Microsoft is Reportedly Planning ARM-Based Surface Go 4 and Smaller Surface Pro

Microsoft’s next Surface products to be released in the coming months could include an ARM-powered Surface Go 4 and a smaller Surface Pro tablet, according to a report from Windows Central. Microsoft made its Surface Pro 9 tablet available with both Intel and Qualcomm processors last year, and the company is now expected to do the same with its upcoming Surface Go 4.

The report says that the ARM version of the Surface Go 4, codenamed “Tanta”, will be available with a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c chip that matches the performance of the entry-level Intel-powered Surface Go 3. The new tablet may also introduce some minor design changes, and a model with a 5G modem may also be in the pipeline.

The current Surface Go 3 ships with an Intel Pentium Gold CPU on the base model. A slightly beefier model with an Intel Core i3 CPU is also available. The Surface Go 4 is expected to still offer the choice of an entry-level Intel processor for customers who prefer that for compatibility reasons. Windows on ARM certainly made some progress thanks to better x86 app emulation support on Windows 11, though the performance of Qualcomm’s current chips for Windows PCs isn’t exactly impressive.

The new 11-inch Surface Pro also mentioned in the report is a bit of a surprise considering that the current Surface Go ships with a 10.5-inch screen. According to Windows Central, the smaller Surface Pro “will be similar in shape and size to that of the Surface Go, albeit with slimmer bezels like its larger sibling.” The report also says that the 11-inch Surface Pro should come with a 120Hz display, just like the current 13-inch model.

Last but not least, Windows Central also believes that Microsoft is continuing to work on optimizing Windows 11 for tablets. File Explorer, the login screen, and the desktop environment are three elements of the Windows 11 experience that could soon become better optimized for touch input.