It is being speculated that Microsoft is planning an event next week where it will not only launch the small Surface Mini and a larger Surface Pro 2 tablets, but the release date of the new Surface Pro 3 might also be announced. The software giant is expected to launch the mini tablet at a press event in New York city on May 20.
On its Support page, Microsoft has mentioned the “Surface Pro 3 camera.” Even though the mention of the Surface Pro 3 is being touted as a typographical error, the technology news site CNET claims that there is a “new Intel-based Surface” tablet in the pipeline apart from the Qualcomm-powered Surface Mini. A source at Intel has confirmed that the new upcoming Surface Pro tablet will have “a new power-optimized Haswell variant.”
“There are strong indications that there is a 12-inch product coming down the pipeline,” Rhoda Alexander, who directs IHS Technology’s monitor and tablet research said.
So far, Microsoft is yet to officially confirm the announcement of the Surface Pro 3 release date. The new Surface tablet is rumoured to be a refresh of its previous tablets with a slimmer design and more lightweight than the Microsoft Surface Pro 2 which weighs around 2 pounds. Larger Surface Pro tablets have always been powered by Intel processors. The new Surface Pro 3 tablet is expected to feature the “Skylake” Intel Core i7 chip which will make it the fastest Windows tablet till date. It is also expected to sport an impressive Retina IPS display with 290ppi.
The announcements of the new tablets will put Microsoft at an advantage against Apple which is also expected to launch the new iPad Air and iPad Mini 3 this fall. Microsoft is planning the event on May 20 where it is expected to unveil the new 12-inch tablet rumoured to be the Surface Pro 3. A larger Surface tablet could help Microsoft increase its market especially among business users who often prefer bigger displays together with a mouse and a keyboard.
The Surface Pro 2 uses an Intel Core i5-4300U processor which is a Haswell chip. The smaller Surface Mini is expected to be a 7.5-inch device.
Microsoft is yet to confirm any of these reports.
Source: Microsoft Support, Via: The Verge