Microsoft will launch a surface of approximately 400 euros

Apple dealt a significant blow to low-cost tablets with the launch of a 350-euro iPad earlier this year, bringing its tablet on par with Windows-powered alternatives and making a great deal for the education sector. Microsoft wants to respond with a cheap Surface.

Microsoft works on a cheap Surface to board the 2018 iPad

A new report suggests Microsoft is looking to strike back at the Cupertino giant with the launch of its own line of cheaper Surface tablets. Bloomberg reports that the company will launch the new devices in the second half of this year, with an estimated price of around 400 euros, very little above the iPad, but with all the possibilities that Windows 10 Pro offers.

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In order to minimize manufacturing cost, Microsoft is said to be creating cheaper versions of the Keyboard Cover, Surface Pen, and Arc Mouse, none of which will be included with the base product in order to sell it as cheaply as possible. The new Microsoft device would be approximately 20% lighter than its Pro counterpart, although at the cost of four hours less battery life, something that can be a very important limitation for some users who need to work many hours away from the plugs..

USB Type-C support will be included along with 64GB and 128GB internal storage options. The company is aware of the danger that Apple's cheapest iPad represents to its own ambitions for the education market, and is responding calmly, we will have to wait a bit to know if the new product is a resounding success, or a failure.

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