Microsoft’s Surface Go 3 mainly delivered on a minor generational specs bump. But according to new speculation from Windows Central’s Zac Bowden, bigger things might be ahead, and a new Surface Go 4 could have an ARM-based chip inside.
Zac doesn’t provide any solid details, a release date, or mention a specific ARM chip. That said, he mentioned in the latest Ask Windows Central episode that Microsoft is “internally considering using an ARM chip in the next Surface Go.” He is, however, also quick to mention that this has not been 100% confirmed as of yet, and said “Microsoft is still deciding” and “it is still a discussion they are having.”
So, what ARM chip can Microsoft be using, and will there be design changes? The answer is probably nothing major. A Qualcomm 7c chip is a possibility since the flagship 8cx is usually only found in premium devices, which the Surface Go is not. Options for Intel will still be available for businesses, too.
Such a move could make sense for Microsoft. The company has been pushing Windows on ARM recently. Apps like Visual Studio have been optimized for ARM, and so have many of Microsoft’s apps like Edge and Microsoft Teams. We’ll have to wait and see what Microsoft decided to do, but in the meantime, there are plenty of Windows on ARM devices like the Surface Pro X, Galaxy Book Go, and even the new ThinkPad X13s.
