Microsoft has announced this Surface Go 2 laptop on Wednesday morning, with the latest Intel Core i5 processor and twice as much storage as the original in its base configuration.
This is a continuation of the device originally introduced for home and student users since the pandemic re-ignited the PC market in October 2020. Microsoft sought to provide an alternative to the Google Chromebook in the higher price range for budget PCs before in a year will meet Surface Laptop SE for $ 250.
Surface Laptop Go 2 faces a different environment. PC shipments fell 6.8% in the first quarter of this year, according to Gartner. Demand for Chromebooks has fallen.
As a sign of inflation, Microsoft is raising the starting price to $ 599.99 for the base consumer version of the Surface Laptop Go 2 from $ 549.99 for the original at launch. (Microsoft continues to misrepresent prices in its promotional materials, mistakenly describing the Surface Laptop Go 2 as $ 599 in a blog post.)
Profits from Microsoft Surface rose 13% to $ 1.7 billion in the March quarter.
However, first-hand computers and tablets remain a small part of Microsoft’s total business, and devices account for about 4% of total revenue. Microsoft sees Surface products in part as a way to experiment with new form factors and approaches that other Windows PC makers can adopt in their own products.
Here are the main features of the consumer version of Surface Laptop Go 2:
- 11th generation Intel Core i5 1135G7 processor (compared to the 10th generation Core i5 in the 2020 version);
- The base configuration is 4GB of RAM (same as the original) and a 128GB solid state drive (vs. 64GB in the base configuration before) with options up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of memory.
- The screen is the same as in the original: 12.4-inch PixelSense touchscreen display with an aspect ratio of 3: 2.
- The ports are also the same: one USB-C, one USB-A, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a proprietary charging port for Surface Connect.
- It comes with a 720p camera, the same as in the original, but Microsoft says the camera has been improved.
- Windows 11 Home operating system (original shipped with Windows 10 in “S” mode by default).
- It weighs slightly more than the original, 2.48 pounds (1,127 grams) versus 2.44 pounds (1,110 grams) earlier.
The 8GB-128GB configuration costs $ 699.99; 8 GB-256 GB costs $ 799.99.
Available colors: platinum, blue ice, sandstone and a new version, sage, which can be seen here.
Pete Kiriakou, Microsoft’s vice president of devices, writes in a blog this color of the device “became the defining characteristic” of design of the product of Microsoft.
“Inspired by subtle natural tones, Sage carries green and gray notes with a hint of blue,” he adds. “Under natural light you will notice a soft reflection of the premium aluminum material. This color is soothing and is a sharp addition to Surface’s color palette. ”
The business version will come with up to 16GB of RAM running Windows 11 Pro or Windows 10 Pro.
Device details were traced earlier this week to the Korean retail list.
Pre-orders start today, before the June 7 release.
