Despite its small size, poor performance, and lackluster battery life, the original Surface Go was something of a success, I assume because of its relatively low price and versatility, and the aura of the Surface brand. I further assume that many Surface fans purchased Surface Go as a secondary device for themselves or gave them to their children, but there has apparently been some adoption in certain businesses too.

For the second-generation Surface Go, Microsoft has predictably addressed at least some concerns, albeit within the confines of not changing the basic form factor at all. That is, Surface Go 2 arrives in the same magnesium body as its predecessor, and it offers the same basic value proposition, such as it is. The improvements are all subtle. There’s a slightly bigger display, improved performance in one model, more battery life, and several other functional improvements, including dual studio microphones and a 5 MP front-facing camera.

But the pricing is the same: Surface Go 2 starts at $399, which sounds reasonable, but that’s for a configuration with a woeful Pentium Gold processor, just 4 GB of RAM, and very slow eMMC storage. As bad, it doesn’t include a Type Cover or Surface Pen. And you’ll pay more, a lot more, for versions with better specifications, including a Core-m3 (Y-series) processor, up to 8 GB of RAM, faster SSD storage, and LTE capabilities. All told, you could spend over $1000 on a fully-configured Surface Go 2 setup.

Most customers won’t do that, of course. But the only configuration I’d consider, even for a child, would still cost several hundred dollars and include the highest-end processor and RAM/storage configurations plus a Signature Type Cover. Your needs may vary. But it should be clear to anyone that an iPad, any iPad, is the better choice. For anyone.

With that out of the way, let’s dive deeper into the specifications of the new Go 2.

As you may know, the first-generation Surface Go shipped with a dual-core Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y processor, 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of eMMC storage or 128 GB of faster SSD storage depending on configuration. In short, the most you could do to improve the performance was add RAM and storage; the higher-end storage configuration was also significantly faster than the stock eMMC offering.

For Surface Go 2, the base processor has edged upward one generation, to an Intel Pentium Gold 4425Y processor. But there’s also an 8th-generation Intel Core m3 processor option that should improve matters significantly, and that’s the version that Microsoft wisely provided for review. In general, Microsoft claims that the Core m3 version is up to 64 percent faster than the Pentium Gold versions. RAM is still 4 GB or 8 GB, and storage is still 64 GB (eMMC) or 128 GB (SSD), depending on configuration. But a 64 percent improvement over unacceptable is … what? Barely acceptable, I guess.

Surface Go provided a tiny 10-inch PixelSense display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, a resolution of 1800 x 1200, and a pixel density of 227 PPI. For Surface Go 2, things have once again improved slightly: This year, we get a larger but still very small 10.5-inch PixelSense display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, a resolution of 1920 x 1280, and a pixel density of 220 PPI. Here, Microsoft has done the predictable by wedging a bigger display into the same form factor, and with smaller bezels than before. That said, the bezels are still quite big and a bit old-fashioned looking.

In the good news department, Networking has improved thanks to upgrades to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The Wi-Fi is now 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6), up from the 802.11ac in the original Go. Bluetooth is version 5.0, up from 4.1. The optional LTE is provided by a Qualcomm Snapdragon X16 LTE modem, which unchanged over the first Go. I’m OK with that: Surface Go isn’t the device to lead with 5G.

Connectivity hasn’t changed, but that’s also fine and to be expected. Surface Go 2 provides one USB-C port, one Surface Connect port, one Surface Type Cover port, a microSDXC card reader, and a 3.5-mm headphone jack, just like before.

Battery life is another apparent improvement. Claimed battery life is up to 10 hours with “typical device usage,” a change in how Microsoft reports battery life: With the original Surface Go, for example, Microsoft claimed “up to 8.5 hours of battery life for local video playback.” This suggests that battery life has improved markedly, since local video playback is the least demanding battery life test imaginable. That said, my experience with Windows 10-based PCs suggests that the new 10 hour figure is still an exaggeration. I suspect that real-world will be closer to 5 or 6 hours at most. Not that it matters all that much: Most individuals who buy Go 2 will be at home anyway, and close to power.

In my short time using the PC, Surface Go 2 is exactly what it seems like, a cost-reduced and miniaturized Surface Pro. And it is quite small. I had forgotten how much smaller the Go/Go 2 was than Surface Pro, but putting the two next to each other is almost comical.

The keyboard on the Type Cover is particularly tiny.

The tiny size accentuates the other major issue here: Surface Go 2 might make for an interesting choice as a standalone tablet if Windows 10 itself was more suitable for tablets. Yes, Microsoft has improved the tablet experience in Windows 10 version 2004, but that’s not even available publicly yet. Further problematic, of course, are the software and media ecosystems: This explains why the iPad is the better buy.

As a PC, of course, Surface Go 2 provides tight working quarters thanks to the too-small keyboard on its Type Cover—now available in new colors, including Platinum, Black, Poppy Red, and Ice Blue—and its small display. It’s a non-starter for someone my size, or age, or for anyone who works all day on a PC. And the Type Cover isn’t even as capable as the version for Surface Pro: It sorts of supports the angled usage for which Surface Pro is famous, but the Surface Go 2 Type Cover is not held on by magnets in this configuration, so it doesn’t stay up very well.

Put simply, if you need to type a lot and are an adult, this thing just isn’t going to cut it. Whether it would work for casual and occasional use is an open question, as is the experience for those with less strenuous computing needs, such as a child.

But Microsoft is trying. Surface Go 2 comes with a new Camera app that can scan documents and whiteboards, and its new dual far-field studio microphones are designed to cut background noise and increase voice clarity. Those features are clearly aimed at education and business, and Microsoft is keen to market Go 2’s usability in these markets. Meanwhile, Go 2’s Dolby Audio sound, which is actually pretty good, that bigger display, and improved performance are likewise clearly aimed at personal use.

Oddly, Surface Go 2 ships with Windows 10 Home version 1909 in S mode, an anachronism that is at least easily and freely upgraded to a fully working version of Windows 10 Home. (Business customers will pay more, but they will receive Windows 10 Pro instead. No S mode.)

But it does include the new Microsoft Edge, too, providing our first peek at the small differences when this browser is automatically installed or preinstalled. Microsoft Whiteboard is also preinstalled, as is Microsoft Office 365, so there are two versions of OneNote, OneNote 2016 and OneNote for Windows 10. And there was the usual Windows 10 crapware, which in this case includes HotSpot Shield Free VPN, Netflix, Spotify, Hulu, Disney Magic Kingdoms, and Gardenscapes all taking up space in the Start menu.

One surprising note: The review unit has LTE capabilities and I was prompted to set it up. Curious, I started through the wizard to see what the choices were. And … they’re weird: GigSky World Mobile Data and Ubigi. I checked out the former’s website, and pricing here in the U.S. is $9.99 for a one-day pass, $24.99 for 3 GB over 15 days, and $39.99 for a 5 GB 30-day plan.

The other weirdism is that Edge keeps prompting me to make it the default browser. But when I choose to do so, Settings opens (to Default apps) and there’s no web browser choice. Oops. (This may be related to me signing in first with a local account and then converting it to a Microsoft account. It’s still a bug either way.)

Surface Go 2 is available for preorder today and it starts shipping on May 12, Microsoft says.

Tagged with Surface Go 2, Windows 10 in S Mode