The Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 is back in black (and burgundy)

Microsoft’s original Surface Laptop – its long-overdue entry into the notebook market – sits as our #2 favourite laptop behind the 13in MacBook Pro (2017), but maybe the Surface Laptop 2 can close the distance. By and large, little has really changed here. The Surface Laptop 2 has the same core design as last year’s model, which means it still has the fancy carpeting-like finish inside and impressive 14.5 hours of claimed battery life, but also the odd lack of ports on the slim sides. Microsoft says it packs in 85% more speed than before via 8th-gen Intel chips, however, while the new matte black version is definitely eye-catching. It’ll also start a bit cheaper than before, at US$899 in the States, with preorders underway now ahead of the 16 October release.