Microsoft entry-level Surface Go launched to take on iPad, Chromebooks

Microsoft Surface Go has been made official, the latest member in the Surface 2-in-1 lineup. The Surface Go promises to offer the full blown Surface experience on a budget. The device starts at a price of $399 (or approx Rs 27,433), but you will have to shell out more for a type cover and Surface Pen. Pre-orders for the Surface Go starts July 10, with shipments set to begin from August 2 in the US. There’s no word on the Surface Go’s availability in India.

The Surface Go has a 10-inch 3:2 (1800 x 1200) PixelDensity multi-touch display, surrounded by thick bezels. At just 1.15 pounds and 8.3 mm thin, Surface Go is the company’s smallest and lightest computer yet. The base model ships with 4GB RAM and 64GB of eMMC flash storage, while the top-end model comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB of SSD storage. Both variants of the Surface Go are powered by Intel’s 7th generation Pentium Gold 4415Y processor. Currently, Surface Go will be made available in Wi-Fi-only configurations. LTE variants of the Surface Go should come to the market at a later date.

The Surface Go is the first Surface device to feature USB 3.1, the same universal connector seen on the Apple’s MacBook and MacBook Pro. Microsoft’s custom Surface Connector is still there, which essentially allows users to connect to a desktop dock of the device, along with charging the hybrid computer. As expected, Surface Go supports Windows Hello for secure sign-in using facial recognition. Plus, the device has a 5MP front-facing camera that captures 1080p videos. There’s an 8MP camera on the rear also supports HD recording.

The Surface Go has all the trademark features of the Surface Pro, from a standard kickstand on the rear to a magnesium design. However, it is not quite as powerful as the Surface Pro in terms of specifications and features. The Surface Go runs Windows 10 S, a version of Windows that will only support apps that are available in the Windows app store. However, users can upgrade to a full version of Windows 10 for free.

Microsoft Surface Go is targeted at students and educators, just like the company’s Surface 3. In classrooms, Microsoft faces tough competition from Chromebooks and iPads, especially in the US market. The Surface Go will be pitted against Apple’s $329 iPad.