Microsoft officially announced a new hardware addition to its ‘Surface’ line of products in July, 2018. The device is the Microsoft Surface Go; a watered down version of the Microsoft Surface Pro. The Surface Go officially go on sale tomorrow, August 2 but before then, we bring to you an overview of some major specifications, features, pricing, and availability of the device.
Where to Buy Surface Go
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Surface Go 10-inch Key Features and Specs
- Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y Processor
- Intel HD Graphics 615
- Windows 10 in Mode S
- 10-inch PixelSense Touch Display, 1800 x 1200 pixels
- 4GB or 8GB RAM
- 64GB eMMC or 128GB SDD
- 8MP rear camera and 5MP front camera with Windows Hello
- Compatible with Surface Dial
- Detachable Design (Type Cover sold separately)
- USB Type C with charging support
- Up to 9 hours Battery Life (Video Playback)
Microsoft Surface Go: Design and Overall Aesthetic
The older processor of the Surface Go all had fantastic aesthetic properties. The Surface Pro, for one, is a sleek and flexible innovation. The new Surface Go on the other is all the things that the Surface Pro is, but also brings portability and affordability on board.
The Surface Go is a tablet that aims to rival Apple’s iPad. One of the many features that the Surface Go boasts of is its portability andand featherlight weight. With a dimension of 9.65″ x 6.90″ x 0.33″ (245 mm x 175 mm x 8.3 mm) and 1.15 lbs (approx. 522 grams) weight, the Surface Go is the perfect mobile workstation for individuals who love to work on the go, travellers, communters, and the average individual.
When the Surface Pro was launched, it was accepted as an interesting innovation as a PC, but too bulky a tablet; the Surface Pro 12.3-inch display isn’t exactly suitable for one-hand operation. The new Surface Go, however, is like the everyday 10-inch tablet (but sleekier) and interestingly, the attachable keyboard accessory converts it to the perfect regular PC.
On the left side, all the ports of the Surface Go are situated. The available ports include a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C port, and Surface Connect port.
The right side of the tablet PC is blank but servss as the attachment point for the Surface Pen. On the rear, there is a built-in kickstand which allows for adjustment of up to 165° with enough friction level. The built-in kickstand is one of the many feature that makes the Surface Go trump Apple’s iPad.
Accessories
Attachable Keyboard
The attachable type cover keyboard is a Surface Go accessory that has to be purchased separately as it doesn’t come with the tablet PC. Depending on if the intend to use the Surface Go for casual and business or school purposes, the type cover keyboard is actually an important accessory which will definitely come in handy.
The Surface Go” type cover keyboard comes with a track pad, a feature iPads’ attachable keyboards lack.
Surface Pen
The Surface Pen is a stylus pen for the Surface Go. It is also an optional accessory and it attaches magnetically to the left hand side of the Surface Go.
Surface Connect/ Surface Dock
The Surface Connect port is used to charge the Surface Go and also, used to connect the tablet to other devices (like 2K monitors and USB sticks) using the Surface Dock accessory.
Internal Configuration
On the inside, the Surface Go will be powered by an dual core Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y processor. The device will be launched in different variants on the basis of storage. A model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage will be the basic model while there will be other models with double storage capacity (8GB RAM and 128GB SSD). There will also be a variant with up to 256GB SSD.
Microsoft also says that upon launch, only the Wi-Fi-only variant of the Surface Go will be available for purchase as the LTE version will come at a later date.
The Microsoft Surface Go will come out of the box with running the Windows 10 operating system in “S Mode”. This means unless users opt-out of the S mode, they will be able restricted to downloading apps from the Microsoft Store only. Opting out of the S mode is easy and comes at no charge.
Battery
While usage intensity and manner will vary significantly among users, Microsoft assures that the Surface Go’s battery can supply up to 9 hours of on-time.
Microsoft Surface Go Price
The basic model of the Microsoft Surface Go will sell for $399 while other variants with bigger storage properties will cost more. “Eligible” teachers, students, military personnels, and parents can get the product at a discounted price of $379.05. You can check your eligibility for the price discount HERE.
The Surface Pen and Type Cover Keyboard are sold for $100 each.
The Microsoft Surface Go is a perfect tablet choice to cater for all your daily tasks while also rendering laptop performance. The cost effectiveness (read: affordable), portability, fantastic accessories and other features are some of the edges the tablet has over Apple’s iPad. In the coming months, the performance and overall acceptance of the Surface Go will reveal how much of a threat the device is to the iPad.
Microsoft Surface Go Specs
Here are a few specs of the Microsoft Surface Go Tablet:
General Features
- Platform: Windows 10 in S Mode
- Processor: Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y Processor
- GPU: Intel HD 615 Graphics
- Memory: 4GB RAM or 8GB RAM
- Colours: Silver
- Dimension: 245 x 175 x 8.3 mm
- Weight: starting at 522 g (without Type Cover)
- SIM Type: N / A
- SIM Count: N / A
- Keyboard: Yes, Type Cover (Sold Separately)
- Mouse: Yes, Surface Arc Mouse (Sold Separately)
- Stylus Pen: Yes, Surface Pen with 4096 levels of pressure (Sold Separately)
- Surface Dial: Yes (Sold Separately)
Display
- Display: 10-inch PixelSense Display, 1800 x 1200 pixels (217 ppi), 3:2 Aspect Ratio
- Screen Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Camera
- Rear Camera: 8MP Camera, 1080p HD Video
- Rear Camera Features: Autofocus
- Front Camera: 5 MP Camera, 1080p Skype HD Video, Windows Hello face sign-in
Storage
- Built-in Storage: 64GB or 128GB Storage
- Memory Card Support: Yes, up to 256GB
- Bundled Cloud Storage: –
Network Support
- 2G GSM: No
- 2G CDMA 1X: No
- 3G WCDMA: No
- 3G CDMA EVDO: No
- 4G LTE: No
Internet & Connectivity
- GPRS: No
- EDGE: No
- 3G/WCDMA/HSPA: No
- HSPA+: No
- CDMA EVDO: No
- 4G LTE: No
- WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
- Wi-Fi Hotspot: No
- Bluetooth: Yes, Bluetooth 4.1
- Surface Connect: Yes
- Surface Port: Yes
- USB Port: Yes, 1 x USB Type C
Messaging
- SMS/MMS: –
- Instant Messaging: Yes
- Push Emails: Yes
- Email Protocol: –
Entertainment
- Music Player: Yes, mp3, WAV, FLAC, eACC+
- Video Player: Yes, MPEG4, H.263, H.264, XviD
- FM Radio: No
- Loudspeaker: Yes, 2W Stereo Speakers, Dolby Audio Premium
- 3.5mm Jack: Yes
Navigation
- Navigation: Yes
- Maps: Yes
Sensors & Control
- Digital Compass: Yes
- Accelerometer: Yes
- Proximity Sensor: –
- Light Sensor: Yes
- Barometer: No
- TPM chip for Enterprise Security: Yes (v2.0)
- Gyroscope: Yes
- Fingerprint Scanner: No
- Iris Scanner: No
- Intelligent Digital Assistant: Yes
- Motion Sensing / Gesture Control: –
- Voice Control: Yes
Other Features
- Video Streaming: Yes
- Traditional Voice Calls: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Digital TV: No
- Water Resistant: No
- Dust Resistant: No
- Image Editor: Yes
- Video Editor: Yes
- Document Viewer: Yes
- Document Editor: Yes, Microsoft Office 365 Home (30-day trial)
Battery
- Battery: –
- Use Time: up to 9 hours (Video Playback)
- Video Playback: –
- Fast Charging: Yes
