The original Surface Book, which went on sale in February 2016, was Microsoft’s first proper laptop. That device was billed as the ultimate laptop, yet Microsoft has announced a new version that’s said to be five times faster, offers a 17-hour battery life (70 percent more than the MacBook Pro) and boasts a new USB-C port.
There are two models of the new Surface Book, one with a 13.5in screen and the other 15in, and each come in various processor, storage and memory combinations. You can read our initial impressions in our hands-on review.
The cheapest option is a 13.5in Surface Book 2 with a seventh-generation Intel Core i5 chip, while other models in the line-up run a latest-generation Kaby Lake Core i7-8650U.
With either 8- or 16GB of RAM and up to a terabyte of flash storage, the new Surface Book means serious business.
When is the Surface Book 2 release date?
You can order the Surface Book 2 direct from Microsoft’s site as well as from Currys PC World. The 13.5in model went on sale on 16 November 2017 in the UK, and the 15in Surface Book 2 is available to buy as of 15 February 2018 from Microsoft here.
Both models are also available from other retailers including John Lewis, Amazon, AO and Argos.
How much does the Surface Book 2 cost in the UK?
Prices start at £1,499 for the 13.5in model, and £2,499 for the 15in model. Here’s the full list of models:
13-inch Surface Book 2
- 2.6GHz dual-core Core i5-7500U; 8GB RAM; 256GB SSD: £1,499
- 1.9GHz quad-core Core i7-8650U 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD; GTX 1050: £1,999
- 1.9GHz quad-core Core i7-8650U 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD; GTX 1050: £2,499
- 1.9GHz quad-core Core i7-8650U 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD; GTX 1050: £2,999
15-inch Surface Book 2
- 1.9GHz quad-core Core i7-8650U 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD; Intel graphics: £2,349
- 1.9GHz quad-core Core i7-8650U 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD; GTX 1060: £2,749
- 1.9GHz quad-core Core i7-8650U 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD; GTX 1060: £3,149
Surface Book 2 features and specifications
Many specifications are constant between the two Surface Book 2 models. The screen is naturally larger on the 15in model, which is obviously a little bigger and heavier overall, but each has the same processor, memory and storage options.
If you want the fastest graphics, though, the 15in model has a GTX 1060 chip with 6GB VRAM. (It’s this model that is reported to be five times faster than the original Surface Book.)
Surface Book 2 also comes with a free 30-day trial for Microsoft Office.
| Surface Book 2 13.5in | Surface Book 2 15in | |
| Price | From £1,499 | From £2,499 |
| Software | Windows 10 Pro Creators Update | Windows 10 Pro Creators Update |
| Display | 13.5in PixelSense (3000×2000, 267ppi, 3:2) | 15in PixelSense (3240×2160, 260ppi, 3:2) |
| Processor | 7th-gen Intel Core i5-7300U (3.5GHz Turbo)/8th-gen Intel Core i7-8650U | 8th-gen Intel Core i7-8650U (4.2GHz Turbo) |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 620/Intel UHD Graphics 620/GTX 1050 (2GB VRAM) | Intel UHD Graphics 620/GTX 1060 (6GB VRAM) |
| RAM | 8GB/16GB 1866MHz LPDDR3 | 8GB/16GB 1866MHz LPDDR3 |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB/1TB SSD, SDXC card reader | 256GB/512GB/1TB SSD, SDXC card reader |
| Connectivity | 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1 LE | 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1 LE, Xbox wireless |
| Ports | 2x USB 3.0, USB-C, 2x Surface Connect | 2x USB 3.0, USB-C, 2x Surface Connect |
| Cameras | 8Mp rear, 5Mp front | 8Mp rear, 5Mp front |
| Security | HW TPM 2.0, Windows Hello face authentication | HW TPM 2.0, Windows Hello face authentication |
| Audio | 3.5mm headphone jack, dual mics, front facing stereo speakers, Dolby audio | 3.5mm headphone jack, dual mics, front-facing stereo speakers, Dolby Audio |
| Dimensions | 312x232x13-23mm | 343x251x15-23mm |
| Weight | 1.5kg | 1.9kg |
Author: Marie Black, Editorial Director
Marie is Editorial Director at Foundry. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she's worked in tech media for more than 17 years, managing our EMEA and LatAm editorial teams and leading on content strategy through Foundry's transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.