According to reports, Microsoft has started mass production of the new Surface Book 2. The shipment is expected to start as early as April, sources from the upstream supply chain claim. The tech giant is expected to announce about its new product at the end of this month itself.
The Surface Book 2 looks to be like a regular laptop with a clamshell design rather than a traditional 2-in-1 design. The starting price of these products are expected to be lower than the previous ones. The existing Surface Book products, including the one with the Core i5 128GB, start from US$1,299 now. Microsoft is apparently trying clear the inventory so that it could accommodate its new products.
The new Surface Book 2 is rumored to have a magnesium-aluminum-alloy chassis and a 13.5-inch display. It is expected to start from US$1,000, which is much cheaper than the starting prices for Surface Books that start from US$1,499 at the moment. The decision to have a lower price range for the new product is believed to have inspired by the limited demand of the present products due to its high pricing. It is estimated that Microsoft shipped just 500,000 Surface Books last year due to the lack of demand.
According to Digi Times, Microsoft is expected to ship around 1.5 million units of the new Surface Book 2 this year. The Surface Pro, on the other hand, is expected to have a 20 percent on-year shipment growth and reach the six million mark in 2017.
According to Business Insider, the Surface Book products are not for everyone, as the premium hardware comes for at least $2,999. Microsoft, which has always delivered affordable products to its customers, might want to change that with the new Surface Book 2. But, it also has to deal with a fierce notebook market and relevant competition.
