Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 review: cheaper, faster, better compact notebook

The Surface Laptop Go 2 starts at £529 ($599/A$1,099) and costs £20-£170 less than the first iteration depending on version. The starting model has been upgraded with modern components making it much more tempting, too, although it is still mid-range priced rather than a truly budget laptop.

The good bits of the original have been retained. It has a great, almost full-sized keyboard and a large precise trackpad. The 12.4in LCD touchscreen is on the smaller side but still very usable for work thanks to its taller 3:2 ratio compared with widescreen notebooks.

The Laptop Go 2 ships with an 11th-gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor and 4GB or 8GB of RAM, making it up to 23% faster than previous version, although competitors are already using 12th-generation Intel chips.

As tested with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage the Laptop Go 2 is certainly capable enough for a compact machine, and ran markedly quieter and cooler than previous versions. It is snappy switching between the browser, text editor and messaging apps but is a little sluggish when doing complex edits on large image files.

As with its predecessor, battery life is disappointing. It lasts for only about 6.5 hours of work mainly in browsers, basic text editing and using various chat apps. Taking a video call in the browser hammered the battery, using about 1% a minute. The battery life might be enough for intermittent use as a portable computer but you will probably need to carry a charger around, too, just in case.

Microsoft does not provide an expected lifespan for the battery but it should last in excess of 500 full charge cycles with at least 80% of its original capacity and can be replaced by Microsoft for £203.94. The SSD is removable and several replacement parts and a service guide are available for repair technicians. The out-of-warranty service fee for the Laptop Go 2 from Microsoft is £339.06.

The Laptop Go 2 runs Windows 11, which like other Surface devices is free of trials for anti-virus programs and other unwanted software that can often cause problems, except a pre-installed trial of Microsoft Office.

It runs very well on the machine absent of issues such as failing to sleep or other niggles often present in third-party Windows machines. The more modern styling and interface of Windows 11 suits the compact laptop well, and many of the rougher edges of the software have been smoothed out over the last year of updates.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 starts at £529 ($599/A$1,099) with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, £629 ($699/A$1,199) with 8GB and 128GB or £729 ($799/A$1,299) with 8GB and 256GB.

Few compact laptops are as usable and well made. Despite a few flaws it is worth considering, but note the starting £529 model has a tempting price, but only 4GB of RAM, which is really not enough for more than very light use.