Next week on November 16, Microsoft will begin selling the all-new Surface Book 2 - now in two sizes with a 13- and 15-inch option.
Preorders were pre-announced as going live on November 9 and true to its word Microsoft threw the switch at midnight Eastern Standard time.
Starting at $1,499 for the 7th generation Intel Core i5 version - which is also wholly fanless - and going up to $3,000 for the 1TB 8th Generation Intel Core i7 version (the quad-core one with fans and NVIDIA GTX 1050) the 13.5-inch model is likely to be the most popular and abundant.
| Category | Surface Book 2 13 inch | Surface Book 2 15 inch |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i5 (3.2GHz) Intel Core i7 (4.2GHz) | Intel Core i7 (4.2GHz) |
| Display size | 13.5 inch 1600:1 contrast ratio | 15 inch 1600:1 contrast ratio |
| Display resolution | 3000 x 2000 3:2 aspect 267 PPI | 3240 x 2160 3:2 aspect 260 PPI |
| RAM | 8GB or 16GB | 16GB |
| Native graphics | Intel HD Graphics 620 Intel UHD Graphics 620 | Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
| Discrete graphics | i5: None i7: NVIDIA GTX 1050 (2GB) | NVIDIA GTX 1060 (6GB) |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB | 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB |
| Weight | i5 total: 1,533g (3.38lbs) i7 total: 1,642g (3.62lbs) Tablet: 719g (1.59lbs) | Total: 1,905g (4.20lbs) Tablet: 817g (1.80lbs) |
Full Surface Book 2 specifications
For those who need serious power, the 15-inch model offers an NVIDIA GTX 1060 with a full 6GB of video memory. The 15-inch model only provides a choice for storage between 256, 512GB, or 1TB varieties ranging from $2,499 to a whopping $3,299.
Other improvements include:
- Reworked fulcrum hinge — While Microsoft is keeping the gapped hinge, it has been rebuilt to be sturdier, and now both models can easily be opened with one hand.
- Keyboard — The Surface Book 2 keyboard and trackpad both borrow from the Surface Laptop's design, with 1.55mm of key travel and the same overall response curve. There are also now dedicated keys for display brightness.
- Display — Microsoft has improved the display with thinner materials and a higher contrast ratio, plus it fully supports that latest Surface Pen and Surface Dial on the display.
- Improved audio — Surface Book 2 has reworked the speakers, which are now slightly more powerful but also take up less space
- Front camera for Skype — Microsoft worked closely with the Skype team to make the front-facing camera work well with Skype.
- Windows Mixed Reality ready — Both Surface Book 2's support Windows Mixed Reality. A USB Type-C to HDMI adapter will let current head-mounted displays (HMDs) connect easily.
Orders in the U.S. will likely ship on November 15th from Microsoft for a November 16th delivery. No word on store availability, but you'll probably be able to walk into a physical Microsoft Store and grab one on November 16th.
Stay tuned for our review in case you're unsure, but Microsoft seems to have pulled off the most potent Surface ever.
Update: It appears that other markets are also live for preorders as well including Germany and likely the other nine markets in Europe and Canada.
Updated November 9, 2017: The 512GB and 1TB variants of the 15-inch model are already sold out online. You may still be able to find 512GB versions at Microsoft retail stores.
More on Surface Book 2
