Surface Go specs, features, and tips

Microsoft Surface Go was:

• Announced and preordered on July 10, 2018.
• Available on August 2, 2018.

There are two configurations of Surface Go for consumers (Windows 10 Home in S-Mode):

• $399 for 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB eMMC
• $549 for 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB SSD

And there are two configurations of Surface Go for business (Windows 10 Pro):

• $449 for 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB eMMC
• $599 for 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB SSD

Yes, there are two cameras on Surface Go:

1. 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p HD video.
2. 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p HD video.

No, Surface Go doesn’t include a Surface Pen out of the box. You will need to purchase separately or use old Surface Pens from previous models. The latest Surface Pen costs about $100 which supports 4,096 levels of pressure and tilts support.

No, you will need to purchase the keyboard (Surface Go Type Cover) separately. It costs about $100 for the black type cover and $130 for burgundy, platinum, and cobalt blue.

It’s totally worth it. At 399$, you can get all the features of Microsoft Surface Pro in a smaller package. It is really difficult to find a 2-in-1 laptop with a premium design and Windows Hello support at this price point on the market right now.

Surface Go has a 10-inch PixelSense™ Display.

Surface Go has a resolution of 1800 x 1200 and a pixel density of 216ppi (pixels per Inch). It’s as crisp and smooth as the PixelSense display you’ll find on the Surface Pro models.

For more information check:

Even though Microsoft Surface Go’s screen is made of Corning Gorilla Glass 3, it is still prone to scratches. You’d better pick one up for your Surface Go to protect it from scratches.

Yes it does, it is much or less noticeable depending on what type and thickness of screen protector you put on it. For the best option, you should look for a slim tempered glass screen protector, as it’s smooth to the touch and reduce responsiveness issue. For more information check:

Yes, Surface Go equipped with 7th Gen Intel® Pentium® Gold Processor 4415Y dual-core clocked at 1.60 GHz combined with Intel® HD Graphics 615, is powerful enough to handle most tasks available on Photoshop. There are many positive reviews on YouTube and here are some of them:

1. Surface Go Artists review Photoshop CC on Youtube
2. Artist Review: Microsoft Surface Go (or No-Go?) on Youtube
3. Microsoft Surface Go Productivity Test – How DOES IT RUN Chrome, Photoshop, & Premiere? 8GB Model on Youtube

Yes, you can play many game titles at low or medium settings. Here is some of the proof available on YouTube:

1. League of Legends (LOL) on the 2018 Surface Go 8gb
2. Grand Theft Auto V Online (GTA 5) on the 2018 Surface Go 8gb
3. Microsoft Surface Go – 64Gb 4Gb – PUBG MOBILE – Game Test.

For writing code, Microsoft Surface Go is powerful enough to handle most code editors such as VS Code, Atom, or Notepad++. Combined with its great tactile keys, it’s the perfect mobile development machine you want to have.

However, if you’re looking to compile more complex codes on Visual Studio or Android Studio, you should stay away from the 64GB eMMC and you might need a more capable device including Surface Pro, Surface Laptop, or Surface Book instead.

Surface Go can run Fortnite at an average framerate of 25 fps with the lowest settings and a scaled resolution of 600 x 400. Take a look at this video on YouTube:

1. Fortnite (Battle Royale) on the 2018 Surface Go 8gb
2. Best Fortnite Settings On The Surface GO

Yes, Microsoft Surface Go uses the 7th Gen Intel® Pentium® Gold Processor 4415Y which supports 64-bit instruction and it does come with a 64-bit version of Windows 10.

Overall, drawing is really smooth on most apps such as Windows Ink, Sketchable, Bamboo Ink, OneNote, and more. It supports the latest Surface Pen with 4,096 levels of pressure and tilt support.

Yes, it is. With Surface Go, you can take advantage of all kinds of note-taking including typing, drawing, and touch. On top of that, you can also record the lecture and take a picture with an 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera. You will never get stuck on taking note of all kinds of information you want.

Yes, Surface Go comes with a Microsoft Office 365 Home 30-day trial. Office apps will run smoothly on Microsoft Surface Go.

Yes, Microsoft Surface Go has a Surface Connect port that supports Surface Dock and works smoothly just like what you can expect on Surface Pro, Surface Laptop, and Surface Book.

Microsoft Surface Go lasts 9 hours of battery life for local video playback tested by Microsoft.

Microsoft Surface Go has a battery capacity of 26.12 Wh (3,411 mAh, 7.66V). For more information check:

You can charge your Surface Go in two ways:

1. Use the OEM charger that comes with your Surface Go – Plug the charger into the power source and plug the Surface Connect connector into the charging port on the right side of Surface Go. It’s a magnet and reversible connector and it’s an official and recommended charging by Microsoft.
2. Use a USB charger – The USB-C port on Surface Go supports Power Delivery 3.0 which allows you to charge the device via a USB charger.

Yes, you can. The USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 port on Microsoft Surface Go does support smart charging along with data transfer and video out capability. It supports USB Power Delivery revision 3.0 which supports 4 different power rules (5v, 9v, 15v, and 20v) with the ability to supply power up to over 45W.

For more information check:

Yes, it does. Surface Go shipped with Windows 10 pre-installed.

Yes, you can. If your Surface Go uses Windows 10 S Mode, you can only download apps from Microsoft Store. You will need to leave the S-Mode in order to run the traditional .exe programs.

Yes, Surface Go comes with full Windows 10. However, there are two versions of Windows 10 that are available on Surface Go:

• Surface Go for consumers: comes with Windows 10 Home in S Mode.
• Surface Go for business: comes with Windows 10 Pro.

Windows 10 in S mode is a specific mode of Windows 10 that offers a familiar, productive Windows experience that’s streamlined for security and performance. By exclusively using apps from the Microsoft Store and browsing safely with Microsoft Edge, Windows 10 in S mode keeps you running fast and more secure day in and day out.

Here is how to turn off the S-Mode on Microsoft Surface Go:

1. On your PC running Windows 10 in S mode, open Settings > Update & Security > Activation.
2. In the Switch to Windows 10 Home or Switch to Windows 10 Pro section, select Go to the Store. (If you also see an “Upgrade your edition of Windows” section, be careful not to click the “Go to the Store” link that appears there.)
3. On the Switch out of S mode (or similar) page that appears in the Microsoft Store, select the Get button. After you see a confirmation message on the page, you’ll be able to install apps from outside of the Microsoft Store.

Turning off S-Mode on Surface Go is a one-way method. You can’t turn it back on unless you do a recovery from a recovery drive.

To reset your Surface Go, plug in your Surface Go so you don’t run out of power during the refresh.

1. Open Settings > Update & Security.
2. Select Recovery.
3. Under “Reset this PC“, select Get started.
4. Choose either Keep my files or Remove everything.
5. If you choose to Remove everything, you can choose to clean only the drive where Windows is installed and all drives.
6. Next, you will have the option to just remove my files and remove files and clean the drive. The option to clean the drive is more secure but takes much longer. For example, if you are recycling your Surface, you should clean the drive. If you are keeping your Surface, you just need to remove your files.
7. Select Reset.
   Surface Go will restart and the Surface logo will appear during the reset process (this can take several minutes).

Yes and no, it depends on which version of Microsoft Office you want to use:

1. Office Mobile is free on Surface Go. Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, and PowerPoint Mobile with “core editing” functions are free on any 10.1-inch or smaller tablet. The display size of Surface Go is exactly 10 inches, so you can download and use Office Mobile apps for free.
2. Microsoft Office 365 Home 30-day trial. Microsoft Surface Go comes with a pre-installed Office 365 Home 30-day trial, so you need to purchase a subscription to continue using the full Office suite during the trial period.

In most cases, you don’t need a third-party antivirus. Surface Go with Windows 10 pre-installed has a Windows Defender for virus and threat protection out of the box. It’s free and receives updates regularly via Windows Update.