Cheapest Microsoft Surface tablet to be insane $1,000, £650?
Microsoft, say it ain’t so! The Surface tablet is one of the most promising devices we’ve ever seen come out of the Redmond giant’s stable, being their first own-branded piece of hardware. But all the goodwill Microsoft gathered after its reveal may be lost if new pricing rumours are accurate.
According to trusted Swedish retailer Webhallen, the cheapest, 32GB ARM-based version of the Surface will land at a wallet-whipping $1,001 or £648 at current conversion rates.
Moving up the scale, UK readers can expect to pay roughly £920 for the 64GB ARM version, and a staggering £1389 for the 128GB Windows Pro model.
Microsoft have been cagey about pricing for the Surface since its launch, but had stated that the entry-level models would be priced competitively against rival ARM-based tablets, while the Pro models would fall in line with average Ultrabook pricing. On both counts, these prices seem a fair bit higher than those claims.
If they hope to take on the might of the iPad in the tablet market, Microsoft’s Surface really needs to be undercutting the Apple slate significantly. If these prices prove true, the Surface may have lost the race before its even left the starting grid. If there was ever a time for Microsoft to calm the growing storm with genuine prices, it’d be now.
