What the author actually argues
The piece is a first-person retrospective, not a test. Kanellakos has liked compact tablets since the original Surface Go arrived in 2018. He bought the second-generation model in 2020 and gives three reasons for sticking with it:
- Size: He calls the 10.5-inch screen big enough for entertainment and light productivity, and small enough to carry everywhere. He often uses it without the keyboard cover and docks it to an external monitor when he needs more room.
- Ports: He admits there is no HDMI, USB-A or full-size SD slot. He still likes the mix of USB-C, Surface Connect, a headphone jack and a microSD reader. He notes that newer Surface Pro models have dropped some of these.
- Software: The tablet shipped with Windows 10 in S mode and now runs full Windows 11. He expects Microsoft's "K2" performance effort to help the 8GB model soon.
He also says the 12-inch Surface Pro, the nearest current equivalent, feels like a downgrade because it is bigger and heavier. He wishes for a modern ARM-based Surface Go or a Go-sized Surface Pro. All of this is opinion, and it is clearly labeled as such. It is not comparative testing.
What Microsoft's specs confirm
Microsoft's own specification page backs up the hardware description.
- The display is a 10.5-inch PixelSense panel at 1920 × 1280 and 220 PPI, in a 3:2 aspect ratio, with 10-point multitouch and Gorilla Glass 3.
- The chassis measures 245 × 175 × 8.3 mm. The Wi-Fi model weighs 544 grams.
- Memory is 4GB or 8GB. The processor is either an Intel Pentium Gold 4425Y or an 8th-gen Core m3.
- Storage is a 64GB eMMC drive or a 128GB SSD.
- The listed connections are one USB-C port, one Surface Connect port, a 3.5mm jack, the Type Cover port and a microSDXC reader (UHS-I).
- LTE Advanced is only available on selected configurations.
Those are the options Microsoft sold. Your own unit may differ, and so may the author's. His port claims hold up, but they are a matter of taste. One USB-C port is still one USB-C port.
The Windows 11 claim checks out, with caveats
Microsoft's Surface upgrade page lists the Surface Go 2 among the models eligible for Windows 11. It tells owners to run PC Health Check for any remaining requirements, such as Secure Boot. The original Surface Go is on the ineligible list.
Consumer units originally shipped with Windows 10 Home in S mode, which only runs Microsoft Store apps. Microsoft says leaving S mode is free but one-way. The author doesn't say how his tablet moved to full Windows 11. Anyone copying his setup should know that switching out of S mode can't be undone.
The support detail the original piece leaves out
Windows support and hardware servicing are separate things, and for this tablet they have diverged.
Windows 10 is over for free updates. Microsoft says that since October 14, 2025 it no longer provides free Windows Update fixes, technical help or security patches for Windows 10. A consumer Extended Security Updates program can cover a Windows 10 device for up to a year after that date. A Go 2 still on Windows 10 is therefore running on borrowed time. Moving to Windows 11 is the supported path.
Driver and firmware servicing has ended. Microsoft's lifecycle table lists the Surface Go 2 as a legacy product. It was released May 6, 2020, and its end-of-servicing date for firmware and drivers was December 30, 2024. The Surface Go 2 update history page says the same thing: the device will no longer receive new updates.
Early lifecycle coverage from Thurrott and others gave a May 6, 2024 date, which matched the original four-year policy for devices released before 2021. The final date, December 30, 2024, is later than that earlier figure.
Windows itself keeps updating. Microsoft says that once a device's servicing period ends, devices continue to receive Windows OS feature and security updates per the Windows Lifecycle Policy. The catch is that Windows 11 patches don't include new Surface UEFI or firmware updates. Some security researchers point out that firmware flaws sit below what the operating system can defend. That is general industry reasoning, not a Go 2-specific vulnerability. Microsoft has not announced any open firmware hole on this tablet.
Reading the "K2" optimism
Kanellakos expects Microsoft's K2 effort to make the 8GB Go 2 "perform better than ever." That is a forecast. Nothing in the evidence shows a measurable gain on this tablet. A Pentium Gold or Core m3 chip with 4GB or 8GB of RAM has limited headroom. Windows 11 trimming could help, but treat it as hope, not a promised outcome.
Practical takeaways for Go 2 owners
- Confirm your Windows version. Check Settings and make sure you are on Windows 11, not Windows 10.
- Check your edition. If the tablet is still in S mode, remember that leaving it is permanent. Staying in S mode means Microsoft Store apps only.
- Keep Windows Update running. It is now the only Microsoft servicing channel left for this tablet. Driver and firmware servicing ended in December 2024.
- Be realistic about workloads. Microsoft's own marketing framed the tablet around everyday tasks: browsing, email, streaming and homework.
- Check your battery. Microsoft's "up to 10 hours" figure came from February 2020 testing on preproduction units. It says little about a six-year-old battery.
The verdict
The author's love for the Go 2 is sincere, and its design strengths are real: the size, the port mix and the Windows 11 eligibility. It also shows how Surface lifecycles work. The OS can stay current while the hardware servicing quietly ends. For casual use, that trade-off is fine. For anything sensitive, treat the Go 2 as a well-loved device whose firmware stopped updating at the end of 2024.