Microsoft is sticking to the Surface despite having to write off 900 million for the development and low sales. On Monday, they announced that the Surface 2 is going to be delivered with Windows 8.1 in RT and Pro flavors like before. According to Panos Panay during a Reddit AMA, the Surface 2 will also come with an LTE version for RT and Pro in early 2014.
Michaelgiles88:
Why was LTE not included on neither Surface nor Surface Pro?SurfaceTeam:
Great question. We didn’t talk about it today, but Surface 2 will be launching an awesome LTE SKU early next year! Nice catch on your part, no one else has asked this question…… what better way to tell people than through Reddit!! Panos
The RT version is going to sport a thinner and lighter frame, an NVIDIA Tegra 4 ARM processer, 10.6” ClearType 1080p resolution, a full sized USB 3.0 port, mini HDMI and a new “2 step” kickstand for more viewing angles, and an even longer battery life. Although the original Surface had stereo sound it is a continued complaint by many owners that the device is just too quiet. Fans will be happy to know that both versions received better speakers and that both models still charge in as little as 2 hours.
The RT version also comes with Office 2013 RT. It is $50 less than the original Surface RT was at launch with the base model priced at $449 for the 32GB. That should please some people but it’s still not the price point many think is the competitive sweet spot to the Nexus 10 or the iPad. That being said, Microsoft continues to disappoint on price setting the “Touch Cover 2” accessory at the starting price of $119. Although the newer cover is backlit, the version 1 Touch Cover is currently priced at $79.99 and going to be the best option for those on a budget. The only official word from Microsoft on backward/forward compatibility is that the version 1 Touch Cover is forwards compatible with the Pro models. That means RT users on a budget could be out of luck.
The Pro version now comes in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB with prices between $899 and $1,799. The Surface Pro 2 has boosted RAM if you get the 256GB or the 512GB model, while the lower storage capacity models will maintain the original Surface’s 4GB of RAM specification. All of the Pro models will have the new Haswell Intel i5 processor, USB 3.0, double the battery life of the original pro (which should be about 8 hrs now), the new dual-angle kickstand, and improved front and rear cameras. It remains to be seen if there will be any improvement in the camera’s photo taking abilities but they’ll maintain their wide angle for Skype. Purchase of a Surface Pro 2 also comes with a 2 year subscription to Microsoft’s SkyDrive at the 200GB level.
Where Microsoft is really showing off their “little tablet that could” is in the accessories. The new Touch Cover 2 is thinner than the original and is now backlit. The new Type Cover is also thinner than its predecessor, is also back lit and comes in 4 colors. Adding to the keyboard /covers arsenal, Microsoft is introducing a cover with additional battery life for the Surface 2 as well as a Surface Music Kit keyboard designed for the DJ in all of us. For all of the information available about the Surface Music Kit keyboard you’ll want to go to the Surface Mix Project. The Surface Pro 2 gets a business class docking station. To be released early next year, the docking station comes with a built in power supply, 1 USB 3.0 port, 2 USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, 3.5mm audio port and 1 DisplayPort.
Does this get you excited? Is the Surface 2 now truly the ideal tablet for a business user? The Surface 1 is already taking the art world by storm with its reduced price when compared to a Cintique, will the new kid in Microsoft’s arsenal bring more people into their unified platform or is this Microsoft throwing more money away in a useless attempt to catch up to Apple and Google? Sound off in the comments or send me a tweet, I’m @MarkAvo.