Microsoft has debuted an new entry level Surface. The Surface Go is the thinnest and lightest Surface yet at just 8.3 mm, down from the 8.7 mm of the Surface 3, and 8.5 mm on the latest Surface Pro, but it undercuts the other models on weight significantly at 521 grams, or 1.15 lbs. That’s a full 31% lighter than the larger Surface Pro.
The display is an 1800×1200 PixelSense which comes in at 10-inches in the now MS Surface standard of the 3:2 aspect ratio. It Also packs 10-point multi-touch and Surface Pen support. The screen has a reasonable 216 pixels per inch of density.
The machine is powered by a Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y. This is a dual-core Kaby Lake processor with four threads, and a 1.6 GHz base frequency. With a TDP of just 6W, it is far from a powerhouse,. The plus side of such a low TDP means the machine can be fanless. The CPU is paired with the Intel HD Graphics 615, which offers 24 Execution Units (EUs), with a 850 MHz maximum boost
The base model comes with just 4 GB of LPDDR3-1866, and 64 GB of eMMC storage, although it will be offered in 8 GB RAM versions with 128 GB and 256 GB NVMe SSDs, which should offer much better performance.
Microsoft has also included an IR camera for Windows Hello login, along with a 5 MP front camera for 1080p video, and an 8 MP rear camera. For those that want to use it on the go (pun intended) there will be an LTE model available too, which makes sense with Microsoft’s push towards Always Connected PCs.
Microsoft is claiming up to 9 hours of battery life which they tested doing video playback on the top end model.
Microsoft is also launching a new Surface Type Cover for the smaller model, featuring the same Alcantara as its larger siblings, or as just black if you prefer that. Microsoft has also found a way to fit their full-friction hinge to the smaller Surface Go, allowing for up to 165° of movement.
Prices
Prices start at $399 for the base model, $449 for the same model with Windows 10 Pro, or $549 for 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB SSD. The 256 GB and LTE models will ship later. Pre-orders should be available soon.
Specs
| Microsoft Surface Go | |||||
| Surface Go Specifications | |||||
| CPU | Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y (Kaby Lake-Y) 2 core, 4 thread, 1.6 GHz base frequency |
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| GPU | Intel HD 615 24 EUs 850 MHz boost frequency |
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| Display | 10-inch PixelSense 1800×1200 3:2 aspect 216 Pixels Per Inch 10-point Multitouch Surface Pen support |
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| Dimensions | 245 x 175 x 8.3 mm 9.6 x 6.9 x 0.33 inches |
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| RAM | 4 or 8 GB LPDDR3-1866 | ||||
| Storage | 64 GB eMMC 128 / 256 GB NVMe SSD optional |
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| Wireless | 802.11ac with Bluetooth 4.1 Qualcomm Snapdragon X16 LTE Optional |
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| Battery | Up to 9 hours of video playback 24W Charger |
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| Cameras | Windows Hello IR camera 5 MP Front Camera with 1080p video 8 MP Rear Camera with 1080p video |
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| Ports | USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1 with power delivery Surface Connect MicroSD Headset |
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| Price | 4GB/64GB $399 8GB/128GB $549 Windows 10 Pro $50 extra |
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