Official Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2: it wants to divert you from the MacBook Air
Microsoft has just formalized the Surface Laptop Go 2, a very light and above all very affordable ultraportable. Available on June 7, it will be sold from 699 euros, far from the prices charged by Apple with the MacBook Air M1. Intel’s Core i5, 12.4-inch screen, up to 256 GB of storage, Omnisonic speakers and a battery that lasts 13 hours continuously, the promise is attractive. Presentation.
Even if there have been a few hiccups (notably the too-average Surface Duo 2), the Surface range serves as a yardstick in Microsoft’s ecosystem. This past year, the product launches weren’t all bad, but they didn’t convince us, especially in the area of tablets. We recommend that you read our tests of the Surface Go 3 and Surface Pro 8. In terms of laptops, the results are more positive with the Surface Book 3 and Surface Laptop 4. Both received good marks.
Read also – Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro test: simply excellence
Still in the field of non-convertible laptops, Microsoft is launching the Surface Laptop Go 2. It obviously replaces the Laptop Go unveiled in the fall of 2020 (and which has benefited from a big price drop for a few weeks). And he keeps the positioning: an ultralight computer, easy to transport with a good autonomy. This reminds us of the promise of a certain MacBook Air M1, an excellent ultraportable presented a year and a half ago by Apple. And Microsoft does not hesitate to compare itself to it.
The most affordable Surface Book gets a little less affordable
Of course, there are some changes, in terms of the technical data sheet, but also in terms of the price. Because the Surface Book Go 2 is not sold quite at the same price. The new model is available from 699 euros in a 128 GB storage version, with an option to double the internal storage, the European price of which has not been communicated. The Surface Laptop Go was offered from 629 euros. Microsoft’s “affordable” ultraportable therefore becomes a little less affordable. Note, however, that the 629 euro version of the Surface Laptop Go had 64 GB of storage, while the 699 euro version of the Surface Laptop Go 2 offers twice as much.
Now let’s get into the technical details of the product. The Surface Laptop Go 2 incorporates a chassis very similar to its predecessor. We find in particular the 12.4-inch PixelSense touchscreen in 3/2 format. The definition is still similar to Full HD: 1536 pixels wide and 1024 pixels high. The brightness would reach 330 nits. Above the slab, you find a light sensor and a 720p webcam which, according to Microsoft, has been improved. It is, as before, accompanied by two microphones.
Aluminum and composite chassis, Intel Core i5 and up to 8 GB of RAM
The chassis is in brushed aluminum on the upper part and in composite resin on the lower part. It is available in four very premium colors: golden “sand”, silver “platinum”, blue “ice” and green “sage”. The Surface Laptop Go 2 still offers a full keyboard. Under the power button hides a fingerprint reader. This keyboard is underlined by a large touchpad. Around these elements, you will find the two Dolby Audio compatible Omnisonic speakers already crossed previously. The Surface Laptop Go 2 is a little overweight: its weight goes from 1.11 kg to 1.13 kg.
Let’s go inside. On the processor side, Microsoft keeps Intel’s Core-i5. It of course takes advantage of the update to offer the model of 11e generation: the Core-i5 1135G7, very precisely. The graphics part is, once again, supported by an integrated Intel Iris X GPU. On the RAM and storage side, several options are offered. 4 GB or 8 GB in LPDDR4X format for the first; and 128 GB or 256 GBin SSD format, for the second.
40 Wh battery, 13 hour battery life and fast charging
The battery capacity is 40Wh. According to Microsoft, it offers a battery life of 13.5 hours. You should be able to comfortably go a whole day without your power supply. A fast charge block 39 watts which would recharge the laptop to 80% in one hour. Let’s also look at the connections offered: a USB type-C port, a USB type-A port, a 3.5 mm mini-jack socket and a Surface Connect port. This PC is also compatible Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 6 (but not WiFi 6E).
Of course, Microsoft preinstalls Windows 11, here in the home version. Office and Xbox apps are also present. Microsoft offers just one month trial to Microsoft 365 and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (to play streaming). The release of the product is scheduled in France on June 7th. Let us know in the comments if you are interested.
