When just used for video playback the Surface Go 2 lasted closer to eight hours, streaming video via Netflix. The Surface Pro 7's Intel Iris Plus graphics helped it exceed our 30 fps smoothness threshold at 36 fps. Intel XTU shows no thermal throttling after 25 minutes of sustained CPU usage at 100 percent.Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central. They got loud enough to fill my small office without any distortion when I played Glass Animals’ “Dreamland” at 100% volume. That number can shift to just five hours on the low-end up to eight hours if using battery saver mode. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/microsoft-surface-go-2, Thin, light design with excellent build quality, Face-recognition camera with 1080p quality, Pricey once kitted up with accessories and ideal components. The speakers are first-rate. But the pricing for the Core m3 starts at $629 (8GB RAM, 128GB storage), making it less of a value buy. I can't spin that as a positive; it's frankly sad. Physical buttons include a volume rocker and a power button on the top edge. Meanwhile, Ori and the Will of the Wisps struggles at 10 FPS making it unplayable no matter the resolution. All of our testing was done after turning off S Mode, as you can't run any third party benchmarks on it. I also love the plush Alcantara fabric covering the wrist rests, which is now available in a variety of new colors, including Black, Poppy Red, Ice Blue and Platinum. The experiment had its ups and downs (more of the former), with the physical advantages over an iPad and a laptop being the most immediately apparent. Visit our corporate site. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. But I definitely noticed that text appears more grainy on Surface Go 2 than it does on the iPad, and the iPad manages to include a higher-resolution screen while also offering excellent battery life. The Surface Go 2’s performance is a mixed bag. The company's latest model delivers on the hybrid laptop-tablet we've been waiting for.

If you need to perform these types of CPU-intensive tasks with any frequency, the Surface Go 2 is the wrong tool for the job. But while its Core m3 CPU offers a performance boost against the old Surface Go, it doesn't hold up to friendly competition against other 2-in-1s. The iPad is a tablet that is slowly getting better as a "real" PC but still falls short in some areas. At 9.7 x 6.9 x 0.3 inches, this 1.2-pound tablet is about the same size and weight as the original Surface Go (0.3 inches, 1.15 pounds) and just a tad heavier than the iPad Air (0.2 inches thick, 1 pounds). Surface Go 2 is the best Microsoft could have done in this form factor, and it addressed the original criticisms of the Surface Go. You can order Surface Type Covers and Surface Sleeves in multiple different colors, including Platinum, Black, Poppy Red, and Ice Blue, but the tablet itself is available only in a silver magnesium finish. Fortunately, the phone in your pocket (like my iPhone 11 Pro Max) can probably do better with natural lighting. Processor: Intel Pentium Gold 4425Y or 8th-gen Core m3, Operating system: Windows 10 Home (in S Mode) with device encryption, Camera: 8MP rear, 5MP front-facing, Windows Hello, Connectivity: Wifi 6, Bluetooth 5, USB-C, Surface Connector, TPM, microSD, headphone socket. Bottom line: With the Core m3 processor, Surface Go 2 finally feels like a real PC. While those with larger hands will feel cramped, this criticism feels obvious when talking about a tiny 10.5-inch tablet PC. With this configuration, the Surface Go 2 feels like a real PC now.