14 DAY TRIAL // Rumors that reached the web last week indicated that Microsoft is working on an upgraded Surface Pro model that could see daylight on May 20 as part of a private press event in New York also supposed to witness the unveiling of the new Surface Mini tablet.
This time, details published by WPcentral are pointing to a device that's fairly expensive, which is clearly an indication that this could actually be the successor of the Surface Pro 2, which is already being offered with a pretty hefty price tag.
According to the leaked info, there will be five models of the new Surface Pro 3, with pricing expected to be as follows:
i3-4GB RAM-64GB - $799 (580 euros) i5-4GB RAM-128GB - $999 (739 euros) i5-8GB RAM-256GB - $1299 (950 euros) i7-8GB RAM-256GB - $1549 (1130 euros) i7-8GB RAM-512GB - $1949 (1425 euros)
There are absolutely no details on the screen size of the new tablet, but it's believed that Microsoft is preparing a 12-inch display that would clearly help the Surface Pro 3 compete against some notebooks, although the display and the price could really be a major setback.
On the other hand, it appears that some new covers are also being planned, with multiple colors expected to be released, including cyan, purple, black, and red.
At the same time, it appears that Microsoft has revised the overall design of the tablet, so it now comes with a smaller bezel, a larger screen and a new position for the Windows home button. According to the same source, the Windows button will be placed on the vertical side, as compared to horizontal as it's the case of the existing Surface models.
Obviously, the Surface Pro 3 will most likely come with the full version of Windows 8.1 Pro, which means that it will be capable of running desktop applications, just like its predecessor.
Together with the new larger Surface, Microsoft is also expected to introduce an 8-inch version that would be marketed as note-taking unit shipped with a digital pen. The Surface Mini is projected to be a more affordable device that could compete against the iPad mini and the Nexus 7.
The Surface mini is very likely to be unveiled this week in New York, while sales could begin sometime in June. The same is expected to happen to the Surface Pro 3 as well, but expect the tablet to be available only in limited numbers in the United States.