Microsoft is reportedly gearing up to launch low-cost Surface tablets to give a stiff competition to Apple’s dominance in the tablet market with its iPad lineup. The brand is reported to launch the tablets in the second half of 2018.
According to a report by Bloomberg, the new tablets will come loaded with 10-inch screens, which is same as found in standard iPad. The new Surface tablets will come with rounded edges, similar to what we have seen in iPad and they are reported to be 20 percent lighter than the current high-end models.
The report further highlights that the new tablets could retail around $400 and will include USB Type-C connectivity, which would a first for Surface tablets. The report claims that the upcoming devices will have four hours fewer of battery life as compared to current models. For your reference, the Surface Pro can last up to 13 hours on a single charge.
Further, Intel will provide the needed Processor and graphics cards for the device. Microsoft is planning to introduce different models including 64GB and 128GB of internal storage and there will be models that can connect to LTE cellular networks, sources close to the development told the publication. The tablets will feature kickstand for typing and be watching the video and it will run on Windows 10 Pro.
This is not the first time Microsoft is trying its luck in the tablet market. The company introduced Surface RT in 2012 with some interesting specifications. However, the device didn’t receive good response from the consumers and reviewers, forcing the brand to close the production of the Surface RT. Since then Microsoft is focusing on more premium Surface Pro lineup. Coming to the tablets industry, Apple is currently leading the market with its iPads lineup ranging from budget segment to premium segment. For Microsoft, it would be a mountain task to bring back the already dying Windows platform to the tablets.