Microsoft unveils two new Surface tablets
Vendor unveils Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 which it claims are faster and thinner, with longer battery life
Microsoft has unveiled the newest additions to the Surface family at a New York event today in an effort to boost sales of the struggling devices.
The Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 devices will be available in the UK - as well as a variety of other global launch markets - on 22 October.
The vendor said the tablets will be available direct from its retail stores and through selected third-party retailers, but did not mention whether the new devices would be available to accredited Devices Resellers.
Both the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 have improved processing power and battery life, as well as enhanced camera resolution and changes to the kickstand to make it more comfortable for users, Microsoft claims.
The software giant also unveiled what it described as value-added services in the form of free Skype calling to landlines for one year, unlimited Skype WiFi at more than two million hotspots for a year and 200GB of free SkyDrive storage for two years, all available on both models.
The Surface 2 comes in 32GB and 64GB versions and will be priced from £359 upwards. Microsoft claims the Surface 2 tablet is the "most productive... for personal use" while its Surface Pro 2 offering is a "true laptop replacement".
The business-centric model, which will come in 64GB and 128GB configurations and will start from £719, has up to 60 per cent longer battery life than the Surface Pro.
The vendor unveiled a range of other accessories at the event too, including thinner Touch and Type covers to go with the duo, a power cover to further improve battery life and a docking station which allows users to connect tablets to PC components in one step.
Microsoft's first foray into the tablet space has had a shaky start; the silence on channel Surface RT and Surface Pro availability upset UK resellers, and when Microsoft eventually did speak up, it said it was only allowing nine partners in this country to get their hands on the devices, a move which also met with hostility from partners not included on the line-up.
The vendor had to take a $900m (£561m) write-down charge on the tablet in its fiscal Q4 as the vendor admitted it had made more than it had been able to sell.