Microsoft has commenced mass production activities for the Surface Book 2 and reports indicated that the hybrid device will be introduced no later than April 2017. On release date, the second-gen Surface Book will sell starting at $1000.
The lower sticker price, according to Taiwanese publication DigiTimes, was decided by Microsoft in order to lure in more buyers for the Windows 10-powered 2-in-1 device. "The sources believe Microsoft's decision to lower the price range for its new Surface Book is because the existing Surface Book's high price level has significantly limited demand," the report said.
The first Surface Book came with premium price tags that reached a high of $3200, which DigiTimes said likely contributed to the low demand that greeted the device despite the glowing reviews from experts and consumers alike. The report revealed that Microsoft only managed to shift 500,000 units of the original Surface Book.
But with the asking price to be dropped at a more affordable level, Microsoft is looking to increase sales and will likely do so by keeping the device's key sexy features such as the chassis that is made of magnesium-aluminum alloy.
However, the Surface Book 2 will not be featuring the rotating screen of the first edition and will also likely drop most of the tablet-like functionalities. DigiTimes said Microsoft will focus on the clamshell design approach in order to differentiate the Surface Book 2 from the Surface Pro line.
In a related report, WCCFTech said it will be best for the Surface Book 2 to become mostly a powerful notebook, and perhaps ditch the touchscreen features, for the device to better compete with rivals, chief of which is Apple's MacBook Pro line.
As for the specs and features bumps, the same report suggested the Surface Book 2 screen size will remain 13.5-inch but with higher display 4K display resolution. Under the hood, the computing muscle will be fired up courtesy of Intel Core i5 and i7 Kaby Lake processors.
DigiTimes noted on its report that Microsoft has started offering up to $200 discounts on existing Surface Book models, somehow indicating that the Surface Book 2 release date is happening real soon, likely between April and May 2017 or shortly after the Windows 10 Creators (Redstone 2) Update rollout.