14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is still looking at the hardware industry to further increase its presence in this side of the business, and according to new speculation, the company might be planning new tablets as part of the Surface Pro 4 rollout.
Information swirling around the web suggests that Microsoft could be working not only a new 12-inch tablet that could be the real successor to the Surface Pro 3 but also on a 14-inch version that would better help the company tackle the laptop sector.
Back in May 2014, when Microsoft officially introduced the new Surface Pro 3, the company promoted the device as “the perfect laptop replacement,” aiming to convince Apple customers to drop their Macbooks in favor of its brand new tablet.
Surprisingly, the Surface Pro 3 indeed sold very well, and with the upcoming upgrade, Redmond is planning to continue with the same strategy, but this time it would try do things a bit differently.
Two models, same strategy
The Surface Pro 4 will thus have two different models, one with a 12-inch screen and another one with a 14-inch display, both of which will feature a 2160x1440 px resolution. Basically, Microsoft will be tackling the laptop world with both models, so the new Surface tablets will also come with a removable keyboard and an integrated kickstand, much like the existing model does.
As far as the 14-inch flavor is concerned, there’s no doubt that Microsoft would still have a hard time convincing users to dump their laptops, but it all comes down to pricing.
It’s no secret that the Surface Pro 3 is really expensive, with the top model retailing for $1,950 (€1,500), so if the 14-inch Surface Pro 4 doesn’t come with a smaller price, this could easily affect the early sales of the device. Obviously, it would address businesses, but pricing is clearly one of the key factors determining whether a device is successful or not.
Needless to say, both Surface Pro 4 models would come with Windows 10 from the very beginning, so expect them to launch in the second half of 2015, when the new OS becomes available.
Keep in mind that this are all just rumors for the time being and there's still no evidence that Microsoft is indeed working on a 14-inch successor to the Surface Pro 3.