Microsoft looks set to reveal an updated version of its compact Surface Laptop Go if it is believed to be an early retailer listing from Korea. The updated model arrives with an 11th-gen Intel processor.
The most significant change with the Surface Laptop Go 2 appears to be its newer 11th-gen Intel CPU (an i5-1135G7), which supersedes the 10th-gen model found in the original 2020 laptop.
The Go 2 will dispatch with Windows 11 this time around, and a Google Translate of the vendor page says its webcam will have “improved HD camera performance.” Preorders are set to open on June 2, so an official announcement might not be distant away. WinFuture previously informed us that the laptop could have a starting price of $650.
Otherwise, the new laptop appears to be very similar to its predecessor. It still has a 12.4-inch display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, the same selection of ports (USB-A, USB-C, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a port for Microsoft’s proprietary charger), and a fingerprint sensor’s still built into the power button on select models. Unfortunately, there’s no sign of a backlit keyboard, a painful omission on the first Laptop Go.
The retailer listing indicates it’ll be available with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, the same as last time around, but it’s less obvious what the specs of its base-level model will be. The original Surface Laptop Go started with 4GB / 64GB, but a previous report from WinFuture suggests that this version could start with 128GB of storage. According to the retailer listing, the Laptop Go 2 is rated to offer 13.5 hours of use per charge.
The Surface Laptop Go is marketed as the affordable entry in Microsoft’s Surface laptop lineup and is designed to compete with Chromebooks that are popular with students. But we were less than impressed with the original model, which offered limited specs and features at an uncompetitive price.
Microsoft Surface is a sequel of touchscreen-based tablets, personal computers, and interactive whiteboards conceived and developed by Microsoft, driving the Microsoft Windows operating system, apart from the Surface Duo, which operates on Android. The devices are manufactured by original gear manufacturers, including Pegatron, and are scheduled to be premium devices that set instances to Windows OEMs.
It incorporates seven generations of 2-in-1 detachable notebooks, hybrid tablets, a convertible desktop all-in-one, an interactive whiteboard, and assorted accessories, all with unique form factors. The bulk of the Surface lineup features Intel processors and is compatible with Microsoft’s Windows 10 or Windows 11 operating system.
Microsoft first revealed Surface at an event on June 18, 2012, presented by former CEO Steve Ballmer in Milk Studios Los Angeles. The Surface was the first significant initiative by Microsoft to incorporate its Windows operating system with its hardware and is the first PC designed and distributed solely by Microsoft.
Sinofsky initially expressed that pricing for the first Surface would be comparable to other ARM devices, and pricing for Surface Pro would be equivalent to current ultrabooks. Later, Ballmer stated the “sweet spot” for the bulk of the PC market was $300 to $800. Microsoft disclosed the pricing and started accepting preorders for the 2012 Surface tablet on October 16, 2012, “for delivery by 10/26”. The device was founded alongside the general availability of Windows 8 on October 26, 2012. Surface Pro became open the following year, on February 9, 2013. The devices were initially open only at Microsoft Stores retail and online, but availability was later expanded to other vendors.
In November 2012, Ballmer explained the distribution approach to Surface as “modest.” On November 29 of that year, Microsoft unveiled the 64 GB and 128 GB Surface versions with Windows 8 Pro pricing. The tablet would run on sale on February 9, 2013, in the US and Canada. A launch event was held on February 8, 2013, but was canceled at the last moment due to the February 2013 nor’easter. The 128GB rendition of the tablet sold out the exact day of its release. Though there was less need for the 64GB version because of the much smaller available storage capacity, the more low-cost unit supplies were almost as tight.
The subsequent year, on March 30, 2015, it announced the Surface 3, a more compact version of the Surface Pro 3. Then, on September 8, 2015, Microsoft revealed the “Surface Enterprise Initiative,” a partnership between Avanade, Accenture, Dell Inc., and HP, to “enable more buyers to enjoy the advantages of Windows 10.” In addition, Dell will resell Surface Pro products through its business and enterprise channels and suggest its existing enterprise services (including warranty, Pro Support, and Configuration and Deployment) for the Surface Pro devices it sells.
Microsoft revealed the next generation Surface Pro 4 and the all-new Surface Book, a hybrid laptop, at Microsoft’s October 2015 Affair in New York on October 10, 2015. Microsoft started shipping Surface Hub devices on March 25, 2016. In June 2016, Microsoft proved production of the Surface 3 would stop in December of that year. No replacement product has been announced. Reports indicate this may be a consequence of Intel discontinuing the Broxton iteration of the Atom processor. On October 26, 2016, Microsoft’s event announced a Surface Studio and Surface Book with Performance Base. A wheel complement, the Surface Dial, was promoted and became available on November 10, 2016.
Immediately pursuing the announcement of the Surface Laptop at the #MicrosoftEDU occasion on May 2, 2017, with the Microsoft Build 2017 developer conference, Microsoft disclosed the fifth-generation Surface Pro at a special event in Shanghai on May 23, 2017.
On May 15, 2018, Microsoft revealed the Surface Hub 2, featuring a new rotating hinge and the ability to link multiple Hubs together. In June 2018, Microsoft unveiled the Surface Go, a $400 Surface tablet with a 10-inch screen and 64 or 128 GB of storage.
On October 2, 2019, Microsoft announced the Surface Pro 7, the Surface Laptop 3, and the Surface Pro X. Both the Surface Pro 7 and the Surface Laptop 3 come with a USB-C port. The Surface Pro X comes with the Microsoft SQ1 ARM processor. Microsoft also teased upcoming products: the Surface Neo, a dual-screen tablet initially planned to run Windows 10X; and the Surface Duo, a dual-screen mobile phone that runs Android.
Both products have been announced originally to be released in 2020, though reports indicate the release of the Surface Neo will be postponed until 2021. The Surface Duo was unleashed on September 10, 2020. On September 22, 2021, Microsoft revealed the Surface Pro 8, the Surface Duo 2, and the Surface Laptop Studio.