Microsoft unveiled its next generation tablets yesterday – the Surface 2 and the Surface Pro 2. Both devices will be available as from the 22nd of October in 22 markets initially.
According to Panos Panay, Corporate Vice President – Microsoft Surface in a blog post,
Surface Pro has been an amazing device. It has been my daily machine for a LONG time. Surface Pro 2 is a very significant upgrade on top of that strength, with meaningful battery-life improvements so it lasts nearly a full workday, a dual-stage kickstand that works great on your lap, and even faster performance. With Power Cover – a new cover accessory that provides the same great typing experience as Type Cover along with a built-in extended battery that charges while you’re working or while it’s connected in your bag – Surface 2 lasts more than more than 10 hours. With the Docking Station for Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2 can be the first device that is a tablet, a laptop, AND a high-powered workstation.
Docking Station for Surface Pro includes Mini DisplayPort video output, three USB 2.0 ports and one USB 3.0 port, an Ethernet port, and 3.5mm audio in and out.
As much as I love Surface Pro 2, I have a new main machine now, and it’s Surface 2. It feels amazing and is even lighter, thinner, and has longer battery life than before. We have fundamentally revamped Surface 2 to make it the most productive personal tablet ever. Trust me here. It is much faster – now with 72 graphics cores, twice the internet speed, and USB 3.0. It is even more beautiful – with an enticing new color that reflects the true color of Magnesium, a full HD screen, and a thinner and lighter design.
And most importantly, it is even more productive – now with Outlook RT which is how I do email, a 3.5MP front-facing camera optimized for Skype for my video calls home or video messages when we can’t connect. To ensure that you get the most out of your device, we’re including free Skype calling to landlines 60 countries and free Skype WiFi at over two million hotspots for a year, as well as 200GB of SkyDrive storage for two years. The Skype and SkyDrive offers are for both Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2!
The Surface 2 starts at $449 for the 32GB model, while the 64GB version is $549. As for the Surface Pro 2, you have a few more options. The base, 64GB model with 4GB of RAM costs $899, while the 128GB version is $999 and the 256GB model is $1,299. If you really want to go all out for the best Surface Pro 2 you can get, you can opt for the high-end 512GB version with 8GB of RAM for a steep $1,799.
Of course, Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 will also ship with Windows RT 8.1 and Windows 8.1 Pro, respectively, bringing improvements in key areas like personalization, search, multi-tasking, built-in apps, the Windows Store experience, and cloud connectivity.