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A dinky and affordable Windows laptop
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 doesn’t introduce many changes compared to the original. It remains a wonderful portable machine, now with boosted power and topped-up battery life. This package means it is still one of the best value Windows laptops available, even if its low-resolution display dampens my excitement.
I thought the Surface Laptop Go was great. Its pint-sized form factor makes it delightfully portable, and it all comes in an affordable package. Good looks and decent performance combine with the value proposition to make this a strong option for those on a budget or student buyers.
The original 12-inch laptop received plenty of acclaim, so it’s no surprise Microsoft chose to release a follow-up. It is Microsoft though and, as such, there aren’t many upgrades. The most noticeable change from the outside is a new Sage green colour options.
It isn’t exactly the same though. Microsoft has whacked a new 11th Gen Intel chip in the Surface Laptop Go 2, and you’ll find this improves both performance and battery. Then, that’s about it when it come to changes.
Microsoft has ditched the base configuration though, meaning pesky eMMC storage is no more on this diddy device. The starting price is now $599.99/£529, which represents great value for money. The proposition looks even better now the flagship Microsoft Surface Pro 9 hybrid tablet has been released, with its £989 base price.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is adorably tiny. Its 12.4-inch touchscreen is notably more compact than a more conventional 13-inch laptop screen, so you’ll want to make sure you’re happy to downsize before making a purchase.
It has taken me a while to adjust to the small size having previously used a 16-inch laptop, and has been troublesome whenever I’ve wanted multiple apps and browser tabs displayed simultaneously. But otherwise, I think the 12.4-inch panel is perfectly fine for typing up essays, reading emails and scrolling through social media.
I’m quite fond of the new Sage colour option pictured in this review, expanding upon the other Platinum, Ice Blue and Sandstone options. They all help to give the Surface Laptop Go 2 more personality, which is refreshing after seeing countless bog-standard silver machines. Although I am disappointed to see you have to spend at least £629 for any colour other than Platinum.
Laptops can start to feel a little flimsy and cheap when they’re available around the $600/£500 mark, but the Surface Laptop Go 2 is an exception. The lid is made of aluminium, while the base uses an aluminium and polycarbonate composite resin. It all feels pleasingly sturdy, with only needlessly hard keyboard presses causing any noticeable flex.
I can pick up the laptop in one hand and wave it around in the air without fear of my wrist snapping, weighing just 1127g which is lighter than both a MacBook Air and Dell XPS 13 OLED. It’s surprisingly chunky though, but not to the extent that it’s difficult to fit inside any bag.
Port selection is fine, with a USB-C, USB-A and headphone jack lined across the left ridge, although I’m disappointed that Microsoft hasn’t added Thunderbolt support to speed up data transfers. There’s also a Surface Connect port on the right side to ensure compatibility with Microsoft’s proprietary magnetic charger. I’d personally prefer Microsoft to ditch this charging solution in favour of additional USB-C connections, but it’s not a major issue.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a 720p webcam integrated into the top screen bezel. Video capture looks really grainy, but it’s still perfectly usable for casual video chats or conference calls. The laptop’s speakers are located underneath the keyboard, and can be cranked up to a high volume. Bass isn’t terribly good and you’ll notice some distortion at a high volume, but I still think the audio performance is good at this price.
I really like the laptop’s keyboard, with deep key presses for comfortable typing, and the spacebar seeing snappy, loud feedback. The keyboard is a little cramped compared to larger laptops, so you may need to retrain your muscle memory for prodding certain keys, but keys are spaced out just enough to avoid frequent typos.
Microsoft has also once again refused to add a keyboard backlight, which may be problematic if you like to type up essays beyond sundown. And while I’m pleased to see the responsive fingerprint sensor return to the power key to enable speedier sign-ins, it’s a shame it’s not available on the base configuration.
Moving onto the trackpad, it feels smooth to the touch and super responsive. Microsoft has opted for the traditional physical trackpad here, so you can hear subtle and satisfying clicks when you press down – there’s no haptic feedback technology here like with the Surface Laptop Studio.
The screen was the weakest aspect of the original Surface Laptop Go when it launched in 2020, and Microsoft hasn’t done anything to address the issue.
The 1536 x 1024 resolution means this laptop has one of the lowest pixel densities you’ll likely find, so images lack that sharp focus found on Full HD (and better) panels. The tall 3:2 aspect ratio also lends itself better to web pages and documents than video, making this a sub-standard companion for the likes of Netflix and Disney Plus.
That said, I’ve still had a good time watching Attenborough’s Our Planet on the Surface Laptop Go 2, so it’s still perfectly fine if you don’t mind crystal-clear imagery.
My colorimeter also showed it to have decent picture quality, with a 1095:1 contrast ensuring lighter colours still stand out well from dark backgrounds. The 395-nit max brightness will also help you to counteract bright environments, whether you’re in the office or working outdoors.
Even the sRGB colour coverage is great at 92.1% so it won’t suffer noticeable distortion when watching video and ogling photos. It’s not quite good enough for presenting colour accurately to a professional standard for serious photo and video editing, but the Surface Laptop Go 2 was never intended for such intense workloads.
Microsoft has also retained the touchscreen, allowing you to zoom into a picture by pinching the panel or scroll down a news feed via swiping. It, unfortunately, doesn’t support a stylus, so it won’t be compatible with Microsoft’s own Surface Pen.
The biggest upgrade for the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is undoubtedly the new processor, with Microsoft moving up a generation to the 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7.
That’s notably still a generation behind all of the latest and greatest laptops on the market, with 12th Generation Intel chips now available. But I think it’s a fair compromise given the affordable price which undercuts the majority of Windows-powered competition.
I did notice a performance difference between the Surface Laptop Go 2 and other recent laptops I’ve reviewed, with webpages and applications taking a couple of seconds longer to load. Opting for the 4GB of RAM configuration may slow down those speeds even further since I’m using the 8GB model.
But Microsoft’s laptop still managed to provide a smooth performance with multiple apps and browser tabs open simultaneously. The Surface Laptop Go 2 is comfortably powerful enough for basic productivity tasks, and should only really falter if you want to edit video or play games.
The benchmark results that I collected back up my impressions, showing noticeably better results than the original Surface Laptop Go. However, it’s still trailing far behind the Acer Swift 3 in terms of performance power thanks to the inclusion of AMD’s Ryzen 5 5500U chip.
But there aren’t many Windows laptops that can offer such good performance at a price this low, so the Surface Laptop Go 2 still represents a bargain. This is especially true when put up against the latest, and more expensive, Surface Pro 9 device. In our testing, the cheaper device came out on top on single-core benchmarking as well as our holistic test. The Surface Pro 9 undoubtedly has much better multi-core chops but, for day-to-day productivity, the Surface Laptop Go 2 represents great value compared with its newer sibling.
I’m a little disappointed by the SSD speeds though, with a read speed of 3435MB/s and a write speed of 1624MB/s. That latter result means the Laptop Go 2 may be a little sluggish when installing apps or large files onto the drive.
Microsoft has ditched the base storage option for the Surface Laptop Go 2, so you can’t go lower than a 128GB SSD. While this has meant the starting price has been increased to £529, I still think it’s a good move as the previous base 64GB option wasn’t spacious enough for most users.
A new chip doesn’t just mean faster performance, it can also result in superior battery life – and that’s exactly what’s happened with the Surface Laptop Go 2.
After turning the brightness down to 150 nits and using the PCMark 10 battery benchmark to simulate day-to-day applications, the Surface Laptop Go 2 managed to survive for 9 hours and 11 minutes.
For comparison, the original Surface Laptop Go lasted 8 hours and 44 minutes in the same test. That means you’re only getting a 30-minute boost, but I’m not complaining. However, it’s worth mentioning that rival laptops such as the Acer Swift 3 are capable of lasting even longer on a single charge.
You want a tiny 12-inch laptop:
Aside from the low price, the main appeal of this Windows laptop is its diminutive size. It’s easy to carry around and slot in a bag, yet remains just about big enough to carry out day-to-day tasks without issue.
You want a Full HD resolution:
My biggest concern with this laptop is the low screen resolution. By missing out on Full HD, photos and videos don’t look very sharp. Plus, the small screen and tall aspect ratio make it a sub-standard option for the likes of Netflix.
It’s a shame that Microsoft has only upgraded the processor for this sequel, but I loved the original so much that it isn’t a major issue.
The dinky size makes it a dream for frequent commuters, while the build quality makes it feel like a laptop that costs more than a grand. I wish Microsoft had at least improved the screen resolution though to make videos and photos look sharper.
Despite its shortcomings, I still believe the Surface Laptop Go 2 is one of the absolute best Windows laptops at its price point. If you’re looking for an ultra-portable laptop for under £600, then I’d struggle to name a better value option than the Surface Laptop Go 2.
Every laptop we review goes through a series of uniform checks designed to gauge key things including build quality, performance, screen quality and battery life.
These include formal synthetic benchmarks and scripted tests, plus a series of real world checks, such as how well it runs popular apps.
We used as our main laptop for at least a week.
Tested the performance via both benchmark tests and real-world use.
We tested the screen with a colorimeter and real-world use.
We tested the battery with a benchmark test and real-world use.
No, the Surface Laptop Go 2 is lacking a backlit keyboard just like its predecessor.
The Surface Laptop Go 2 launched on 6th June 2022.
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Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
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Quick Recap
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- 【Practical Design】The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 Laptop with Intel Corei5-1135G7 Quad-Core Processor, with Wifi, Webcam, Touchscreen. This pre-owned product has been professionally inspected, tested and cleaned by Amazon-qualified suppliers.-
- 【Memory & Storage】Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 Laptop Memory has been upgraded to 16 GB DDR4 SDRAM for enhanced high bandwidth to easily switch back and forth between open applications; the hard drive has been upgraded to 256 GB SSD for fast boot-up and fast data transfer
- 【Security】One-touch login with the fingerprint power button. Ports: 1 x USB Type-A, 1 x USB Type-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Intel UHD Graphics integrated webcam
- 【Display】Be productive, browse and binge watch on the 12.4" PixelSense touchscreen with 1536 x 1024 resolution. Show your best side in video calls, meetings and virtual meetings with the built-in 720p HD camera.
- 【Operating System】Windows 11 Pro, a powerful, secure, compatible and more manageable operating system that helps you better manage and protect your devices and data for greater productivity and security.
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- Premium Everyday Performance with 11th Gen Intel Core i5: Effortlessly handle daily productivity tasks, moderate multi-tab browsing, and application streaming with the renewed Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 Laptop, powered by a reliable Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor and 16GB of RAM to deliver a smooth and responsive experience for students and mobile professionals.
- Swift 256GB SSD for Quick Boot and App Launch: Experience noticeably faster system start-up, application loading, and file access with the renewed Microsoft Surface Go 2 Laptop touchscreen laptop's 256GB Solid State Drive, which provides a quiet, reliable, and responsive upgrade from traditional hard drives.
- Brilliant 12.4-inch PixelSense Touchscreen Display: Engage with vibrant colors and sharp details on the renewed Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 Laptop's high-resolution 12.4-inch touchscreen, which is perfect for sketching ideas, taking notes with the Surface Pen (sold separately), or intuitively navigating through documents and creative projects.
- Fast and Secure Windows 11 Pro Experience: Work with confidence on a genuine, full-featured operating system; the renewed Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 computer comes pre-installed with Windows 11 Pro, supporting multiple languages and offering robust security features like BitLocker encryption, ideal for handling personal or light business data securely.
- Convenient Connectivity with USB-C and Surface Charging: Enjoy flexible charging and peripheral connections with the renewed Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 Notebook PC, which features a modern USB-C port for data transfer and charging compatible devices, alongside the trusted magnetic Surface Connect port for quick, secure charging.
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- Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 | Certified Refurbished, Amazon Renewed | 12.4-inch (1536 x 1024) LCD Touchscreen Display | Windows 11 Professional | Platinum Silver Color
- This Certified Refurbished product is tested and certified to look and work like new. The refurbishing process includes functionality testing, basic cleaning, inspection, and repackaging. The product ships with all relevant accessories, a minimum 90-day warranty, and may arrive in a generic box.
- 256GB Solid State Drive, 16GB RAM, Intel Core i5-1135G7 CPU, Convenient security with Windows Hello sign-in, plus Fingerprint Power Button with Windows Hello and One Touch sign-in on select models., Integrated Intel UHD Graphics
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi: 802.11ax Wireless LAN, Run your favorite apps and keep up on social media with a 11th Gen Intel Core Processor.
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- Light, portable Surface touchscreen Laptop with Windows 11 [2] and 12.4” PixelSense Display. [1] Starting at just 2.48 pounds.
- Work, play, stream, and run day-to-day apps with 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor.
- Look and sound your best on video calls with improved HD camera and built-in Studio Mics, plus rich sound for music and shows.
- Long battery life 13.5.[3] Plus, recharge quickly with Fast Charging – up to 80% in just over an hour.[7]
- Convenient security. Fingerprint Power Button with Windows Hello and One Touch sign-in on select models.
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- Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 | Certified Refurbished, Amazon Renewed | 12.4-inch (1536 x 1024) LCD Touchscreen Display | Windows 11 Professional | Platinum Silver Color
- This Certified Refurbished product is tested and certified to look and work like new. The refurbishing process includes functionality testing, basic cleaning, inspection, and repackaging. The product ships with all relevant accessories, a minimum 90-day warranty, and may arrive in a generic box.
- 256GB Solid State Drive, 16GB RAM, Intel Core i5-1135G7 CPU, Convenient security with Windows Hello sign-in, plus Fingerprint Power Button with Windows Hello and One Touch sign-in on select models., Integrated Intel UHD Graphics
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi: 802.11ax Wireless LAN, Run your favorite apps and keep up on social media with a 11th Gen Intel Core Processor.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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