GSMArena team, 29 November 2013

Sink or swim

Microsoft Surface 2 review: Sink or swim

Controls

Above the display is where the front-facing camera, an ambient light sensor, and a microphone reside. Below the screen, there's nothing but the capacitive Windows home button.

The view above and below the display

On the left side of the tablet, you will find one of the stereo speakers, a volume rocker, a 3.5mm audio jack, as well as the latch for opening the kickstand.

The left side of the Microsoft Surface 2

The right side of the slate is just as busy. It hosts the other stereo speaker, as well as a mini HDMI port, full USB port, and the tablet's proprietary charging port.

The right side of the Surface 2 is quite busy

The power/lock key is the only thing you will find on the top of the tablet. The keyboard connector sits alone at the bottom.

A look at the top and bottom of the slate

The back of the tablet is home to the 5MP camera and an additional microphone.

The back of the tablet • the kickstand mechanism

The two-stage kickstand is there too, sporting a large Surface sign.

The two-stage kickstand

The microSD card slot is located underneath the kickstand.

The microSD card slot

Curiously, Microsoft is coy about the exact battery capacity of the Surface 2. The manufacturer promises up to 10 hours of video playback time and 7-15 days of standby.

We put the tablet's battery through its paces and here is what it had to offer.

Web browsing

ASUS Transformer Pad w/ Dock
13:48
Acer Liquid E2
12:39
LG G2
11:22
Sony Xperia ZR
11:20
Apple iPad mini 2
10:47
Apple iPad Air
10:10
Samsung Galaxy S4 mini duos
10:10
BlackBerry Q5
10:04
HTC One
9:58
Apple iPhone 5s
9:58
Apple iPhone 5
9:56
Samsung Galaxy S4 mini
9:47
Microsoft Surface 2
9:32
Apple iPad mini
9:05
Apple iPhone 5c
9:05
Samsung Galaxy Note 3
9:04
ASUS Nexus 7 (2013)
9:03
ASUS Transformer Pad TF701T
9:02
Samsung Galaxy S4 zoom
8:51
Samsung Galaxy Note II N7100
8:48
BlackBerry Q10
8:42
Nokia Lumia 810
8:20
Asus Padfone 2
8:20
Moto X
8:17
Huawei Ascend Mate
8:17
Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3
8:17
HTC One mini
8:12
Nokia Lumia 610
8:01
HTC One X+
7:56
Sony Xperia E dual
7:42
Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition
7:39
Samsung Galaxy S III mini
7:38
Nokia Lumia 720
7:37
Samsung Galaxy S4 Active
7:35
Samsung Galaxy S4 (S600)
7:24
Huawei MediaPad 7 Vogue
7:23
Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX
7:23
HTC Radar
7:17
Nokia Lumia 520
7:15
Samsung Galaxy S4 GPE
7:13
LG Optimus GJ
7:11
Gigabyte GSmart Maya M1 v2
7:10
Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos
7:09
Samsung Galaxy Express
7:09
Nokia Lumia 625
7:07
Motorola RAZR i
7:06
Samsung Galaxy S4 (Octa)
6:58
Apple iPhone 4S
6:56
Samsung I8262 Galaxy Core
6:54
HTC One V
6:49
LG Optimus G Pro
6:40
Samsung I9105 Galaxy S II Plus
6:40
Sony Xperia L
6:40
HTC Droid DNA
6:40
Samsung Galaxy Premier
6:40
Motorola Atrix HD
6:40
BlackBerry Curve 9380
6:40
Sony Xperia Z
6:37
Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2
6:35
HTC Desire 600 dual sim
6:34
HTC Desire 500
6:31
Huawei Ascend P6
6:30
BlackBerry Z10
6:27
Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III (JB)
6:27
HTC Butterfly
6:24
Sony Xperia SP
6:18
Samsung i937 Focus S
6:15
Nokia Lumia 510
6:13
Sony Xperia ZL
6:04
HTC Windows Phone 8X
6:01
Sony Xperia Z1
5:59
Sony Xperia ion LTE
5:56
Samsung Galaxy Fame
5:55
Samsung Rugby Smart I847
5:53
Pantech Burst
5:51
Nokia Lumia 1020
5:50
Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G
5:45
HTC Desire V
5:44
HTC Evo 4G LTE
5:41
Nokia Lumia 920
5:40
Samsung Wave 3 S8600
5:34
Oppo Find 5
5:33
Sony Xperia T
5:33
Samsung Captivate Glide
5:33
Samsung I8530 Galaxy Beam
5:28
Samsung Galaxy Note LTE
5:24
Sony Xperia Z Ultra
5:23
Samsung Galaxy S Duos
5:23
HTC Sensation XL
5:20
Meizu MX 4-core
5:19
Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III
5:17
Sony Xperia acro S
5:16
HTC Rezound
5:16
HTC Desire X
5:16
LG Optimus G
5:15
HTC Rhyme
5:08
Samsung I9103 Galaxy R
5:07
HTC One X (AT&T)
5:03
Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro
4:50
LG Optimus Vu
4:49
HTC Vivid
4:46
Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos
4:45
Meizu MX
4:35
Google Nexus 4
4:34
Nokia N9
4:33
Acer CloudMobile S500
4:32
Nokia Lumia 820
4:24
Samsung Galaxy S II
4:24
Sony Ericsson Xperia neo V
4:20
HTC One X
4:18
Nokia 808 PureView
4:14
LG Optimus 3D Max P720
4:10
Nokia Lumia 900 for AT&T
4:10
Nokia Lumia 800
4:07
HTC Titan II (LTE)
4:05
HTC One S
4:03
BlackBerry Bold 9790
4:02
LG Nitro HD
4:00
LG Optimus 4X HD
3:59
Sony Xperia P
3:59
Nokia Lumia 710
3:51
Nokia Lumia 620
3:50
Samsung Galaxy Pocket
3:47
Samsung Galaxy Note
3:35
Huawei Ascend P1
3:23
Samsung Galaxy Nexus
3:01

Video playback

Motorola RAZR MAXX (ICS)
16:35
ASUS Transformer Pad w/ Dock
15:29
Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX
14:17
Samsung Galaxy Note 3
13:32
Nokia Lumia 1020
13:12
Samsung Galaxy S4 mini
13:12
Samsung Galaxy S4 mini duos
12:52
Apple iPad mini
12:51
Samsung Galaxy Premier
12:51
Apple iPad Air
12:49
Samsung Galaxy S4 GPE
12:32
Samsung Galaxy S4 (S600)
12:30
BlackBerry Q5
12:28
Apple iPad mini 2
12:22
Huawei Ascend Mate
12:18
LG G2
11:51
Samsung Galaxy S4 (Octa)
11:29
Samsung Galaxy Note II N7100
11:27
BlackBerry Q10
11:15
Microsoft Surface 2
11:14
Apple iPhone 5s
10:31
Apple iPhone 5
10:12
ASUS Transformer Pad TF701T
10:07
HTC One
10:02
Moto X
10:01
Samsung Galaxy Express
10:00
Samsung I9105 Galaxy S II Plus
10:00
Nokia 808 PureView
9:53
Samsung I8530 Galaxy Beam
9:42
Samsung Rugby Smart I847
9:34
Samsung Galaxy S4 zoom
9:30
HTC One S
9:28
Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III (JB)
9:27
Apple iPhone 4S
9:24
HTC Evo 4G LTE
9:07
Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition
9:02
Sony Xperia Z Ultra
8:45
BlackBerry Z10
8:44
LG Optimus G Pro
8:40
Nokia N9
8:40
Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3
8:34
HTC Butterfly
8:28
Samsung Galaxy Note
8:25
LG Optimus GJ
8:15
HTC One X+
8:11
Motorola RAZR i
8:11
Samsung Galaxy S II
8:00
Samsung i937 Focus S
7:55
Samsung Wave 3 S8600
7:52
HTC Desire 500
7:50
Samsung Galaxy S III mini
7:46
Sony Ericsson Xperia neo V
7:45
Apple iPhone 5c
7:41
Asus Padfone 2
7:38
Huawei Ascend P1
7:38
Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G
7:33
Acer Liquid E2
7:30
Samsung I8262 Galaxy Core
7:30
Sony Xperia ZR
7:30
HTC Droid DNA
7:30
Samsung Galaxy Note LTE
7:30
Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2
7:30
Sony Xperia SP
7:27
HTC One mini
7:23
Nokia Lumia 610
7:23
LG Optimus G
7:16
Samsung Galaxy S4 Active
7:03
ASUS Nexus 7 (2013)
7:03
Huawei Ascend P6
6:55
HTC Desire 600 dual sim
6:49
Nokia Lumia 720
6:43
Huawei MediaPad 7 Vogue
6:40
Meizu MX 4-core
6:33
Nokia Lumia 620
6:32
Nokia Lumia 625
6:29
HTC Windows Phone 8X
6:27
Sony Xperia E dual
6:27
Nokia Lumia 810
6:27
HTC Desire V
6:26
HTC One X (AT&T)
6:26
Nokia Lumia 820
6:25
Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos
6:25
Gigabyte GSmart Maya M1 v2
6:24
Nokia Lumia 510
6:23
LG Optimus Vu
6:23
Samsung I9103 Galaxy R
6:21
Nokia Lumia 920
6:19
Sony Xperia Z1
6:12
HTC Sensation XL
6:12
Samsung Galaxy Pocket
6:06
Samsung Captivate Glide
6:04
Sony Xperia ion LTE
6:03
Samsung Galaxy Nexus
6:02
Sony Xperia T
6:01
Motorola Atrix HD
6:01
HTC Vivid
6:00
HTC Radar
5:54
Nokia Lumia 800
5:52
Nokia Lumia 520
5:50
HTC Titan II
5:50
BlackBerry Bold 9790
5:47
HTC One X
5:45
Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro
5:44
Sony Xperia Z
5:39
Sony Xperia acro S
5:38
HTC Desire X
5:38
Pantech Burst
5:38
Sony Xperia ZL
5:28
Meizu MX
5:27
HTC Rhyme
5:23
HTC One V
5:20
Acer CloudMobile S500
5:18
Oppo Find 5
5:18
Nokia Lumia 900 for AT&T
5:18
BlackBerry Curve 9380
5:09
HTC Rezound
5:03
Samsung Galaxy Fame
5:02
Google Nexus 4
4:55
Sony Xperia L
4:44
Samsung Galaxy S Duos
4:30
Sony Xperia P
4:30
LG Nitro HD
4:17
LG Optimus 4X HD
4:14
LG Optimus 3D Max P720
3:28
Nokia Lumia 710
3:27

Handling

Thanks to its solid build quality and high-end finish, the Microsoft Surface 2 offers a pleasant tactile feel when handled. However, the slate is not the most comfortable to hold, particularly in portrait mode. This is due to its prominent edges - they look good, but are the main reason for the questionable ergonomics.

Handling the Surface 2

Overall, the Microsoft Surface 2 deserves nothing but high marks for its build quality and battery life. Its design could have certainly used a refresh though - the tablet doesn't feel new at first glance. The tablet-only ergonomics are also a little iffy.

Following next is a look at the Windows RT 8.1 experience which the Surface 2 delivers.

Next Page » 4. User interface

3. Controls, battery performance

Reviews Microsoft Surface 2 reviewPage 3