Microsoft has introduced a new Surface-branded device: The Surface Go. It's out today in the US and will reach UK shores on 23 August. 

The company is targeting Apple iPad users and Chromebook users with this device that starts at £379/$399.

It is a 10-inch touchscreen tablet that, at first look, looks like a smaller Surface Pro or Surface 4, but Microsoft insisted in its marketing materials that it re-engineered the tablet's size, weight, design, and more, in order to make it more portable and user-friendly for all types of people who work on the go.

In terms of specifications, it features an Intel Pentium Gold processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage. There is one other model of the Surface Go available, with 8GB of memory alongside 128GB of storage for $549 or £510. Both models work with the £99/$99 Surface Pen, and they come with a USB-C (non-Thunderbolt) port, a Surface Connect port, and a micro SD expansion slot under the kickstand.

That built-in kickstand can extend up to 165 degrees, as well. Other Surface Go features include a front facing 5-megapixel HD camera, rear auto-focus 8-megapixel HD camera, support for Wi-Fi (LTE option coming this autumn), and Windows Hello. Microsoft is claiming nine hours of battery life, too. Oh, and it works with a new Surface Type Cover (£99/$99 for the cheapest version extra) and Mobile Mouse.

Surface Go's Type Cover comes in standard black (plastic), or you can get it in Alcantara fabric in the following colours: Burgundy, Cobalt Blue, or Platinum. The Surface Mobile Mouse, which has Bluetooth pairing, also comes in Burgundy, Cobalt Blue, or Platinum. As for the Surface Go itself, there are no colour choices, though you can get it with Windows 10 Home in S Mode (upgradable to Windows 10 Home).

Microsoft image 2
Microsoft

Alternatively, business and education users can get Windows 10 Pro (configurable to S Mode). If any of that interests you, the Surface Go is available to pre-order now in the US and UK. It will be available for purchase in the US and Canada from 2 August, with the rest of the world to follow later that month. Surface Go with built-in LTE will be available later this autumn, Microsoft said.