The Surface Laptop 2 is official, but is it more than just a new black colour? We find out as we compare it to the original.
Microsoft has announced a new version of its popular Ultrabook, but how does the Surface Laptop 2 compare to the first generation and what are the new features? We’ll answer those questions in this comparison.
It’s more than just a new black colour, just.
When the first Surface Laptop launched, it cost £979 and $999 in the US. The top spec models pushed the price to £2,699/$2,699.
Now the Surface Laptop 2 is here and it also starts at £979/$999 once again. It goes up to £2,079/$2,699 with a large difference there as the 1TB model is only available in the US as it stands.
The new model is available to order from Microsoft and Amazon with shipping on 16 October. The original is no longer on sale from Microsoft.
There’s little to say in this section as Microsoft hasn’t tried to reinvent the stylish and sleek design of the Surface Laptop .
Really, the main thing to note is that the Surface Laptop 2 comes in a new matt black colour option – and it looks stunning.
Otherwise, you get the same Alcantara material cover around the keyboard and the aluminium case. The laptop still weighs 1.25kg and tapers to around 14.5mm.
This refresh is a bit like Apple’s ‘S’ devices, where the design remains the same but the core specs get various upgrades.
So, the Surface Laptop 2 brings the benefit of an 8th-generation Intel Core processor – i5 or i7 once again. Microsoft says it’s an ‘astounding 85 percent faster than the original’ which had a 7th-gen Kaby Lake chip.
With the new chip also comes new graphics, so you get UHD Graphics 620 regardless of whether you opt for the i5 or i7.
This time around the device comes with at least 8GB of RAM and the option to double that to 16GB, when the original started at just 4GB. When it comes to storage, things are the same with 128-, 256,512GB and 1TB options. The largest is only available in the US at the time of writing.
Other specs remain the same including all the ports and the 13.5in PixelSense screen which supports the Surface Pen (optional extra). Microsoft has also kept the same claim for battery life 14.5 hours.
Check out the table below for a keyspecs comparison:
