast today at 2:30pm ET, make sure you're there!
Are you working from home this week? (poll)
More people are working from home than ever right now, and we're wondering how you all are managing to stay productive in your homebound state. Chime in and let us know in our poll!
Protect your Surface Go with one of these great cases
The Surface Go is portable enough to ride along with you wherever you go, but out in the wild, it could use some protection to keep its premium look intact. We've rounded up a bunch of the best cases that will work in the coffee shop or out in the field.
