Microsoft releases cheaper Surface 3

Microsoft has launched a new Surface model priced from $699.

The new device comes in under the existing Surface Pro 3, which starts at $979 and has been a strong performer for Microsoft after a rocky start in the tablet game.

The new Surface 3 is "the thinnest and lightest" the vendor has produced, coming in at 8.7 mm and 622 grams. With a 10.8-inch screen it is slightly smaller than the 12-inch Surface Pro 3.

The CPU is a quad-core Intel Atom, compared to the Pro 3's Intel i3, i5, and i7, and the unit comes with 64GB or 128GB RAM.

The device facilitates all the input/output channels that its Pro 3 sibling has – USB 3.0, mini display, microSD reader, headphone jack, cover port – plus a microUSB charging port.

Surface 3 has a front-facing camera (3.5MP) and a rear-facing camera (8MP), both of which capture 1080p video. The kickstand can only be placed in three positions.

The full 64-bit Windows 8.1 will run on the tablet, with Windows Pro available for business customers – an important move after the failure of Microsoft's Surface RT tablets, which ran a pared-back operating system and whose poor sales accounted for a massive $900 million write-down by the company.

The Surface 3 includes a free one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal, including full versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote as well as 1TB of OneDrive storage.

The Surface 3 will ship on 5 May and is available for pre-order from the Microsoft Australia Store. A 4G LTE version will also be available, but not until later in the year.

The device was only announced overnight, and Microsoft has not reported a local reseller strategy.

Microsoft has just 15 approved Surface commercial resellers in Australia; the list has been tweaked multiple times over the past couple of years and now comprises Southern Cross Computer Systems, ASI Solutions, Brennan IT, Ensyst, Data#3, Staples, Insight, Datacom, Dimension Data, Trident, Learning with Technology, Triforce, Somerville Group, CompNow and Ethan Group.

JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman are both retail partners for Surface.

The restricted nature of the Microsoft Surface channel has frustrated local resellers, with many complaining to CRN about not being able to sell the device.