Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 review: Sleek and light, but battery life could be better

Surface Laptop Go 2: Core i5 of 11^e generation, 4 or 8 GB of RAM, 128 or 256 GB of SSD storage, available in consumer version (Windows 11 Family) or professional (Windows 11 Pro, Secured Core PC). Image: Cliff Joseph.

If you haven’t been able to keep up with the various models in Microsoft’s Surface lineup, the Surface Laptop Go 2 stands out as the smallest, lightest and most affordable clamshell laptop on offer. currently.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 – Best prices:

A versatile computer

This 2022 edition does not show any major changes. The main novelties are its new Core i5 processor of 11^e generation and improved security functions, especially for professionals.

However, the model’s lightweight and sleek design should appeal to you if you’re looking for an ultraportable computer for everyday use.

It is also very versatile, since there is a version for the general public and another that targets more professionals. This model is aimed at students on a limited budget as well as on-the-go professionals.

Design and technical characteristics

Like its 2020 predecessor, the Surface Laptop Go 2 has a 12.4-inch touchscreen display that helps keep the device’s weight down to just 1.13kg, while its slim profile measures just 15.7 mm thick.

Design

It’s easy to grab with one hand and slip into a backpack or briefcase, making it easy to transport. The build quality is impeccable, despite its competitive price.

Available in several colors (Sage, Ice Blue, Sandstone and Platinum), the aluminum case of the Laptop Go 2 is strong enough to withstand a few knocks while on the move.

Keyboard

The keyboard is surprisingly firm and comfortable. Microsoft claims it “allows 30% more key travel than the MacBook Air”, and the keyboard is certainly very responsive when typing.

A pleasant keyboard, but without backlighting. Image: Cliff Joseph.

That said, it’s odd that there’s no backlight built into the keyboard for use in dark rooms or airplane cabins.

Screen

The small screen has its drawbacks, since it displays a definition of only 1536 x 1024 pixels (148 dpi). The 3:2 aspect ratio is a good choice, as the screen is large enough to provide good visibility for reading documents or web pages.

However, the screen quickly starts to get a bit cluttered as soon as you have several overlapping windows or applications open at the same time. The screen is bright and colorful – sometimes even too much – and colors sometimes seem slightly oversaturated, especially in the red part of the spectrum.

Microsoft’s spec sheet doesn’t mention screen brightness or color gamut support, but the company tells us it’s 330 nits and 100% sRGB. The Surface Laptop Go 2 is clearly not intended for professional graphic designers, but its screen is perfectly functional when it comes to viewing documents, browsing the Internet and playing videos.

connectors

Surface Laptop Go 2 has USB-C and USB-A ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the Surface Connect port. Image: Cliff Joseph.

Due to its compact design, sockets are limited. On the wireless side, there is Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1. But in terms of connectors, the device only has one USB-C port and one USB-A port. It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack and Microsoft’s Surface Connect port for charging and connecting.

I was able to connect the computer to an external 4K display using the USB-C port, although the Microsoft website seems to imply that this installation requires the additional Surface Dock 2 (which costs $260). However, to be able to use the Laptop Go 2 on a particular desktop setup, you might need an extra dock or hub – to add an Ethernet jack or USB ports, for example.

The only element that justifies the relatively low price is the 720-pixel webcam, although Microsoft says that a new camera module with improved brightness, contrast and color balance is available. The image is certainly quite bright, even on a gray British summer day, but it still has a slightly grainy quality to it. If you’re a video-calling pro and need a high-quality webcam, you might want to invest in a 1080p external webcam with your hub.

Price and options

The Surface Laptop Laptop Go 2 is available in a consumer edition and a professional edition. The latter includes Windows 11 Pro as well as Secured-Core PC security features – including a physical TPM 2.0 chip. On the consumer model, the TPM is implemented in the firmware.

Microsoft also offers professional users the “advance exchange” guarantee. The latter allows them to request a replacement unit even before their defective Surface device is collected for repair.

For professionals, the price of the Surface Laptop Go 2 starts at 769 euros for a model equipped with a Core i5-1135G7 quad-core processor clocked at 2.4 GHz (up to 4.2 GHz with Turbo Boost), 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB SSD storage capacity. The base model does not include a fingerprint sensor, although it is integrated into the power button on all other configurations.

The model we tested had 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, for a price of 969 euros. There’s also a $1,169 model with 16GB of RAM – a rather steep price difference for a mere increase in RAM. There are no other options, and all configurations offered are based on the Iris Xe graphics card integrated into the Core i5 processor.

Consumer versions usually have a lower price of 100 euros.

Performance

The Laptop Go 2 offers “the performance needed to run everyday applications,” Microsoft says soberly. We cannot accuse the brand of overestimating the capabilities of the model!

The Core i5 processor of 11^e generation scores 1,345 (single core) and 4,140 (multi core) in the Geekbench 5 CPU benchmark. For comparison, Apple’s current MacBook Air based on the M1 processor scores 1,730 and 7,590, respectively.

The processor’s modest performance is also reflected in the PCMark 10 application tests: its score of 4,466 lifts it just out of the bottom third of the results table. To be fair, the Surface Laptop Go 2 will handle standard office software from the Microsoft Office suite without issue, as well as web browsing, email and video calling.

The measured performance of the Laptop Go 2. Image: Cliff Joseph.

The integrated Iris Xe graphics card is perhaps the best performer here, with a PCMark 10 score of 7,508 for photo editing work, so the Surface Laptop Go 2 should be able to handle basic photo editing. for presentation work if necessary. It won’t be able to handle much video editing or gaming, however, with a PCMark 10 video score of 4,341, while its gaming score of 10,820 in the 3DMark Night Raid test puts it firmly in the “minus” category. of 20 fps”.

The only real disappointment with this model is its battery life. Microsoft quotes up to 13.5 hours of “typical device usage,” but our test unit only managed to last half that during our video streaming test, clocking in at a modest 6 hours and 40 minutes, even with screen brightness reduced to 50%. You might be able to stretch that to a full eight-hour workday if you’re not using Wi-Fi all day, but that’s still far behind the exceptional 17 hours provided by the MacBook Air M1. .

In conclusion

Our option on Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go 2 is mixed. Judging by its performance and battery life alone, it’s an entry-level laptop priced well into the mid-range – and RAM options extra are rather expensive.

The silver lining of the Surface Laptop Go 2 is its sleek, ultraportable design: it’s both sleek and sturdy, and well-suited to hybrid and mobile working. If you value portability above all else, this model is quite tempting.

However, business users who don’t just work on Microsoft Office might prefer a more powerful Surface model…or one of its competitors.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 Features

• Dimensions: 278.2mm x 206.2mm x 15.7mm
• Weight : 1.127kg
• Construction : aluminum (top), aluminum and polycarbonate composite resin system with fiberglass and 30% post-consumer recycled content (base)
• Colors: platinum, sage green, ice blue, sand
• Operating system : Windows 11 Home (Consumer) – Windows 11 Pro or 10 Pro (Enterprise)
• Screen : 12.4-inch PixelSense, 1536 x 1024 (3:2, 148 ppi), 330 nits, 10-point multi-touch
• Processor : Intel Core i5-1135G7
• RAM: 4GB, 8GB (LPDDR4x)
• Storage : 128 GB, 256 GB (removable SSD)
• Graphic card : Intel Iris Xe
• Wireless : WiFi 6 (802.11ax)
• Bluetooth: 5.1
• Connectors: USB-C, USB-A, 3.5mm audio out, Surface Connect
• Camera: HD 720pf/2.0
• Audio: dual far-field mics, omnidirectional speakers with Dolby Audio Premium
• Battery capacity: 41Wh
• Battery life : up to 13.5 hours (basic device usage)
• Security : TPM 2.0 (firmware on consumer model, hardware on pro model), Windows Hello login, fingerprint power button (except 4GB/128GB configuration)
• In the box : Surface Laptop Go 2, 39W power supply, quick start guide, safety and warranty documents
• Price : from 669 euros (general public) / from 769 euros (business)

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 – Best prices:

The alternatives

While the Surface Laptop Go 2 is one of the thinnest and lightest Windows laptops on the market, it has many competitors in the ultraportable category, at different price points. Here are a few :

Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020)

HP Elite Dragonfly G2

See the HP Elite Dragonfly G2 Ultra-Portable PC on Amazon

Source: ZDNet.com