The Microsoft Surface line of devices have historically offered premium designs and specs for premium prices. But a few years ago Microsoft launched its version of a budget tablet with the introduction of the $399 Surface Go tablet.

Now the company is taking a similar approach with laptops.

The new Microsoft Surface Laptop Go incorporates many of the features of its pricier siblings including a PixelSense touchscreen display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, and a full-sized keyboard and Precision trackpad.

But prices start at $550 for an entry-level Surface Laptop Go.

The notebook is up for pre-order starting today and set to ship on October 13th. Microsoft offers three prices/configurations:

  • 4GB RAM and 64GB eMMC for $550
  • 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD for $700
  • 8GB RAM and 256GB storage for $900

All three models feature an Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor, which is a 10th-gen Intel Core “Ice Lake” chip with four CPU cores, eight threads, and Intel UHD graphics. It’s not the most powerful Intel chip… it’s not even the most powerful 10th-gen Core i5 chip. But it’s a step up from the Pentium Gold and Core m3 processors Microsoft offers for the cheaper Surface Go 2 tablet.

Here are the key specs for the new Surface Laptop Go:

Display12.4 inch PixelSense
1536 x 1024
148 PPI
3:2 aspect ratio
10-point multitouch
ProcessorIntel Core i5-1035G1
Intel UHD graphics
Memory4GB or 8GB
Storage64GB eMMC
or
128GB, 256GB SSD
Ports1 x USB-C
1 x USB-A
1 x Surface Connect
1 x 3.5mm audio
WirelessWiFi 6
Bluetooth 5.0
Camera720p
AudioOminisonic speakers with Dolby Audio
Dual far-field microphones
SecurityFingerprint reader in the power button (8GB RAM models only)
Power & chargingUp to 13 hours battery life (Microsoft estimate)
39Wh power supply
MaterialsAluminum top
Polycarbonite resin and glass fiber base
ColorsIce Blue, Sandstone, or Platinum
Dimensions10.95″ x 8.10″ x 0.62″
Weight2.45 pounds
Price$550 – $900

Microsoft is also introducing an updated Surface Pro X featuring a Microsoft SQ 2 processor (based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 chip) as well as several new PC accessories including a $25 wireless Microsoft Number Pad, a $70 Microsoft 4K wireless adapter, and a $50 Microsoft Bluetooth Ergonomic Mouse.

press release

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5 replies on “Microsoft Surface Laptop Go is a smaller, cheaper laptop for $550 and up”

  1. Huge disappointment. Screen resolution is crap, 16gb ram only for corporate customers, I can get SL2 and SL3 for that price of 1000e with 256/128Gb nvme and 8gb and all metal build, better screen. What a waste and crippling of Surface laptop series.

  2. This is far worse value than I anticipated. I didn’t think the base model would be so low-end. It’s “good value for a Surface product”, but far from “good value for a laptop”.

    $550 is a lot to spend on a device with only 64gb storage AND it’s eMMC. I can find laptops with a similar CPU with 128-256gb of storage for that price.
    $700 is a lot to spend on a device with only 128gb of storage, considering the rest of the specs.
    $900 is only $100 away from some of the new upcoming Tiger Lake laptops that are going to have a significantly more powerful GPU.

    If you look for other laptops using the very same i5-1035G1, you will have no problem finding one with 8gb or 16gb RAM, and 256gb or 512gb of PCIe SSD storage within the $600 to $800 price range.

    I would have liked to see the $900 model either offer a higher end CPU model (one with the Iris Plus GPU), or more RAM and storage. However, I think the problem with that is that it doesn’t fit in with their higher end Surface model’s starting price.

    It’s become more obvious that this laptop is being offered as a premium-ish product to fight the new upcoming ARM Macbook that is rumoured to be around the $799 price point, but it will only be competing in the categories that Apple customers are interested in (perceived quality, easy to understand product lineup, brand prestige, etc).

    1. For me this looks like a pretty solid laptop, yes even the base model. It has a good build quality, screen, keyboard, and trackpad. You have to install Linux on it, though. Sadly it likely doesn’t have a serviceable battery in any shape or fashion, typical for Microsoft. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

      1. I don’t mean to burst your happy bubble, but:

        1) The bottom of this laptop will be plastic, not the awesome alloy you expect.

        2) Linux simply does not play nicely with Surface devices. You need an out-of-tree kernel with special patches, and even then stuff is hit or miss.

        If I could run Linux on a Surface Laptop, that would be my next device. But it’s a huge hassle, and not worth it in my opinion.

      2. I think we should wait and see some reviews before we assume that it has great build quality.

        Yes, Surface products usually have more hardware refinement (I always appreciate how smooth and consistently their touchpads work, among other things that lack refinement in most brands).

        This laptop will likely justify its higher pricing with this hardware refinement. However for me personally, I can’t get past the poor RAM and storage options, so it has little appeal to me.

        If the RAM and storage were user-upgradable, I would have no complaints at all. Sure the price of the laptop is still higher, but could feel good about buying it for the added refinement.

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