Microsoft Surface Go unveiled, features 10-inch screen, 9 hours of battery life

Surface Go is compatible with the Surface Pen stylus to make annotations and doodles on-screen. Microsoft redesigned its detachable keyboard cover to increase the size of the glass trackpad and accommodate the keys into the tablet's smaller form-factor.

The Surface Go is reportedly available to pre-order in 21 countries worldwide, including the UK, Ireland, US, Canada, and Australia. Image source: Microsoft

Microsoft has launched a new tablet Surface Go, which is a smaller, cheaper alternative to its popular Surface Pro device. The new tablet works with Surface Pen stylus, and a redesigned keyboard cover. Surface Go boasts a 10-inch touchscreen, nine hours of battery life, front-facing camera with facial recognition login, and USB-C port for charging and data transfers, said a DailyMail online report.

Surface Go is compatible with the Surface Pen stylus to make annotations and doodles on-screen. Microsoft redesigned its detachable keyboard cover to increase the size of the glass trackpad and accommodate the keys into the tablet's smaller form-factor.

The Surface Go is reportedly available to pre-order in 21 countries worldwide, including the UK, Ireland, US, Canada, and Australia. Prices start from £379.99 ($399) for the entry-level model, and rise to £509.99 ($549) for the top-of-the-line model. The first devices will start to ship globally early next month, Microsoft has reportedly confirmed.

Microsoft has kept the industrial design extremely similar between the two tablets, with the 3:2 aspect ratio of the display, the signature kickstand to adjust viewing angles, and proprietary magnetic Surface Connector port for charging and connecting to a desktop dock, all remaining intact on the new cheaper model, according to DailyMail Online report.

But one key difference is the addition of a USB-C port – a first for the Microsoft-built tablet range – which is capable of charging Surface Go, as well as outputting video and data connections, the report said.

Further, the latest Microsoft tablet also has a headphone jack, and MicroSD card reader for additional storage and data transfer. It weighs in at 1.15 lbs (0.5kg), which is a little heavier than comparable iPad tablets, but around half a pound (0.2kg) lighter than the entry-level Surface Pro, the report said, adding that the Surface Go still boasts a nine-hour battery life.

Microsoft reportedly states that its Signature Type Cover, which is available in three colours, offers ‘laptop-class typing’ thanks to the scissor mechanism and 1mm (0.03-inch) of travel. Despite the smaller size of the device, Microsoft has managed to increase the size of the glass trackpad included on the redesigned Surface Go keyboard covers, compared to those on the current-generation Type Cover for the Surface Pro.

The new device is powered by the Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y processor, coupled with either 4GB or 8GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of in-built storage. The Intel-built processor is a dual-core seventh-generation model, which Microsoft chose because of its balance between performance, battery life, and thermal properties that enabled a fanless design, according to DailyMail.

Watch this Zee Business video

Microsoft will initially release Wi-Fi only versions of its new Surface Go, with a model equipped with LTE mobile data connectivity scheduled to launch later this year, said the report, adding the touchscreen display on the Surface Go has a 1800 x 1200 pixel resolution, which isn’t quite as sharp as either the 9.7-inch iPad (2048x1536) or the flagship Microsoft Surface Pro (2736 x 1824).

TAGS:

Microsoft Surface Go