Everything We Know About The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Microsoft has been reportedly working on a successor to the Surface Laptop Go for a long time now. The last time we heard about this product — likely to be called the Surface Laptop Go 2 — was in April 2022, when the folks at Windows Central hinted at a possible launch within the first half of the year.
That report from April outlined that the second-generation Surface Laptop Go could feature several improvements over its predecessor. These potential upgrades include the option of much faster processors (based on Intel's 11th-gen Core series) and the addition of SSD storage even on the base variants of the machine. We were also told about the possibility of the new device being made available in a new Sage color option.
Since this last report from April 2022, we did not hear anything about the Surface Laptop Go 2 in the form of leaks or an official announcement from Microsoft. That all changed today when The Verge spotted an apparent accidental listing (now deleted) for the product on South Korean social media platform Naver.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2: What we latest listings indicate
Initial indications are that the Surface Laptop Go 2 will feature marginal upgrades over its predecessor. While we already knew about the possibility of the 2022 edition of these machines getting Intel's 11th-gen Core processors, the leaked listing revealed the actual processor that one of the SKUs will get. In this instance, the chip in question was an Intel 11th-gen Core i5-1135G7. The listing also indicated that the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 would run Windows 11 at launch.
These upgrades aside, the listing also hints that the new machine may boast an upgraded web camera. While the previous generation Surface Laptop Go featured a 720p webcam, it is still unclear if the term "improved HD camera performance" spotted on the features list indicates that the product will feature a higher resolution camera.
The most important part about the listing was that it suggested preorders for the product would open as early as June 2, 2022 — which is less than two days away. This also means that an official announcement for the product could happen very soon.
What about the rest of the specs?
Aside from those key upgrades, Microsoft seems unlikely to make significant changes to the Surface Laptop Go with the jump between iterations. As The Verge notes, that means we'll probably see a display similar to the 12.4-inch, 3:2 screen on the original.
Higher-priced variants of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 may possibly feature a fingerprint scanner integrated with the power button, as seen with the existing lineup. One feature that everyone hoped for — but Microsoft may not add this year — is the option of a backlit keyboard. If you were hoping for more I/O options, you may not want to hold your breath, as this new leak suggests that Microsoft is sticking with the same array of ports found on the first Surface Laptop Go.
Previous reports talked about the likelihood of Microsoft bumping up the storage capacity on the base variant from 64GB to 128GB. It'll also be interesting to see whether Microsoft drops eMMC storage option this time around in favor of an all-SSD lineup. As for the pricing, the base version of the first-generation Microsoft Surface Laptop Go started at $549. While there was talk about Microsoft keeping the entry pricing for the newer model the same, more recent reports indicate that the pricing of the base variant could go up by $100 to around $650.