Since we announced Surface Go last month, we’ve seen great interest and excitement for this new product. Many of you have shared your appreciation for a sleek, beautiful, go-anywhere device that gives you so much portability, versatility and productivity for $399. We’re thrilled to make Surface Go available for purchase today in the U.S. and Canada, and in additional markets later this month.
Surface Go marks an important inflection point in our Surface journey. From the first tablet that could replace your laptop that pioneered the 2:1 category, to laptops that rival desktops, desktops that transform your desk into a Studio, and Surface Hub, which can make any space a collaborative space, Surface has always been about empowering you to be more productive and creative.
And yet, a lot has changed since we shipped our first Surface – not only in how technology and device categories have advanced, but in how work and life have blended. We all have the same 24 hours, but the way we move through the day is different. There is less structure or expectation of the types of tasks and activities we accomplish throughout our day. We may fit in a workout or personal errand in the middle of the work day, and we are just as likely to be productive in a coffee shop, on an airplane, in an office, or from our couch at the end of our day.
Surface devices are great for work and are proven to save you more time vs using an Apple device. According to a study we commissioned from Prowess, people using Surface devices consistently perform tasks faster, more easily, and in fewer steps than those using Apple devices. When a 200-employee company uses Surface Pro instead of iPad Pro for teaming, they save more than 72 workdays per year. In a separate study, Forrester Consulting noted that when highly mobile workers use Microsoft 365 and a Surface Pro LTE device, they see 9 hours a week in productivity gains.
At Microsoft, as we consider the future of modern work and life, we envision a redefinition of personal productivity as something to encompass not just our job and daily tasks, but the steps we take to pursue our passions and our purpose. We’re thinking a lot about the role of technology in this new era of productivity and about our opportunity – and responsibility – to design products that empower us, not overwhelm us. We recently conducted some research that looks at our increasingly complex relationship with technology and the devices we carry every day. We found some interesting things:
People are conflicted about how devices fit into our daily lives. Nearly 80 percent of people in our research agree that technology empowers them to do more with their life, and 77 percent say their device enables them to be where they want to be, when they want to be there. This flexibility has been key in the workplace, where 75 percent say devices add flexibility in how they manage their job. This balance comes with a cost though. Almost 60 percent of respondents say their devices make them feel like they always need to be “on,” and 53 percent suggest their device forces them to split their attention. We can help by building features like Do Not Disturb in Outlook, which helps you protect your personal time and Focus Assist in Windows, to help you focus on what matters most.
People are increasingly frustrated by the limitations of their tablets. While there is no denying the appeal of the lightweight portability of the tablet form factor, people also reported higher feelings of frustration associated with an inability to be productive, as compared to laptops and smartphones. When choosing between their laptop, smartphone or tablet, tablets are reported to provide the least positive impact on people spending time on what they care about, and 65 percent of people would give up their tablet before other devices.
The laptop is still the go-to device associated with productivity. More than half of people associate productivity with laptops – and not just for work or school, but to pursue passions and hobbies. In fact, 74 percent of people claim that their laptop makes their life better overall and report that just having a laptop with you on vacation can give you peace of mind, with 64 percent of people saying they’re at ease when traveling with one.
This data reinforces the trend we have been seeing in the marketplace of 2:1 devices growing, while tablets continue to decline*. It speaks to what we have been hearing loud and clear from you – you want your devices to enable you to feel empowered and productive throughout your increasingly complex and blended life. At only 1.15 pounds, Surface Go gives you the versatility and portability of a tablet, the performance of a laptop and the option of smartphone-like LTE connectivity**, all in a single, compact device. Surface Go empowers you to stay connected, pursue your passions and tackle your side projects without weighing you down or compromising on quality.
Surface Go is available at Microsoft Stores, Best Buy and other local retailers as well as our reseller partner network.
*Based on data from IDC
**LTE model later this year
