Microsoft introduces the Surface Pro 3: A monster 12-inch tablet that ‘replaces the laptop’
Microsoft introduces the Surface Pro 3: A monster 12-inch tablet that ‘replaces the laptop’
Updated @ 12:05 pm: Microsoft has introduced the Surface Pro 3 — a 12-inch tablet, weighing in at 800 grams. There is a new “friction hinge” that allows for a free range of angles from 22 degrees all the way through to 150 degrees. It comes with a stylus. There are three configurations – Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7, with prices starting at $800. It goes on sale in the US on June 20, and August for the rest of the world.
The event has now concluded. There is no Surface Mini. Read on for more details of the Surface Pro 3.
Updated live blog
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is on stage, with some hard-hitting oratory. “Today is the next step in [our] journey. We want to talk about devices and hardware. But it starts for us with this obsesssion with empowering every individual and organisation to do more and be more. That is what we at Microsoft are all about. This is the unifying theme across the entire company.” He goes on to mention more examples of the company bringing together
“We’re not interested in competing with our OEMs when it comes to hardware. In fact, our goal is to create new categories and spark new demand for our entire ecosystem.
“And today is a major milestone on that journey. It starts with dreaming the impossible: Can we design and build a device that takes the best of the tablet and the laptop, and enables any individual to be able to read and create and write; allows you to watch a movie, and make a movie; enjoy art, and create art. That’s the device we want to create. Today, we have a major step forward on that dream, that mission.”
Oratory done. Panos Panay, the Surface product manager, is now on stage to introduce the new Surface. Oh, no, he’s going to talk more about the previous Surfaces, and how much of a success story it’s been so far (really?)
Panay is now telling us about how, three years ago, people were writing about how tablets would obviate the need for laptops — but here we are in 2014, and 96% of all iPad owners also own a laptop. Cut to funny shot of three journalists in the audience with a MacBook.
The new device is the Surface Pro 3. 12-inch screen (2160×1440). 800 grams (1.76 lbs). 9.1mm thick. USB 3.0. “The tablet that can replace your laptop.” There’s a Core i7 CPU inside. It isn’t fanless, but it’s kind of virtually fanless (it’s silent, you can’t feel the air flow, etc.)
There hasn’t been any direct mentions of performance or battery life, only that it’s better than Surface Pro 2 (by around 10%?)
The Surface Pro 3 hinge is pretty awesome: It starts at 22 degrees, but it goes all the way down to 150 degrees — allowing you to use it on your lap (lappability, in Panay’s parlance). It uses “friction hinge” technology.
There are new type covers. They now connect to the Surface in a different way, apparently providing more stability than the old magnetic hinge.
Lots and lots of demos for the stylus. The ultra-thin display stack mean that it feels very natural to write on the Surface Pro 3. Clicking a button on the stylus turns the Surface Pro 3 on, and automatically loads Onenote.
There are dual front-facing speakers. Apparently they sound really good (but hard to tell from an on-stage demo).
There are two cameras. They’re good apparently, but no exact specs yet.
There are three configurations of the Surface Pro 3: Core i3, i5, and i7. Prices start at $800, and pre-order is available from tomorrow. Delivery is expected by June 20 in the US, and August for the rest of the world.
Original story
The rumored Surface Mini has been a long time coming (it was first hinted at by Microsoftway back in February 2013). The latest leaks suggest that this Surface Mini would have a 7.5-inch screen, with an interesting 1440×1080 display that would put it in the iPad-like 4:3 aspect ratio category, rather than the widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio of the current Surface tablets. As we discussed last week, the Mini is expected to have a Qualcomm SoC (instead of Nvidia), and thus Windows RT rather than Windows 8 under the hood.
Microsoft is also expected to unveil another Surface tablet at the event — one powered by Intel chips. It isn’t known if this will be the Surface Pro 3, or perhaps a cheaper Bay Trail tablet. There are some rumors that indicate that this other new Surface might have a larger screen — something like 13 inches (instead of the current 10.6), so that it more comfortably fills the role of a laptop. Using a 13-inch Surface as a tablet will obviously be a little tricky, though. (Making a single device that fulfills multiple use cases is hard. Who would’ve thought it?)
In any case, today’s event is very important for Microsoft. The company’s recent quarterly results showed that the Surface division continues to be a money sink, with total losses now clocking in at over $1 billion. Microsoft would need a bit of a miracle to turn it around. The fate of Windows RT is probably in the balance, too. Stay tuned for the event at 11am to see just what that miracle is.
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