A report out of Bloomberg suggests Microsoft is currently developing a new Surface-branded tablet that will directly compete with Apple’s iPad at the $400 price point. The report notes the inclusion of Intel processors and graphics, USB-C port(s) for charging and data transfer, and Windows 10 Pro. The tablet will allegedly be launched later this year.
According to Bloomberg, the lower-end Surface tablet will launch with a smaller, 10-inch screen over the current Surface’s 12-inch display. It’ll reportedly come with rounded corners to mimic the iPad and be 20 percent lighter than current models. Unfortunately, this means around four fewer hours of battery life from the standard Surface Pro’s 13.5-hour stat, but nearly ten hours of usage out of a tablet is pretty good anyhow.
To accommodate the tablet, Microsoft is also reportedly developing cheaper versions of its keyboard and pen. They’ll still be sold separately from the Surface itself, but at least you won’t need to spend upwards of $250 just for necessary accessories.
If you recall, Microsoft has tried budget Surface devices in the past. Back in 2012, the company had the Surface RT but failed to impress users. The Surface 2 and Surface 3 were also priced lower than what’s available today, but they also struggled to gain traction. Therefore, it’s hard to say just how successful Microsoft’s lower-end Surface tablets could become. We’re still low on details surrounding the devices in question so we’ll have to wait for something official from Microsoft to jump to any conclusions.
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