Microsoft's new Surface device is Go!

Vendor's new tablet enters into the Surface stable at a lower price point

Microsoft has unveiled a new addition to its Surface portfolio, with the Surface Go entering the market at a lower price than its predecessors.

The tablet looks similar to other Surface products, but comes with a smaller 10in screen, is considerably slimmer at 8.33mm and weighs less at 552g.

The Surface Go is priced at £380, with other Surface devices currently starting at £749 on the Microsoft Store.

The tablet is powered by the seventh-generation Intel Premium Gold Processor 4415Y and offers up to nine hours of battery life.

Panos Panay, chief product officer at Microsoft, said the product was designed for the "dynamic lifestyles" of its users.

"Being able to run Office apps on this device with its portability is one of the things that was critical to the experience we had in mind when we designed Surface Go - the productivity of having the apps you use for work and school with the flexibility to relax and read or watch a show on Netflix or Hulu," he said.

Andrew Wright, commercial director at Microsoft partner XMA, welcomed the product announcement, given that Microsoft doesn't currently cater for the low end of the market.

"I am not surprised that Microsoft has decided to address a part of the market that the current Surface Pro and Surface Book don't currently address," he added.

"We have seen excellent customer uptake on the range of Microsoft devices that are now available, and I would expect that to continue with this new addition to the family."

Wright says the tablet will most likely be used as a "companion device" by users, who are looking for a more portable device, adding that he expects it to be popular across multiple markets.

"Microsoft is not always the easiest business to navigate in terms of working out what pricing offers apply to which customer and the supply chain has been troublesome with some storages around the devices," Wright said.

"However the customers like them and sales are growing as the Windows 10 refresh starts to swing into action."