Microsoft Surface Go 2 review: A compact 2-in-1 for remote workers and mobile pros Review

The modern updates to Microsoft’s Surface area variety have focused extra on the large-finish effectiveness offered by models these types of as the Surface area Laptop computer 3 and Surface area Book 3. That can make sense for persons who want a potent laptop for performing from residence, but it has intended that the new ten.5-inch Surface area Go 2 has been to some degree overshadowed by its more substantial Surface area siblings. 

Explained by Microsoft as ‘an economical and moveable two-in-one particular device’, the Surface area Go 2 is seriously extra of a simple tablet, with Microsoft’s keyboard covers remaining bought independently. It is not a big enhance possibly, but enhancements to the screen, CPU effectiveness and battery life be certain that it offers an beautiful and lightweight unit which is perfectly suited for internet searching, electronic mail and video phone calls.

Like its predecessor, the Surface area Go 2 is available in two versions. House and academic buyers can choose for the standard version of the Surface area Go 2, which runs the locked-down Windows ten House in S Method, which only allows the use of Microsoft’s Edge browser and applications downloaded from the Microsoft Retailer. But, as with the relaxation of the Surface area variety, you can find also a independent design for enterprise buyers, reviewed here, which is equipped with the whole version of Windows ten Pro.

Design & functions

The style of the Surface area Go 2 has not modified radically, despite the fact that its screen has developed somewhat, from ten to ten.5 inches, and now provides a resolution of 1,920 by 1280 pixels (220dpi). The graphic high-quality is outstanding, crisp and sharp, with excellent colour stability, and while rivals these types of as Apple’s iPad present better resolution Retina shows, the Surface area Go 2 operates very perfectly for easy internet searching, checking your emails or generating video phone calls. I even now do not come across Windows ten specifically perfectly suited for use with touch-screen controls, but the Surface area Go 2 responds swiftly and effortlessly and, of course, offers whole compatibility with Microsoft Office environment and all your other Windows applications.

SEE: Windows ten Start off menu hacks (TechRepublic Top quality)

Irrespective of the more substantial screen, the tablet’s general dimensions are unchanged, at 245mm extensive (in landscape mode), 175mm deep, and just 8.3mm thick. You can find a slight enhance in bodyweight, with our evaluation unit weighing 544g, in comparison to 522g for its predecessor. But it is even now straightforward to pick up and use with one particular hand, while the built-in kickstand suggests that you can swiftly relaxation it on a desk or desk when you want to. It is aggravating, even though, that a great deal of Microsoft’s advertising and marketing for the Surface area Go 2 exhibits it remaining used with one particular of Microsoft’s keyboard covers, which are not integrated with the tablet, and charge possibly £99.ninety nine ($ninety nine.ninety nine) or £124.ninety nine ($129.ninety nine), depending on which choice you pick.

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Microsoft has evidently made the Surface area Go 2 with video phone calls in intellect, and its 5MP webcam operates very perfectly, offering clear, specific graphic high-quality. You can find also an 8MP rear camera, and Microsoft has current the Windows Digicam application to include things like a doc-scanning mode. The twin microphones have been wonderful-tuned to present larger clarity for voice phone calls, and even the minor 2W speakers audio astonishingly sturdy, so the Surface area Go 2 will be a excellent choice for swiftly joining video phone calls with, for case in point, Zoom or Microsoft Teams (which, of course, is bundled with the tablet). Connectivity is rather restricted, with just a single USB-C port, a Micro-SDXC card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, alongside with Microsoft’s proprietary port for its keyboard covers. But which is par for the course with compact tablets these types of as this, so it is unlikely to discourage quite a few buyers.

Pricing & options

The first Surface area Go was only available with a dual-core Pentium Gold 4415Y processor running at 1.6GHz, but the Surface area Go 2 For Company offers two CPU options, setting up with a dual-core Pentium Gold 4425Y running at 1.7GHz. This costs £365.83 (ex. VAT £439 inc. VAT) or $449.ninety nine alongside with 4GB of RAM and 64GB eMMC storage. Having said that, we analyzed the second design, which takes advantage of a dual-core Core m3-8100Y processor running at 1.6GHz (up to 3.4GHz with TurboBoost). This design also involves 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, which delivers the rate to £549.17 (ex. VAT £659 inc. VAT) or $679.ninety nine. 

You can find also a 3rd configuration with 4G LTE guidance and 256GB of SSD storage, which costs £707.fifty (ex. VAT £849 inc. VAT) or $879.ninety nine.

Overall performance

The Core m3 processor clearly won’t be able to match the effectiveness offered by other models in the Surface area variety, but it is a excellent choice for a tablet these types of as this. We have been fascinated to observe that its Geekbench 5 scores of 895 (single core), and 1650 (multi core) set it appropriate along with the 2018 version of Apple’s MacBook Air (despite the fact that we have not nevertheless had the option to examination the modern, to some degree minimal-profile, MacBook Air update). And, in actuality, its 40fps when running Cinebench R15 essentially beats the 36.5fps of the MacBook Air, so you’re finding fairly respectable laptop stages of effectiveness from this slimline tablet.

Our only minor disappointment was battery life. Microsoft promises that the Surface area Go 2 offers ‘up to ten several hours of battery life’, which appears to be a minor optimistic. To be truthful, the Surface area Go 2 did final for a very respectable eight several hours when playing video information saved locally on the unit itself. Having said that, switching to wi-fi streaming on the BBC iPlayer ran the battery down in just 4 several hours and 35 minutes. A cell unit these types of as this will clearly be typically used for wi-fi and streaming apps, so you can find evidently place for advancement there.

Conclusions

The ten.5-inch screen size and modest battery life suggest that the Surface area Go 2 is not fairly the great two-in-one particular workhorse that Microsoft would like it to be — in particular for the reason that, as ever, the keyboard address is not integrated as standard. Even so, its streamlined style and sound effectiveness be certain that it operates perfectly as a conventional tablet for internet searching, checking emails and other regimen tasks. It is also perfectly suited to on the internet video phone calls, and can make a excellent option to a more substantial, heavier laptop when you’re performing from residence, or just soothing in the evening.

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