Microsoft Surface Pro, Surface RT Tablets to Receive Top-Notch Upgrade; Surface RT $150 Price Cut Begins Sunday

By Eric Chen
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Microsoft hinted Wednesday that it will be updating Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets alongside Windows 8.1 and Xbox One. Meanwhile, the software maker is cutting the price of Surface RT tablets by $150 each, beginning July 14th.

Microsoft’s plans for the foreseeable future, spotted by The Verge, include updates to both the Surface, which uses the tablet-friendly Windows 8 RT software, and the Surface Pro, which uses full-flat Windows 8 so you can install programs just like on a normal PC. Recent rumors suggest the new Surface RT will include a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chip and could go 4G for even faster internet connection. The Surface Pro will probably be beefed up with a next-generation Intel Haswell chip, as featured in top-notch new ultrabooks and tablets.

Microsoft is also planning to reveal new accessories for its Surface devices, including a battery-equipped keyboard cover that it has hinted at previously.

Panos Panay, Surface general manager, admitted the company has previously investigated a number of concepts “beyond just tablets.” A 7-inch tablet seems highly likely, especially given Microsoft’s competition, and there’s always a possibility of a Surface laptop.

Microsoft’s move to cut prices on Surface RT tablets follows slow sales. According to Bloomberg, out of the 150,000 Surface devices sold in March when the device first came out, roughly 400,000 were Surface Pro units and a little over 1 million were Surface RT devices. Also, the company recently launched an education program to sell the Surface RT to schools at $199, and it has been clearing stock of its devices at its Tech-Ed and Worldwide Partner conferences recently.

News of the imminent price cuts first came from anonymous sources speaking to The Verge, but was later confirmed by Staples. The new Surface RT prices are detailed below:

-Surace RT 32 GB - $349.99

-Surface RT 64 GB- $449.99

-Surface RT 32 GB with Touch Cover - $449.99

-Surface RT 64 GB with Touch Cover - $549.99

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