Microsoft will be unveiling its Windows RT Surface tablets this coming October with a price tag of $199, according to an Engadget source. Microsoft first unveiled the Surface family of Windows tablets earlier this year, and pricing rumours have been flying all around the room. The tipster reportedly revealed details from a session at Microsoft's recent TechReady15 conference and notes that the Surface Windows RT tablet will launch on October 26th.
Should Engadget's source be correct, this will definitely put the Surface on the map as an affordable tablet experience compared to competing Android and Apple offerings. With the low-end Windows RT version sporting 32GB storage, Office 2013, a variety of connectivity ports, and weighing in at just 676g, $199 would be an excellent launch price. For comparison sake, the Apple iPad 2 starts from $399 for the 16GB WiFi model (or $499 should you desire the new Retina iPad). Too good to be true?
We'd recommend taking this rumour with a pinch of salt, but Engadget is fairly reliable when it comes to rumours. It sports a 94 rating with Tracour, which is basically a rating system that calculates reliability and trustworthiness of news websites and journalists. So take it how you will, folks.
It's to our understanding that Microsoft will look to price its Windows Pro version of Surface to compete with OEMs and platform competition, but when it comes to Windows RT we can see the software giant being slightly more aggressive in both marketing and the actual cost for consumers to purchase their product. Microsoft has previously commented on pricing for both the RT and Pro versions of Surface:
"Suggested retail pricing will be announced closer to availability and is expected to be competitive with a comparable ARM tablet or Intel Ultrabook-class PC. OEMs will have cost and feature parity on Windows 8 and Windows RT."
The big question is what Microsoft's OEM partners will bring to the table to combat its plans to release in-house hardware. This will be the first real push from Microsoft to create its own devices for Windows and we're excited to get our mucky paws on one a Surface tablet. Also, will the cool flip-cover + keyboard be included in the price, or will we be looking to purchase a few accessories?
What do you think about the rumoured pricing point for the Windows RT Surface tablet? Do you believe it'll be as aggressively priced? Let us know in the comments.
Source: Engadget
