Microsoft Surface Go 2 vs. Surface Go: Which is a better buy?

Microsoft Surface Go 2 vs. Surface Go tech specs

Design and features

The new Surface Go 2 shares the same dimensions and (essentially) the same weight, making it just as easy to carry around with you as the original Surface Go. These are both 2-in-1 devices that work comfortable as a tablet or notebook with attached keyboard and touchpad. Old Type Covers will work with the Go 2, as will the Surface Pen. The hinge for the built-in kickstand has been redesigned and the antenna cover is also a bit different, but overall the Go 2 has the same stellar design. Under the stand is still a microSD card reader you can use to expand storage.

The rear- and front-facing cameras on both devices are the same, with the rear set at 8MP (1080p) and the front at 5MP (1080p). However, for better audio quality on calls, there are two far-field Studio microphones on the Go 2. Both laptops also offer a front-facing IR camera for facial recognition through Windows Hello. Along the top edge of both devices is a power button and volume rocker for quick control when in tablet mode.

The Surface Go 2 has been stepped up to Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity compared to Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.1 in the original Go. You're going to see much faster wireless speeds in the newer version. Both can be had with optional LTE connectivity, and both are compatible with physical SIM. However, only the Go 2 adds the option for eSIM.

Display and inking

One of the major attractions to the refreshed Go 2 is a larger 10.5-inch display with a slimmer bezel. It holds onto the 3:2 aspect ratio for a boxy look that's slowly becoming more common. The original Go's 10-inch display has an 1800x1200 resolution, while the Go 2 has a 1920x1280 resolution with slightly higher 220 pixels-per-inch (PPI). The Go 2 looks more modern thanks to the rework, delivering more screen real estate for times when productivity is paramount.

Both displays feature 10-point multi-touch functionality and compatibility with a Surface Pen, delivering 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt support for a natural inking experience. If you'd like a device that can handle note-taking and sketching, either of these excels.

Performance and price

There are several performance hardware changes with the Go 2 that will no doubt make it far more attractive than the original Go, at least for those who consider themselves more on the side of Power than Casual user.

The Go 2 has a slightly larger battery that is expected to add some life over what the Go was capable of offering (between seven and eight hours). The Go 2 also offers better Instant On so that you can get to work faster. With the Type Cover attached, all it takes is the keyboard to pull away from the screen to have the device turn on.

One downside of the original Surface Go is its relatively underpowered Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y processor (CPU). It has the performance to handle light productivity work and even some light gaming, but don't expect it to match up with modern Intel Core CPUs.

The Surface Go 2 has a similar Pentium Gold 4425Y CPU option that is close to the same performance as its predecessor. Still, it also has an 8th Gen Intel Core m3-8100Y option that significantly boosts performance. It has a lower base clock speed than the Pentium 4425Y, but the Core m3 has a boost up to 3.4GHz, whereas the Pentium is fixed at 1.7GHz. The updated Intel UHD Graphics 615 in the Go 2 is also tweaked by 50MHz for a nice little boost. We ran some benchmarks to see exactly how it stacks up to the Pentium CPU in the original Surface Go.

Geekbench 5

Geekbench 5.0 (CPU) (Higher is better)

Geekbench 4

Geekbench 4.0 (CPU) (Higher is better)

GPU

Geekbench 4.0 OpenCL (higher is better)

3DMark

PCMark 10 (higher is better)

SSD

CrystalDiskMark (Higher is better)

Write speeds are faster in the Go 2, but otherwise not much has changed. eMMC storage in the Go 2 should be far slower than the SSD alternative. You can, however, add up to a 256GB SSD option in the Go 2 Business version.

Elect the Go 2 for a larger display, better performance

The Surface Go 2's larger display, Core m3 CPU option, Wi-Fi 6, slightly larger battery, and myriad other improvements no doubt make it an attractive option, especially with it priced to closely to the original Go.

Look out for great deals on the original Surface Go

The original Surface Go doesn't measure up to the Go 2 in a lot of ways, but if you can find a model bundled with accessories and on sale, it might just be worth picking up. It's still a great little PC you can take anywhere, just with fewer features.