Microsoft is pulling the plug on its most affordable devices: the Surface Go and the Surface Laptop Go are being discontinued. According to a report by Windows Central, the company has halted production of the Surface Go 4 and the Surface Laptop Go 3 and has no plans for successors. Both product lines are already missing from the new Surface website. This marks Microsoft’s complete exit from the entry-level segment.
Key Takeaways
- Microsoft has discontinued production of the Surface Go 4 and Surface Laptop Go 3; no successors are planned.
- Both models were released in 2023 and are now missing from the official Surface website.
- A Surface Go 5 with an ARM chip that had already been developed was scrapped because business customers showed little interest in Windows on ARM.
- The decision was made months before the current RAM crisis and is not related to the rise in memory prices.
- All that remains are the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, along with the new Surface Laptop Ultra coming this fall.
What Microsoft Is Discontinuing, According to Windows Central
The report comes from Zac Bowden of Windows Central, who cites sources with insight into Microsoft’s hardware roadmap. According to the report, the Surface Go 4 and Surface Laptop Go 3 will no longer be manufactured. What’s still available at retailers are the last remaining units. Once inventory is gone, there will be no restock.
No one at Microsoft was willing to officially confirm this. When asked, a spokesperson simply referred to the new Surface website, which now lists only the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop. That’s precisely the real signal: where the Go models used to be, there’s now a gap.
The Surface Laptop Go 3 was the most affordable Windows laptop from Redmond. The Surface Go 4 was released in October 2023 and was sold exclusively to business customers; in Germany, the starting price was around 570 euros. Both devices are therefore nearly three years old and have never been updated since their launch.
Surface Go, Surface Laptop Go, and What Remains
Following this discontinuation, the Surface lineup shrinks to two families. The following overview shows what’s being discontinued and what Microsoft is offering instead:
| Device | Display | Launch Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface Go 4 | 10.5-inch touchscreen | October 2023 | Discontinued, only remaining stock available |
| Surface Laptop Go 3 | 12.4 inches | October 2023 | Discontinued, limited stock remaining |
| Surface Pro | 12 & 13 inches | Current | Still in the lineup |
| Surface Laptop | 13, 13.8 & 15 inches | Current | Still in the lineup |
| Surface Laptop Ultra | High-end model | Fall 2026 | Announced |
The problem for budget-conscious shoppers: Both remaining lines are significantly more expensive. The smallest 12-inch Surface Pro and the 13-inch Surface Laptop start at around $850 and $950, respectively, in the U.S. That’s a far cry from the Go’s previous price point. In line with this, Microsoft recently unveiled new Surface devices for businesses that are clearly aimed at AI acceleration and business customers—not price-conscious entry-level users.
Why the Surface Go 5 Never Came Out
What’s interesting is what happened behind the scenes. Microsoft had apparently already completed development of a Surface Go 5, powered by an energy-efficient ARM-based Snapdragon chip. When the company asked its business customers for their opinion, the response was sobering: Hardly anyone wanted an ARM version. So the project was shelved.
And another widespread suspicion can be put to rest. This has nothing to do with the current memory crisis and skyrocketing RAM prices. According to Bowden, the decision had already been made months before RAM prices became an issue.
What this means for you
If you’ve been eyeing an affordable Surface, time is running out. While remaining stock of the Surface Go 4 and Surface Laptop Go 3 is still popping up at some retailers and in certain regions, supplies are running low. So it’s only worth checking out the remaining Surface Laptop Go 3 deals on Amazon as long as the price hasn’t been driven up by the shortage.
For a true replacement, you’ll have to dig deeper into your pockets in the Surface world. The 13-inch Surface Laptop effectively takes over the role of the Surface Laptop Go and addresses its biggest weaknesses: the lack of keyboard backlighting and the rather weak display. The Surface Go, with its compact 10.5-inch touchscreen, has no direct successor, however, since the 12-inch Surface Pro is both larger and more expensive. If you’re looking for a handy second device, you’ll find suitable alternatives in our roundup of the best tablets.
The Surface lineup is getting smaller and smaller
This discontinuation joins a long list of others. In recent years, Microsoft has already phased out the Surface Studio, the Surface Laptop Studio, the Surface Book, the Surface Duo, the Surface Hub, as well as the Surface Earbuds and Headphones. What remains are the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, supplemented by the upcoming Surface Laptop Ultra with NVIDIA’s RTX Spark platform. If you want to see where this is headed, Microsoft’s new Surface RTX Spark Dev Box sums it up quite well: more performance, more AI, more money.
The timing is noteworthy. While Apple is currently demonstrating with the MacBook Neo that affordable yet high-quality laptops can be a big hit, and Intel is kickstarting a wave of affordable Windows notebooks with its new platform, Microsoft is leaving this arena at this very moment. Instead of offering affordable hardware itself, the company now refers customers to partners and recently even recommended Dell’s XPS 13 as an affordable option. Whether this will pay off in the long run remains to be seen.
FAQ on the Discontinuation of the Surface Go and Surface Laptop Go
Are the Surface Go and Surface Laptop Go being discontinued?
Yes. According to Windows Central, Microsoft has stopped production of the Surface Go 4 and SurfaceLaptopGo 3 and has no plans for successors. Both series are already missing from the official Surface website.
Is there a successor?
No. A Surface Go 5 with an ARM chip that had already been developed was scrapped because business customers showed little interest. No further affordable Surface models are planned.
Can I still buy these devices?
For now, yes, but only from remaining stock at individual retailers. Once that stock is sold out, there will be no more restocks.
Is this related to high RAM prices?
No. According to the report, the decision was made months before the current memory crisis began.
Which Surface devices are still available?
Currently, only the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop in various sizes. The Surface Laptop Ultra will also be released this fall.
Conclusion
With the discontinuation of the Surface Go and Surface Laptop Go, Microsoft is exiting the entry-level segment and leaving it to the competition. For fans of compact, affordable Windows devices, this is bad news, as there is no real replacement and the remaining models are noticeably more expensive. As long as the report is based solely on insider sources, we’ll have to wait for official confirmation. However, the fact that the two lines have disappeared from the Surface website speaks volumes.
Sources: Windows Central
