14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft recently debuted a new Surface tablet that comes with a 12-inch screen and runs the full version of Windows 8.1, and judging by a new forecast issued today by IDC, the Redmond-based tech giant did the right thing.
Sales of 2-in-1 devices with larger screens are very likely to increase in the coming months, IDC said, and Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 is one of the devices that could benefit from this trend.
"The shift back toward larger screens will mark a welcome sea change for most vendors as the average selling price for these devices will remain roughly 50 percent higher than the average sub-8-inch device," said Jitesh Ubrani, research analyst, Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker.
"Microsoft is also expected to benefit from this shift as the share for Windows-based devices is expected to double between now and 2018."
The Surface Pro 3 is undoubtedly a very appealing device, especially because it comes with powerful hardware that competes with that of a traditional laptop.
The device is available in three different CPU options, namely i3, i5, and i7, which can be paired with either 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of storage space.
The biggest problem of the Surface Pro 3 is the price, as the top-of-the-range model goes all the way up to $2,000 (€1,500). It might be a powerful laptop replacement, but with the same amount of money one could also buy a powerful notebook that provides almost the same features as the Surface Pro 3, but with an even larger screen.
Here are the full pricing details for the new Surface Pro 3 in the United States:
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 64 GB with Intel i3 - $799 (585 euros) Microsoft Surface Pro 3 128 GB with Intel i5 - $999 (730 euros) Microsoft Surface Pro 3 256 GB with Intel i5 - $1,299 (950 euros) Microsoft Surface Pro 3 256 GB with Intel i7 - $1,549 (1,130 euros) Microsoft Surface Pro 3 512 GB with Intel i7 - $1,949 (1,425 euros)
The device is already available for pre-order and depending on the model you choose, you might be able to get your hands on a device between June and late August. The top-of-the-range model that costs nearly $2,000 will ship in about three months, but Microsoft has promised to at least try to bring devices to buyers a little bit faster than that.