The Microsoft Surface Go 4 is among the devices expected at Microsoft's September event this week, but the big question is whether it can turn things around for Microsoft's most affordable 2-in-1.
To say that we were disappointed in the Microsoft Surface Go 3 is an understatement, we awarded it 2.5 out of 5 stars with the weak battery life and performance compounded by the relatively expensive price point when you add in the keyboard and stylus.
The display, build quality, and speakers were all quite good, but as a total package, it isn't a laptop that we recommended to anyone.
Hopefully the Microsoft Go 4 corrects some of those missteps, but here's everything we know so far.
Microsoft Surface Go 4: release date and price
Let's start with an easy one, the Go 4 should debut at the September 21 Surface event and ship in early October, so it's almost here.
The starting price for the Surface Go 4 may increase from $399 to $499, but it's not a pure price hike, according to Zac Bowden from our sister site Windows Central Microsoft is cutting the lowest tier model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. That weak entry model was among our complaints regarding the Go 3, so we're ok with this move.
Microsoft Surface Go 4: specs and design
The base model for the Surface Go 4 should start with an Intel N200 chip, not a powerhouse, but vastly superior to the Intel Core i3-10100Y powering the Go 3.
Again according to Bowden's sources the Go 4 will only be available with 8GB of RAM and the UFS storage should come in either 128GB or 256GB.
Everything else is rumored to the remain the same. That includes the 10.5-inch IPS FHD (1920 x 1280) display, the dimensions at 9.65 x 6.9 x 0.33 inches, the weight at 1.2 pounds, and even the ports (USB-C, microSDXC card reader, Surface Connect, and 3.5mm headphone/mic). The display and design were among the highlights of the Go 3, so again no complaints with these features remaining the same.
While it isn't expected to impact the look of the device, the Go 4 is rumored to be more easily repairable than its predecessor with a replaceable battery, display, kickstand, and motherboard.
Outlook
Overall we aren't expecting an abundance of changes for the Surface Go 4, which may seem like it doesn't bode well for the laptop after we gave its predecessor such a low score, but Microsoft may be addressing the right problems.
If the new 13th Gen Intel chipset gives the Surface Go 4 the performance and power efficiency boost it needs, that might be enough to single-handedly push the laptop back into our good graces. A mini Surface Pro Lite could absolutely be a great fit for some people, so our hope is that's precisely what Microsoft has managed with the Go 4.
Now if we could just convince Microsoft to include the keyboard cover with all the Surface devices we'd be able to check another complaint off our list.
Regardless, with just days left before the unveiling, we'll know everything about the Microsoft Surface Go 4 soon enough.
