Microsoft Surface Go 2
Another affordable win for Microsoft?
The design of the Surface Go 2 is pretty much identical to the original Surface Go, which means it’s essentially a slightly smaller and lighter version of the Surface Pro. As far as budget devices around this price point go, the design is solid with some premium touches.
The dimensions are 245mm x 175mm x 8.3mm for the Surface Go 2 tablet itself. That’s the same as the previous model, and at 0.55kg it’s slightly heavier than the original.
Those dimensions make it slightly smaller than the iPad Pro 11, it’s biggest rival from Apple. That has dimensions of 9.74 x 7.02 x 0.23, which means Apple’s device is slightly thinner, and at 471g, the iPad Pro 11 is noticeably lighter as well.
Still, the iPad Pro 11 is a more premium product that’s over twice the price of the base model of the Surface Go 2.
One noticeable change with the design of the Surface Go 2 compared to its predecessor is it now has a larger 10.5-inch display (the original has a 10-inch display). That bump in size also comes with a bump in resolution (1920 x 1280 versus the Surface Go’s 1,800 x 1,200), which means the Surface Go 2 doesn’t lose any of the sharpness by going for the larger display. In fact, it now has a slightly higher pixel density of 220ppi (pixels per inch).
It keeps the 3:2 aspect ratio, which means it’s slightly higher than standard 16:9 widescreen screens. The extra vertical space may come in handy for document creation, and as a tablet, the aspect ratio feels quite normal, though in laptop mode you’ll likely notice the difference. When playing widescreen videos, it also means you get black bars above and below the footage.
Port-wise, you get an audio jack for headphones, USB-C port and proprietary charging port on the right-hand side. That charging port is magnetised, which means the charger snaps easily into it. The good news is that the USB-C port can also be used to charge the tablet, so you can use a charger from another device, rather than relying on the Surface Go 2’s charger. It’s a nice, convenient, feature.
Along the bottom of the Surface Go 2 is another magnetised port – this time, it’s to easily snap the Type Cover, if you have one, onto the Surface Go 2. As with previous models, this works well, so there’s no fiddling around to attach the case, and the Go 2 detects the keyboard and touchpad straight away. It’s also easy to remove the Type Cover when you’re done with it, but it keeps its grip so it won’t accidentally fall off.
The power and volume rockers are on the top of the screen, and around the back is a rear-facing camera and a fold-out kickstand. This lets you prop it up on a desk or surface. However, it’s still
With 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD, Windows 10 and its built-in apps ran fine.
tricky to use the Surface Go 2 as a laptop-like device on your lap, as there’s still no support between the keyboard and the screen.
The Type Cover is a nice bit of kit, made from a sturdy, yet attractive, material, and the keys are decent enough to type on. The touchpad remains a little on the small side, though.
Still, it makes it more comfortable to write on, compared to the touchscreen. Of course, you can also plug in a USB-C keyboard or attach a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse easily as well.
Performance
Due to the relatively low-powered components in the Surface Go 2, you shouldn’t expect a powerhouse. If you stick with Windows 10 in S Mode, and only use apps from the Microsoft Store, then even the basic model should do fine – though we do worry about that 64GB storage limit.
With 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD, Windows 10 and its built-in apps ran fine. However, if you want to leave S-Mode and go to full Windows 10, which allows you to run any program designed for Windows 10, you’ll start to see the Surface Go 2 starting to strain.
Things like unzipping big compressed files can take a little while, and we’d suggest you forget about running any intensive video editing apps either.
As long as you set your expectations appropriately, then you should be reasonably happy with the performance of the Surface Go 2 as a budget device. The newer Intel processors offer a performance boost from the original, and for day-to-day tasks and schoolwork, it does a fine job. Meanwhile Windows 10 S Mode is more useful than it used to be – as there’s a better selection of apps available on the Microsoft Store.
Battery life
While we have some reservations around the performance of the Surface Go 2, there’s one area were it does really impress us – battery life.
In the PC Mark 10 battery life test, which replicates regular use, including video calling, document creation and web browsing, the Surface Go 2 lasted 7 hours and 40 minutes. That’s a pretty good length, and means the Surface Go 2 can last a whole work or school day without needing a charge.
Our own battery life test, where we loop a 1080p, the Surface Go 2 managed an impressive 8 hours and 25 minutes. So, if you’re doing a lot of travelling and want to use the Surface Go 2 to unwind with a few videos, this will last most long haul flights with ease.
The Microsoft Surface Go 2 is an excellent affordable Windows 10 tablet that features a premium design found in the company’s more expensive devices. It offers a slight bump in performance over the original, but it is still rather underpowered – especially the base model. Once you start kitting it out with improved internals and essential add-ons like the Type Cover, the price starts to climb. Matt Hanson
One noticeable change with the design of the Surface Go 2 compared to its predecessor is it now has a larger 10.5-inch display.