Microsoft"s Surface lineup these days mostly consists of premium expensive devices, though the company recently got back into the more affordable segment with the Surface Go and Go 2. Now, according to a report by Zac Bowden of Windows Central, the company is also working on an affordable laptop, rather than the tablet form factor of the Surface Go.
The device is codenamed Sparti, and it"s said to feature a 10th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage at the entry-level, and it will cost somewhere between $500 and $600. The laptop is said to be smaller and lighter than the premium Surface Laptop, featuring a 12.5-inch display and smaller bezels to make it easier to carry around. Basically, it would be the equivalent of the Surface Go, but for the clamshell form factor.
According to the report, Microsoft isn"t cutting back on build quality to achieve the lower price point, so you should get the same kind of feel using it compared to other Surface products. With Intel introducing Tiger Lake last week, 10th-generation processors are no longer the newest things around, so that may help Microsoft bring the price down. Also, the laptop will ship with Windows 10 in S mode, though you should be able to turn that off easily.
This cheaper Surface laptop is planned to be announced later this year in a special event that will also introduce other Surface devices and accessories. It"s planned for a release sometime this holiday season.