Microsoft is reported to be working on low-cost Surface tablets to compete with Apple iPads that dominate the tablet market at present. The new range of Surface tablets from the company is expected to be unveiled in the second half of the year.
As per a report by Bloomberg, the new Surface tablets from Microsoft are likely to feature 10-inch display screen to rival Apple iPads that also come with 10-inch displays. In addition, the surface tablets are also expected to arrive with rounded edges like the standard iPads. The report also claims that the Microsoft tablets will be 20% lighter than the Apple counterparts.
The report further states that the Surface tablets may be priced around $400 that is cheaper than Apple models. The tablets are also expected to sport USB Type-C connectivity port making them the first tablets to feature this technology. The report also suggests that the surface tablets will offer four hours less battery life than the standard Apple models with a maximum standby time of 13 hours with a single charge cycle.
Microsoft is also reported to have tied up with Intel to source the processor and graphics card of the tablets. The company also is planning to introduce multiple variants of the device in terms of storage that includes 64GB and 128GB variants. In addition, the company may also launch models that can connect to LTE cellular networks along with the regular WiFi models. The tablets will also feature kickstand to aid in typing and will run on Windows 10 Pro.
This is not the first time that Microsoft is planning to enter the tablet market. It had launched Surface RT in 2012 but the tablet failed to meet expectations and did not manage to survive for long in the fiercely competitive market. Microsoft stopped production of the Surface RT eventually and started to focus more on the premium Surface Pro lineup. Now since the company has decided to venture into the tablet market again, it has to do something special to compete with its rival Apple, that currently dominates the market with its lineup of iPads.