Jacob Roach / DigitalTrends
This story is part of our complete Microsoft Events coverage
At today’s Surface event, Microsoft announced the third generation of its budget-priced Surface Laptop Go, the premium Surface Laptop Studio 2, and the Surface Go 4. Sporting a Microsoft pedigree, the Surface Laptop Go 3 is worth considering if you’re looking for a nice-looking touchscreen notebook.
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Microsoft upgraded several components in this year’s offering to make the Surface Laptop Go 3 more competitive. Microsoft upgraded the processor to a 12th Gen Core i5-1235U, which delivers 88% faster performance, a massive upgrade. Memory and storage capacity is larger than ever for a Surface Laptop Go, with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. At the same time battery life increased from 13 to 15 hours, so you can go all day with this laptop.
Ports include one USB-C and one USB-A, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and a Surface Connect port. The Surface Laptop Go 3 has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity.
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The Surface Laptop Go 3 continues to provide several style choices. Microsoft offers its lightest Surface in four colors: platinum, ice blue, sage, and sandstone. The Surface Laptop Go 3 starts at $799, a significant increase over last year’s $600 Surface Laptop Go 2.
The 12.4″ touchscreen display is protected with Gorilla Glass 3 and reaches 320 nits of brightness, which is good for indoor use.
Upgrades are available but add to the cost. Fully loaded, it’s the Surface Laptop Go 3 will offer 16GB and a 512GB SSD, doubling memory and storage of the entry-level model. Make sure to check out our roundup of Surface Laptop Go 3 specs for a full rundown of the device.
Microsoft is touting AI in everything right now and showed several demonstrations of that in the Surface Laptop Go 3. In addition, the company demoed its new Surface Laptop Studio 2.
Despite the higher price, Microsoft builds reliable hardware and offers some unique features, such as the tall 3:2 aspect ratio that works well for a touchscreen laptop. Secure Windows Hello sign-in makes authentication quick and easy. The Surface Laptop Go 3 is also light, weighing less than 2.5 pounds.
To learn more or preorder, visit Microsoft’s Surface store.