Surface Go gets iFixit teardown, scores 1

Like all the best gadgets iFixit has given the new Microsoft Surface Go a full teardown and have posted their conclusions.

The team were impressed by the number of ports, noting for a budget device the tablet offered more ports than a MacBook Pro, including a microSDXC slot, headphone jack, USB-C port, Surface connector, keyboard connector and Surface Dial support.

They were somewhat surprised that the battery was only 26.12 Wh (for 9 hours battery life) vs 32.9 Wh for the iPad.

They were concerned by the passive cooling of the tablet, which was fine for a tablet, but possible insufficient for a PC replacement.

Overall they gave the device a repairability score of only 1, noting:

• The smaller form factor seems to make the glass easier to remove without breaking, but it’s still terrifyingly hard.
• If this is expected to replace a PC, the lack of upgradability will severely limit the device’s lifespan.
• The lack of modularity, especially on high-wear ports, makes repairs unnecessarily expensive.
• Adhesive holds many components in place, including the display and battery.
• Replacement of any part requires removal of the display assembly, an easy (and expensive) part to damage.

Read the full report here.