Microsoft Surface Go

Last updated date: March 11, 2019

Review Melt Score

8.1

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We looked at the top 1 Microsoft Surface Tablets and dug through the reviews from 14 of the most popular review sites including Tech Radar, Digital Trends, Trusted Reviews, The Guardian, Laptop Magazine, T3, CNET, PC Magazine, Tom's Hardware, Pocket-lint, Tech Spot, Anand Tech, Creative Bloq, The Inquirer and more. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Microsoft Surface Tablet you should buy.

Overall Take

In our analysis of 98 expert reviews, the Microsoft Microsoft Surface Go placed 5th when we looked at the top 8 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.

Editor's Note March 17, 2019:
Checkout The Best Microsoft Surface Tablet for a detailed review of all the top microsoft surface tablets.

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Expert Summarized Score

7.9

14 expert reviews

User Summarized Score

9.0

848 user reviews

Our Favorite Video Reviews

What experts liked

Microsoft’s display game continues to be top notch on the Surface Go.

- Tech Radar

| Full review

The Surface Go has a wonderful display. It’s not as high-resolution as the iPad, but on a 10-inch screen, its 1,800 x 1,200 resolution is a high enough pixel density to keep text sharp. The Surface Go was bright, maxing out at 420 nits in our tests.

- Digital Trends

| Full review

One of the biggest boons of the Surface Go is that it runs on Windows 10 in S Mode. This means users are allowed more freedom than they’d have with Android and iOS tablets. Not only do you have access to all of your favourite apps, but you can also download and install various programmes that would be blocked by an iPad.

- Trusted Reviews

January 21, 2019 | Full review

Within 10 minutes I was touch typing at full speed, with a satisfying amount of key travel and the option to have the keyboard either flat on the desk or propped up at an angle. It’s one of the best typing experiences I’ve used on any compact laptop, let alone a tablet.

- The Guardian

| Full review

The optional keyboard for the Surface Pro is surprisingly comfy, and I like that it's backlit.

- Laptop Magazine

August 3, 2018 | Full review

We are in love with the stand Microsoft has put on the back on the Surface Go. It’s useful to have there in any case, but it’s especially well-executed. It folds open almost 180 degrees, which means you can lay the tablet almost flat (a good angle for drawing or typing on-screen), but the flexibility also makes it good for laps and trains, both of which tend to need awkward angles very different to what you might need on a desk.

- T3

November 14, 2018 | Full review

The Surface Go delivers Microsoft's great Surface design and accessories at a lower price and in a smaller size.

- CNET

| Full review

At the preview event I went to before we received a review unit, Microsoft showed me some examples of educational applications that may be employed in the classroom. These ranged from Mandarin-teaching tools (students would trace the characters with the Surface Pen) to apps with detailed 3D models of the human head. I can see scenarios where these would be useful for a classroom of students—or just for an individual child

- PC Magazine

| Full review

The design is SO. CUTE. The Surface GO takes all of the minimalist trappings of the Surface Pro before it, with a gray magnesium design.

- Tom's Hardware

August 6, 2018 | Full review

The back of the Surface Go is attractive in that familiar Surface way with its integrated kickstand.

- Pocket-lint

September 22, 2018 | Full review

Best-in-class typing experience for the size.

- Tech Spot

| Full review

The Surface Go also offers USB Type-C, which is a huge advantage for the Surface Go compared to the Surface Pro, since you can use any Type-C charger while on the road with the Surface Go.

- Anand Tech

January 17, 2019 | Full review

But on the bright side, it charges quickly, and you get a full battery in around two hours, which trounces the 4 hours that it takes to charge a 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

- Creative Bloq

December 17, 2018 | Full review

Well built hardware, gorgeous display, flexible hybrid use.

- The Inquirer

October 5, 2018 | Full review

What experts didn't like

Annoyingly, Microsoft continues to sell the tablet’s all-but-essential accessories separately.

- Tech Radar

| Full review

Performance was one of the biggest issues with the original line of Surface tablets. Microsoft promised these products would work like any other laptop, yet they were hampered by the weak components and a limited operating system. The Surface Go was supposed to fix that problem by running with an Intel chip based on the Core architecture that would prove capable as a productivity machine. Unfortunately, that’s not how it feels.

- Digital Trends

| Full review

It's pricey considering Type Cover isn’t bundled in.

- Trusted Reviews

January 21, 2019 | Full review

The biggest issue is Edge, which still isn’t capable of fully replacing Google Chrome or Firefox. It stutters, hangs and crashes frequently, and not being able to change the default search engine is deeply irritating – Bing just isn’t good enough to replace Google.

- The Guardian

| Full review

The biggest weakness of the Surface Go hands-down is the battery life.

- Laptop Magazine

August 3, 2018 | Full review

Windows’ performance here in general is a bit up and down. Apps feel slow to launch compared to the slickness of other tablets, though most are totally smooth to use once they’re open.

- T3

November 14, 2018 | Full review

The Pentium processor isn't suited for all tasks. A keyboard cover is a must-have add-on but still sold separately. And you'll probably want to pay extra for more storage and RAM, too.

- CNET

| Full review

The keyboard is cramped and costs extra.

- PC Magazine

| Full review

Unfortunately, the Surface Go’s battery life doesn’t stack up to its competitors. It lasted 6 hours and 21 minutes on our battery test, which continuously browses the web, runs OpenGL tests and streams videos at 150 nits of brightness.

- Tom's Hardware

August 6, 2018 | Full review

Unfortunately, battery life isn't great and once you've added the accessories it's not cheap.

- Pocket-lint

September 22, 2018 | Full review

Some lag outputting to external display.

- Tech Spot

| Full review

If there’s a chink in the Surface Go’s armour, it’s the battery-life. Despite an advertised nine hours of juice, we struggled to stretch it past seven, and this was with relatively lightweight tasks such as web-browsing and word processing. So that sucks.

- Creative Bloq

December 17, 2018 | Full review

The USB-C port lacks Thunderbolt 3.

- The Inquirer

October 5, 2018 | Full review

From The Manufacturer

New 10” Surface Go is perfect for all your daily tasks, giving you laptop performance with tablet portability, a stunning touchscreen, and the Windows and Office experience you know. From email, browsing, and home projects to unwinding with a favorite TV show, Surface Lingo is by your side wherever you are — with up to 9 hours1 of battery life, built-in HD cameras, hassle-free connectivity, and all the ports you need, including multi-tasking USB-C.