The base model of the Microsoft Surface Pro starts from $799, while you can get Apple’s iPad 6 for $299for the base model as well as with a free Apple Pencil with some offers. Seeing the success Apple has been able to garner, Microsoft is reportedly working on cheaper Surface tablets, which will be able to take on the cheaper iPad lineup and take the fight right to Apple.

Microsoft Has Tried This Before With the Surface RT - Cheaper Tablets Might Be Powered by Snapdragon SoCs

The launch of the original Surface RT started from $499 but lack of app support forced the software giant to cancel this lineup and introduce the Surface Pro instead. According to a report from Bloomberg, the new tablets will sport screens sizes of 10 inches, which is around the same size as the 9.7-inch iPad and are expected to start from a price of $400. This is going to be dirt cheap, particularly devices that are running the complete version of Windows 10 and not something like Windows 10 S.

According to the report, these tablets are going to feature Type-C USB connectivity, which is going to be a first for a Surface device and it could allow users to hook these slates up to a separate monitor in order to increase their overall workspace and improve their productivity.

The tablets are expected to be about 20 percent lighter than the high-end models but will have around four hours fewer when it comes to battery life. The current Surface Pro is rated to last 13.5 hours on a single charge, according to Microsoft. While we have mentioned above that these Surface tablets might feature SoCs from Qualcomm, Bloomberg reports that Intel is going to be the main supplier, but there were no details concerning which chips are going to be present in them.

The last time Microsoft ended up releasing something affordable was back when the Surface 3 was announced, a device that featured a base price tag of $499. Hopefully, the tech giant will be able to introduce some product diversification if the latest rumor turns out to be true.

News Source: Bloomberg