Microsoft Surface Go 4 adds more powerful chip and goes full business

Today, Microsoft is holding its September announcement event. Among the products at the event is the latest version of its 2-in-1 laptop series — the Surface Go 4. And it looks like the affordable portable will be a device meant for businesses rather than consumers.

Last year, when Microsoft launched the Surface Go 3, it seemed like the company was targeting two types of audiences: kids and workers out in the field. Now it seems Microsoft is fully leaning into the work side of things. According to the tech giant, the Surface Go 4 is built for frontline workers and will be sold exclusively to the business and education markets.

It may be for the best as Microsoft didn’t give the Go 4 much of an upgrade over the last year’s model. The outside of the tablet is pretty much unchanged from the Go 3. It is still a 10.5-inch tablet with a 1920 x 1280p display. The tablet also has the same USB-C port, 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD card reader, and two 1080p cameras as before.

While there are a lot of similarities, Microsoft did make a few notable changes. One of those changes was swapping out the old two-core Intel Pentium processor with a more powerful four-core Intel N200 chip. The company has also removed the 4GB RAM configuration, now only offering 8GB of LPDDR5 memory.

As for storage, the Surface Go 4 will start at 64GB. But buyers will also have the option to pick up a 128GB or 256GB model

In a minor, but welcomed change, some of the components are easier to repair and replace than in earlier iterations. This includes things like the battery, kickstand, motherboard, and display.

Overall, the Surface Go 4 sounds like deja vu. Microsoft is pricing the 64GB model at $579, and the affordable tablet should be available on October 3rd.