Microsoft Surface Tablets Roll Out Amid Slow Period for Category

As fall 2015 tablets roll out, marketers are using back-to-school pegs to spur sales in the slowing category. Office Depot announced Tuesday that the Microsoft Surface 3 and Surface Pro 3 tablets are available for purchase online, while AT&T said it will be the first carrier to offer the Surface 3 when it begins selling the cellular version Friday. The Surface 3, with a 10.8-inch screen, will start at $499 at Office Depot, it said, saying the device can alternate from tablet to laptop when users disconnect the tablet from the keyboard. Battery life of the Surface 3, at nine hours with a Micro USB charger, rivals that of a smartphone, said the retailer. The Surface Pro, with a 12-inch HD screen, starts at $999, and includes an Intel Core i5 processor, 128 GB storage and 4 GB RAM. Weight is 1.76 pounds, said Office Depot. AT&T will begin selling the Microsoft 4G LTE Surface 3 tablet Friday for $0 down and $30 monthly over 20 months with an AT&T tablet installment plan, the carrier said Tuesday. Also, in a limited time deal, customers can buy the Surface 3 for $399 when they buy a Lumia smartphone purchased with the AT&T Next plan, it said. Price of the Surface 3 with a two-year contract is $499, and it’s $599 without a contract, said AT&T. Features include Microsoft Office, Windows 8.1, an Intel Atom x7 processor, 64 GB embedded storage and a surface pen, said AT&T. IDC predicted earlier this year (see 1503120021) that Microsoft tablets would see a boost with the arrival of Windows 10 later this year. The Surface models announced Tuesday are Windows 8.1 models upgradeable to Windows 10 when the upgrade is released. IDC predicted Microsoft would gain “significant share” in the tablet market, growing from 5.1 percent last year to 14.1 percent in 2019.