Microsoft announces Surface Laptop Go 2

Microsoft has refreshed its budget-friendly Surface Laptop Go to the second generation. The Surface Laptop Go 2 now comes with an upgraded processor and a slightly higher price.

Some call it boring and some call it clean, but the Surface Laptop Go 2 skips all the fancy decals and delivers a down-to-earth clamshell design. Like the generation before it, the Surface Laptop Go 2 is still crafted using premium materials –aluminum, polycarbonate composite resin, and post-consumer recycled content–and is as solid as a rock, according to Microsoft. And with a compact 12.4-inch PixelSense touch display and weighing a mere 1.13 kilograms, it makes for a great travel productivity device.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 specifications

Device Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
CPU Quad-core Intel Core i5-1135G7
GPU Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics
Memory 4GB/8GB/16GB(commercial only)
Storage 128/256GB
Display 12.4-inch, 1536 x 1024, 3:2 PixelSense multitouch display, edge-to-edge glass
Battery Up to 13.5 hours
Ports
  • 1x USB-C
  • 1x USB-A
  • 1x 3.5mm headphone jack
  • 1x Surface Connect port
Remote work features 720p Windows Hello webcam, dual far-field microphones
Weight 1.3kg (2.48lbs)
Operating system Consumer: Windows 11 Home

Commercial: Windows 11 Pro or Windows 10 Pro

Pricing and availability Starting at C$740, available on Jun 7, 2022

While the Surface Laptop Go 2 continues the minimalist tradition, it still comes with a USB-C port, a USB-A port, a 3.5mm headphone jack (wow), and a Surface Connect port. For users who need HDMI and other essential ports, Microsoft offers the Surface Dock that connects to the Surface port. If the dock’s high price is unappealing, then there are many USB-C dongles available.

The 12.4-inch PixelSense Display supports multitouch. Image credit: Microsoft

The big upgrade in this generation is the processor. The Surface Laptop Go 2 now uses Intel’s 11th gen Core i5-1135G7 mobile processor, replacing the 10th gen Intel Core i5-1035G1 in the previous generation. In addition to using the faster Willow Cove core architecture, the 11th gen processor also comes with the newer Intel Iris Xe graphics. Since it’s designed as an everyday device, the Surface Laptop Go 2 still isn’t going to blaze through triple-A games, but its upgraded hardware will run Minecraft a little smoother.

Another notable change is that Microsoft has finally increased the base storage from the anemic 64GB eMMC on the previous generation to a 128GB SSD. This is an absolutely welcoming change. It’s 2022 and 64GB simply doesn’t cut it for anything anymore. For memory, the consumer version maxes out at 8GB of LPDDR4 memory. Enterprise customers, however, can bump that to 16GB.

For security, the Surface Laptop Go 2 boasts “enterprise-grade” protection, with Windows Hello sign-in, One Touch sign-in with a fingerprint power button, and a discrete hardware TPM for the commercial variant.

Fingerprint power button? Yes please. Image credit: Microsoft

Supporting remote work is a 720p webcam and two excellent far-field studio mics. Microsoft also quotes the battery life at 13.5 hours on a single charge. It says the device can be charged to 80 per cent battery capacity in about an hour.

Consumer versions of the laptop come with Windows 11 Home. Commercial devices have the option of either Windows 11 Pro or Windows 10 Pro.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 will be available on June 7 on Microsoft Store starting at C$740, C$50 more than the starting price of the previous generation. The higher starting price is justified by the faster and roomier storage as well as the increased performance.

Would you recommend this article?

Share

Thanks for taking the time to let us know what you think of this article!
We'd love to hear your opinion about this or any other story you read in our publication.


Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

Featured Download

Tom Li
Tom Li
Telecommunication and consumer hardware are Tom's main beats at IT World Canada. He loves to talk about Canada's network infrastructure, semiconductor products, and of course, anything hot and new in the consumer technology space. You'll also occasionally see his name appended to articles on cloud, security, and SaaS-related news. If you're ever up for a lengthy discussion about the nuances of each of the above sectors or have an upcoming product that people will love, feel free to drop him a line at tli@itwc.ca.

Featured Articles

Cybersecurity in 2024: Priorities and challenges for Canadian organizations 

By Derek Manky As predictions for 2024 point to the continued expansion...

Survey shows generative AI is a top priority for Canadian corporate leaders.

Leaders are devoting significant budget to generative AI for 2024 Canadian corporate...

Related Tech News

Tech Jobs

Our experienced team of journalists and bloggers bring you engaging in-depth interviews, videos and content targeted to IT professionals and line-of-business executives.

Tech Companies Hiring Right Now