At long last, Microsoft looks set to update one of the few truly budget-friendly Windows laptops worth considering over a Chromebook.
I’m referring to the Surface Laptop Go, which should receive a sequel in the coming months, according to Windows Central’s Zac Bowden, who has a squeaky clean record when it comes to revealing details about Microsoft products before their official launch. Bowden says the Surface Laptop Go 2 will debut this spring, likely in June, with updated specs and a familiar design.
Don’t hold your breath for major changes; the Surface Laptop Go 2 is shaping up to be an iterative update, not the overhaul you might have expected after a 1.5-year gap between releases. In any case, the Laptop Go 2 will reportedly start at the same $549 entry price with higher configs matching the current model at $699 and $899. It should be said, however, that you can currently purchase the Surface Laptop Go for as low as $399.
The big upgrade to this sophomore effort is the faster performance it gets by way of 11th Gen Intel chips which will replace the current 10th Gen components. If this is accurate, the Surface Laptop Go 2 will still be a generation behind the latest laptops, given that Intel is already shipping 12th Gen processors.
According to Windows Central, everything from the current Laptop Go will be carried over to the upcoming model, including the ports, chassis design, materials, and 12.4-inch display. It will likely be offered with 4Gb or 8GB of RAM, 128GB or 256GB of faster SSD storage, and a fingerprint sensor. We hope the new chip improves cooling because the previous model got toasty, though if there is one must-have update on our list, it’s a backlit keyboard, which is inexplicably missing from the current model.
That said, the thing I’m most looking forward to seeing in person is the rumored Sage color. I’m big on the current finishes Microsoft offers and imagine a green chassis would help the system stand out from just about anything else on the market.
The Surface Laptop Go isn’t the company’s cheapest laptop—that would be the Surface Laptop SE, a $249 device for the K-12 market. Regardless, the Laptop Go is one of the best budget PCs around and a genuine competitor to mid-range Chromebooks. If you’re in the market for a more premium option, Microsoft is expected to release the Surface Laptop 5 later this year, though Bowden warns the chip shortage could push its launch back from spring to fall.