New Surface Laptop Go 2 Is (sort of) Faster and Better Than Before

Microsoft is expanding its compact laptop offerings with the new Surface Laptop Go 2 which slightly improves upon the original.

Surface laptops are Microsoft's answer to Apple's MacBook Air; a lightweight laptop that you can take anywhere with you while still providing pretty decent performance. The Surface Laptop weighs 2.48 pounds with a 12.4-inch touchscreen display and houses an 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor. Gamers in particular will enjoy the device's Intel Iris Xe graphics card.

And to try out that Iris graphics card, the Surface Laptop Go 2 comes with the Xbox app preloaded and a one-month trial of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Apart from the changes made to the processor and graphics card, the Surface Laptop Go 2 is essentially the same as its predecessor. Any other changes are minor in comparison.

The two devices have the same dimensions and memory options (either 4GB LPDDR4x RAM or 8GB). They both sport an ambient light sensor which will automatically dim the display to match the environment around it. The Surface Laptop 2 also has a 720p HD front-facing camera with two far-field microphones to pick up sound from a distance.

Two minor changes involve the battery and wireless connectivity. The Surface Laptop 2's battery life can last up to 13.5 hours instead of 13 hours and it now supports Bluetooth Wireless 5.1.

The Surface Laptop 2 comes in four colors: Sage green, Ice Blue, Sandstone, and Platinum. The computer is currently available for pre-order on Microsoft's website and at Best Buy with a starting price of $599. It launches on June 7.