We think Microsoft can chalk this up as another successful downsizing: although the Surface Laptop Go’s cutbacks are more frequently felt than on the Surface Go 2, it’s still clearly a laptop that’s been crafted with care.

High build quality Great inputs Extremely portable

Lowered screen resolution Slow write speeds Not actually that cheap

The Surface Laptop Go is an imbalanced machine. On one hand, it's one of the best $550 USD laptops you can find because its 10th gen Core i5 CPU, 3:2 touchscreen, and metal design are better than anything else at this price range.

faster display response times than Surface Laptop 3; USB-C charging and DisplayPort support; quiet fan during low-medium loads; >95 percent sRGB coverage; affordable starting price; well-calibrated display; crisp 3:2 touchscreen; small and lightweight; metal chassis

low-end SKUs are stuck with 4 GB of RAM; below average Turbo Boost sustainability; serviceability could be more user-friendly; no Thunderbolt 3; HDMI; or SD reader; higher-end SKUs are overpriced; slow NVMe SSD write rates; slow graphics performance; hinges could be more rigid; Wi-Fi 6 connectivity...

The ultra-portable Surface PC

The Surface Laptop Go joined me in the woods last week. It lived in my backpack for a few days and came along for a 20-mile hike through footpaths and across bridges of questionable integrity. It is, without a doubt, light.

Although it's missing some nifty features from the pricier Surface Laptop 3, the Surface Laptop Go is what many people are looking for right now: a well-designed, lightweight laptop with adequate performance that won't break the bank.

Inexpensive; Light weight; Comfortable keyboard and touch pad; Multiple color options; Attractive styling and excellent build quality; USB Type-A port

Less-than-1080p display; No face recognition camera or keyboard backlighting; Internal storage tops out at 256GB; Middling audio quality

The Surface Laptop Go is Microsoft's most accessible Surface yet, a very good budget laptop that can compete against other midrange models.

Competitive price; New fingerprint reader works as well as a camera

Average performance; USB-C hub may be needed for I/O expansion

“Surface Laptop Go is an affordable way to stay productive and enjoy premium Surface design without breaking the bank”

Thin and light; Comfortable keyboard and trackpad; Good port selection; Good performance

No backlit keyboard; Display's pixel density is low; No Surface Pen support

Solidly built and great looking; with a fast enough processor.

The display's resolution is wonky; and boy does it get hot.

The Surface Laptop Go looks like a Surface, but it doesn't impress like some of its bigger brothers. I love the Surface Laptop Go as the sleek mid-range laptop that it almost is. You can get its great keyboard, elegant chassis and decent performance at a respectable price — if you choose the $699...

Elegant aluminum lid and deck, Thin bezels and 3:2 display, Wonderful typing experience, Both USB-C and USB-A ports

Highly disappointing battery life, Display could be brighter, Gets a little warm

Design of the Surface Laptop Go Microsoft Surface Laptop Go Specifications Productivity Performance Display on the Surface Laptop Go Keyboard and Touchpad on the Surface Laptop Go Audio on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go Upgradeability of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go Battery Life on the Microsoft...

Attractive, mostly aluminum design, Small and lightweight, Comfortable keyboard, Little bloatware

Sub-1080p resolution, Middling battery life, No fingerprint reader on base model, Very poor specs on base models