Rumours were bubbling up about this over the previous day or two but now Microsoft has officially taken the wraps off the new Surface Laptop Go. This is a sleek and affordable modern Windows laptop based around a 12.4-inch PixelSense display. As a 'Go' device it is very portable and has lower specs but some will find it appealing. Also today Microsoft updated the Surface Pro X with a next-generation custom (Arm) processor but this 2-in-1 device is 3x the price of the Surface Laptop Go.
Surface Laptop Go
As mentioned above the new Surface Laptop Go is based around a 12.4-inch PixelSense display, so you would be correct to assume it is a smaller, slim and light laptop. It measures 278.18 x 205.67 x 15.69mm and weighs 1.11kg, fact fans. The screen has 1536 x 1024 pixels, a 3:2 aspect ratio, and comes as standard with 10-point multi-touch.
Around the screen Microsoft has built-in a 720p HD f2.0 camera, and dual far-field studio mics. The camera isn't Windows Hello capable but there is a finger print reader in the power button for biometric security. "Omnisonic Speakers and Dolby Audio surround you with amazing sound," says Microsoft in a press release about the device.
Continuing around the exterior of the laptop, it has a full-sized Surface keyboard (with 1.3mm key travel but lacking backlighting), and a large precision trackpad. Ports include; 1 x USB-C, 1 x USB-A, 3.5 mm headphone jack, and 1 x Surface Connect port. The device is available in three durable and lightweight aluminium finishes: Ice Blue, Sandstone and Platinum. Though the top is metal, the base is polycarbonate composite glass fibre resin.
Microsoft will be selling various configurations of the Surface Laptop Go, but there is just one processor choice - a 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1 (4C/8T) chip. Alongside this you can choose between 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB of LPDDR4x RAM, and 64GB eMMC, 128GB SSD, or 256GB SSD. For wireless connectivity the machine supports Wi-Fi 6: 802.11ax and BT5.0. Quoted battery life is 13 hours of typical use and it supports fast charging.
This sleek Windows 10 S laptop starts from £549.99 in the UK where it becomes available starting from 27th October (but can be ordered / configured now). It is being sold starting from $549.99 in the US, from 13th Oct.
New Surface Pro X
This updated Surface Pro X builds upon the faster new Microsoft SQ 2 chipset which has (again) been designed with collaboration from Qualcomm for Windows 10 acceleration. Key attractions of the design are; up to 15 hours of battery life, a virtually edge-to-edge 13-inch PixelSense (2880 x 1920) screen, built-in LTE connectivity, and a slim lightweight form (7.3mm and 774g). Buyers can configure this machine with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It features two USB-C ports, the Surface Connect port, a nano SIM port for gigabit LTE connectivity, and removable SSD storage.
If the new Surface Pro X sounds a lot like its predecessor, it is. However, this refinement is faster with better battery life and comes in a new Platinum finish. Signature keyboard colours are; Platinum, Ice Blue and Poppy Red which all include storage and wireless charging for the Surface Slim Pen.
Microsoft says new Surface Pro X configurations start at $1,499, available from 13th Oct in the US. If you click on my Microsoft UK product page link you will see that the SQ 1 processor models look set to co-exist with the new ones. Surface Pro X (2020) models start at £1,549 in the UK and you will have to wait until 27th Oct for shipping to commence.
