Surface Pro X Gen 2 & Surface Laptop go reaction

 

It's Techtober and the news just keeps on rolling, on October 1st Microsoft had a press release detailing the new Surface Pro X Gen 2 & Surface Laptop go devices. I'll do a deep dive on a later date but for now I'll simply cover the surface (get it?!) of the content. 

 

  

Let's start with Pro X Gen 2 (for simpler purposes I'll refer to it as Pro X 2) the design hasn't changed much since the original Pro X from 2019, the real changes are on the inside of the device. The new Qualcomm 8cx Gen 2 has been refashioned and enhanced in the new SQ2 processor from Microsoft. The SQ2 promises greater performance along with the Adreno 690 GPU. It still boasts the same 13-inch screen along with new spec skews (specs from Windows Central): 

Operating System	Windows 10 Home on ARM (Consumer) Microsoft 365 Family 30-day trial
Display	13-inch PixelSense 3:2 aspect ratio 2880x1920 (267 PPI)
Processor	Microsoft SQ1 Microsoft SQ2
GPU	Adreno 685 Adreno 690
Memory	8GB or 16GB LPDDR4x
Storage	128GB, 256GB, or 512GB SSD (removable)
Rear Camera	10MP autofocus (1080p and 4K video)
Front Camera	5MP (1080p)
Security	Windows Hello face authentication camera
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 5 802.11ac Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 LTE Bluetooth 5.0
Ports	2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 1x nano SIM, 1x Surface Connect, Surface Keyboard connector
Battery	Up to 15 hours typical use
Dimensions	11.3 x 8.2 x 0.28 inches (287mm x 208mm x 7.3mm)
Weight	1.7 lbs (774g)
Colors	Matte black Platinum
Availability	Oct 13th and beyond
Pricing	Starts at $999 ($1,499 for SQ2)

The new skews allow the Surface Pro X to reach the 1,000$ price point albeit with an SQ1 instead of an SQ2. The Pro X keeps the dual USB-C ports found on Gen 1 and the removable SSD, that removable SSD is appreciated especially with the price as high as it is. The news skews also include a platinum color alongside the existing black color, the platinum really does suit the Pro X and its premium design, and I'm pumped to see new colors coming back from the Pro 7. The Pro X also supports new Alcantara and regular type covers in a host of new colors including "poppy red" and some of the other colors taken from the Surface Pro line.  

 

Overall Windows on ARM is really heating up with new processors that can stand up to their intel and AMD counterparts, the biggest problem for WoA computers is app support. Previously only apps optimized for ARM and 32-bit Windows apps in emulation were able to run, but Microsoft has announced 64-bit emulation support meaning that the most recent WoA computers can now run almost every Windows app in existence, I'll do another article about that later. For now, the Surface Pro X 2 is far too expensive to be of any consumer value, but the Pro X 2 isn't about consumers. It's about laying the groundwork for the next generation of WoA laptops, and for that the Pro X 2 is a huge leap forward. 

source: Microsoft

Microsoft also announced the new Surface Laptop Go a midrange version of the Surface laptop made with consumers in mind. The Surface Laptop Go comes packing a 10th Gen core i5 along with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. The build quality is a bit more midrange than you might expect from a surface product, the lid is aluminum like the regular Surface Laptop but to save money Microsoft had to use a Polycarbonate base. The build quality should still be better than most other Laptops in this price range it just won't have the same premium materials expected from other Surface products. Like many other products the Laptop Go will come in a Platinum, Ice blue, and Sandstone. 

Operating System	Windows 10 Home in S mode
Display	12.45 inches 3:2 aspect ratio 1536x1024 (148 ppi) resolution PixelSense
Processor	Intel Core i5-1035G1
Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics
Memory	4GB or 8GB LPDDR4x 16GB (commercial only)
Storage	64GB eMMC 128GB or 256GB SSD
Front Camera	720p HD f/2.0
Security	Fingerprint Reader
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.0
Ports	1x USB-C, 1x 1x USB-A 3.5mm headphone jack 1x Surface Connect
Audio	Omnisonic Speakers with Dolby Premium Audio
Battery	Up to 13 hours
Dimensions	10.95 x 8.10 x 0.62 inches 278.18mm x 205.67mm x 15.69mm
Weight	2.45lbs 1,110g
Colors	Platinum Sandstone Ice Blue

Another price cut is the omission of Windows Hello for a fingerprint scanner, I would be on board with this decision if it were not for the scanner only being available in the higher end models. I've used laptops with no form of biometrics and the experience surfers heavily because of it, that scanner needed to be on all models, but it just isn't. The situation with the scanner is another example of how Microsoft starts with a low price but creeps up into premium land far too quickly. They have this same problem with the Surface Go, and I would have thought The Surface team would have learned from its troubles with the Go and apply them to the Laptop Go. Overall, the value for the price is still great especially with most devices in this price range sacrificing build quality for specs.  

It's nice to know that Microsoft gets that not everyone can spend 1,000$ on a new laptop when they need it most and that understanding is what makes Surface a unique a responsive product line. 

Best, BenTechCoder