iFixit gives Microsoft’s new Surface Go 1 out of 10 repairability score

This week Microsoft launched the Surface Go, the company’s newest 2-in-1.

MobileSyrup, along with a variety of other major tech publications, reviewed the 10-inch laptop-tablet hybrid. One day later, DIY heroes iFixit have published a teardown review of the device.

The website awarded the Surface Go a one out of 10 repairability score. That’s the same score iFixit gave to the 2017 Surface Pro. In terms of repairability, for better and worse, the Surface Go really is a smaller Surface Pro, with many of the same repairability issues as its larger sibling.

For instance, like with the Surface Pro, many of the components inside of the Surface Go, including the display and battery, are held in place by large amounts of adhesive. In addition, high-wear components like the USB-C and Surface Connect ports, aren’t modular, making their repair difficult and expensive.

One improvement, however, is that the battery is now easy to disconnect and does not require the user to first remove the motherboard, which makes it safer to take apart the Surface Go and attempt a repair. That said, the battery is still held in place by adhesive, which, as iFixit notes, “prevent[s] consumers from easily extending the life of their device…”

As is usually the case with one of its teardowns, iFixit was able to glean several interesting tidbits about the Surface Go’s design.

One concern the website notes with the Surface Go is its system for dissipating heat. Unlike the 2017 CoreM and Core i5 Surface Pro models, which feature a fanless design with heat pipes, the Surface Go instead utilizes a copper shield to dissipate heat away from the processor. iFixit says it hopes the Surface Go’s copper shield and thermal paste will be enough for the “Go’s power-sipping, non-Turbo’d processor.”

I’ll note that in the time I’ve had the Surface Go, I’ve noticed it can get a bit hot at times — mostly when streaming Full HD video — but it manages to stay fairly cool.

In taking apart the Go, iFixit also found it features a 26.12 watt-hours battery, which is smaller “a whole lot smaller than comparable devices,” according to the website. The iPad 6, for instance, features a 32.9 watt-hours power cell.

Check out the full teardown on the iFixit website.

Surface Go is available to purchase in Canada via the Microsoft Store, Amazon.ca and Best Buy. The base model, with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, starts at $529 CAD. Costco is also carrying a unique configuration of the Go which features 4GB of RAM, a 128 GB solid-state drive and basic Type Cover keyboard for $680 CAD.

Source: iFixit