Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3: everything we know so far about the budget laptop
Microsoft’s “special event” on September 21 in New York City is rumored to be another hardware-heavy event, with many speculating about the launch of new devices like the Surface Go 4, Surface Laptop Studio 2, and possibly even the Surface Laptop Go 3 .
If the rumors are true, this could prove to be an exciting event, as the Go, Laptop Studio, and Laptop Go lines haven’t seen much movement over the past year.
The Surface Laptop Go in particular hasn’t really gotten the attention it deserves since the release of the Surface Laptop Go 2 in June 2022 – a huge shame, as it’s an exemplary notebook that proves that a budget laptop can have premium features. But June 2023 came and went without a peep from Microsoft, leaving many wondering if the decision was made to end it.
With many still trying to recover from the cost of living crisis, now is the best time for Microsoft to resurrect one of the best budget laptops we’ve ever seen – and reinvent it in a way way that retains all the mannerisms that made him so great in the early years. place. That means we’d like to see this alleged Surface Laptop Go 3 have excellent build quality and a stylish design, but with an improved webcam and an even better, higher-resolution screen so the line can regain its best touchscreen laptop status.
So the question isn’t just whether the Surface Laptop Go 3 will make its well-deserved comeback in 2023. The question is also: will Microsoft reinvent it enough to compete with the best laptop offerings out there?
This is what we think.
Surface Laptop Go 3: Get straight to the point
- What is it? The next Surface Laptop Go episode
- When is it out? Possibly Q3 2023
- What will it cost? Probably a little more than the Laptop Go 2
Surface Laptop Go 3: price and release date
The original Surface Laptop Go, which hit shelves on October 1, 2020, started at a nice and affordable $549 / £549 / AU$999, with an i5, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage, which is certainly good enough was for people who didn’t need a powerful notebook and wanted a budget option. It also capped at $899 / £899 / AU$1,549 for an 8GB and 256GB RAM and storage bubble.
Its successor, the Laptop Go 2, got a small price bump, starting at $600 / £600 / AU$1,199, which was disappointing because, apart from replacing that base eMMC storage for a proper SSD, it didn’t really come with improvements that would justify a price increase.
However, if the Laptop Go 3 does see the light of day, a slightly higher entry price is expected – as long as Microsoft delivers the necessary improvements in terms of display, webcam and specifications. But if the line remains as big as it was, it’s imperative that the price tag stays closer to the ground and maintains its budget laptop status.
As for when we’ll see it rear its stylish head, swirling rumors point to a September 21 launch (during the Microsoft Surface event) and a September or October 2023 release. Clearly, until Microsoft itself confirms it, there’s There is no definitive release date at this time.
Surface Laptop Go 3: design
At the moment there are not many leaks to know what the Surface Laptop Go 3 will look like and what improvements it will bring. Windows Central reports that Microsoft would “introduce some AI capabilities, such as improving microphone quality with Voice Clarity and Voice Focus.” However, at this point we can really only speculate.
Critically praised for its premium build quality and stylish design despite its lower entry price, the Surface Laptop Go line had a lot going for it when it first hit the streets.
However, there’s always the danger that Microsoft does the same thing it always has, which is to leave the lower-end laptops to fend for themselves once they’re out in the world, missing out on obvious improvements even where there are opportunities. to grow. For example, the Laptop Go 2 was cursed for lacking design and updated features, making it almost a disappointment.
So we might not even get the improvements the Surface Laptop Go 3 needs to keep up with the competition.
Since it’s one of the best things about the line, we obviously want it to retain its portable nature. At just 10.95 x 8.12 x 0.62 and a 12.4-inch screen, this is one of the most compact laptops in the world, and we’d like to keep it that way. And hopefully the Sage, Ice Blue, Sandstone and Platinum colorways will remain as well.
But if the Surface Laptop Go 3 were to have a chance, there are a few things that need to change: the 1536 x 1024 touchscreen display and the 720p webcam in particular are in dire need of an update. We want to see a higher resolution screen and a 1080p webcam.
And while the Laptop Go 2’s keyboard was comfortable and satisfying, we’d like to be able to use it comfortably in the dark as well. Backlighting would therefore also be a nice addition to the Surface Laptop Go 3.
Surface Laptop Go 3: specs and performance
According to Windows Central, the Surface Laptop Go 3 will also feature last year’s Intel chips, which is the case. The Laptop Go line, as expected of budget laptops, has always been equipped with previous generation processors, so it’s not surprising to hear that this rumored entry will be powered by a 12th generation Intel Core i5.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing either. Even the 11th generation chips are still capable of getting most people through their daily workflows and casual laptop use. And on the plus side, the 12th generation chips are known for their power efficiency, meaning you can see vastly improved battery life over the Laptop Go 2’s 13.5 hours.
The same article claims that Microsoft is doing away with the 4GB RAM model, as it should be. These days, there’s really no excuse for having a laptop with less than 8GB of memory, unless it’s a budget Chromebook. The Surface Laptop Go 3 is rumored to offer 8GB and 16GB of RAM, as well as storage starting at 256GB SSD, the highest configuration with an i5, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage.
We will update this article as more information, leaks and speculations hit our desks. But for now, this is everything we know so far about the rumored Surface Laptop Go 3.