Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go 2 allows Microsoft to take a another crack at the budget laptop market. It remains virtually unchanged from its earlier offering, simply providing an updated 12th-gen Core chip inside of it.
The Surface Laptop Go 2 always struck us as a struggle for Microsoft to establish a budget laptop in a competitive market, but with the premium Surface name attached. The Surface Laptop Go 3 tries again, this time moving from a Core i5-1135G7 to a Core i5-1235U.
The trouble is that Microsoft is again trying to convince you that a sub-1080p screen (12.45-inch, 1536×1024 touchscreen) is satisfactory. And to be fair, it kind of is, at least in our earlier reviews. The trouble is that back-to-school laptop deals and just general laptop deals routinely offer discounts on laptops that are comparable, if not better. That’s going to be a challenge for the Surface Laptop Go 3 on paper, right off the bat.
Essentially, the Surface Laptop Go 3 is the same as the Laptop Go 2 in all respects, except for 8GB or 16GB RAM options and 256GB of SSD storage for consumers. There is a 512GB option for business users, which a consumer could presumably buy as well. That option, with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, is reportedly priced at $1,199. We haven’t been able to confirm that on Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go 3 for Business page, but it sounds a little ridiculous if true.
Otherwise, you can preorder Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go 3 on Microsoft’s site for between $799 and $999. They’ll ship October 3. And if you don’t want a Surface Laptop Go 2, you could always opt for a Surface Laptop Studio 2 or a Surface Go 4 for Business, both of which Microsoft announced today.
Surface Laptop Go 3 specs
- Display: 12.4-inch (1536×1024, 148 PPI) 10-point multitouch PixelSense display
- Processor: Core i5-1235U
- Graphics: Xe Graphics
- Memory: 8GB-16GB LPDDR4x (8GB as tested)
- Storage: 128GB (removable UFS), 256/512GB (removeable SSD)
- Ports: 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A, Surface Connect, 3.5mm audio jack
- Camera: 720p f2.0 (user-facing)
- Battery: 39.7Wh (design capacity), 40.7Wh (measured full charge capacity)
- Wireless: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.1
- Operating system: Windows 11 Home (consumer); Windows 11 Pro/Windows 10 Pro (business)
- Dimensions (inches): 10.95 x 8.12 x 0.62 inches
- Weight: 2.49 pounds
- Chassis: Aluminum, with polycarbonate resin (30 percent post-consumer recycled content)
- Colors: Ice Blue, Sandstone, Platinum, Sage
- Price: Beginning at $799
Author: Mark Hachman, Senior Editor, PCWorld
Mark has written for PCWorld for the last decade, with 30 years of experience covering technology. He has authored over 3,500 articles for PCWorld alone, covering PC microprocessors, peripherals, and Microsoft Windows, among other topics. Mark has written for publications including PC Magazine, Byte, eWEEK, Popular Science and Electronic Buyers' News, where he shared a Jesse H. Neal Award for breaking news. He recently handed over a collection of several dozen Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs because his office simply has no more room.