Launched by Microsoft, Surface 2 tablets

Microsoft has disclosed updated versions of its Surface RT and Surface professional tablets, along side a replacement vary of Surface accessories.

 Surface 2 and Surface professional 2 every get pleasure from important updates, as well as enhancements to process power, battery life, show and camera resolution, still on the kickstand – currently with twin angles in order that the users will balance the Surface on their lap or at their table.

Enhancements in Windows RT 8. 1 and Windows eight. 1 professional conjointly create the Surface 2 and Surface professional 2 a lot of powerful and customizable, in step with Microsoft.

The Surface 2, that replaces the Surface RT, is steam-powered by associate degree NVIDIA Tetra four processors; creating apps run quicker and electric sander and increasing battery life to up to ten hours for video playback. The 10.6-inch full HD show currently renders 1080p video, and its life-size USB port has been upgraded to USB 3. 0 for up to fourfold quicker file transfers.

Camera resolution has increased, with a 3.5-megapixel front camera and 5-megapixel rear camera, each capable of capturing 1080p video and that includes improved low-light performance. The pill is additionally slightly agent and lighter than its precursor.

The Surface 2 can ship with Windows RT 8. 1, delivery enhancements in areas like personalization, search, multitasking, inherent apps, the Windows Store expertise and cloud property.

The new Xbox Music permits users to stream songs for complimentary, associate degrees users may transfer an updated Video app and games like “Halo: Spartan Assault” from the Windows Store. Surface two comes pre-loaded with Microsoft workplace 2013 RT and is offered with 32GB and 64GB configurations, beginning at £359.

Meanwhile, the Surface professional 2 is that the successor to the Surface professional and is steam-powered by a fourth-generation Intel Core i5 processor that, combined with alternative enhancements, delivers increased performance and up to sixty p.c longer battery life than Surface professional, in step with Microsoft.

Starting at £719, the Surface professional 2 is going to be offered in 64GB and 128GB configurations with four GB of RAM and 256GB and 512GB configurations with 8 GB of RAM.

Microsoft began mercantilism its original Surface tablets last Oct, however sales are slow. The corporate shipped a few million tablets within the initial 3 months of 2013, in step with analysis firm IDC, as well as concerning 260,000 of the RT version and 750,000 of the professional version.

The shipments gave Microsoft a two PC share of the tablets market within the half-moon. By the second quarter, however, Microsoft tablets had borne out of IDC's prime five.

"Microsoft has been humiliated by modest sales of Surface, however it isn't foreign. Microsoft is doubling down on Surface, creating required hardware enhancements to attractiveness to businesses and customers," aforementioned wife Rotman Epps, senior analyst at Forrester.

"The initial version of Surface, particularly RT, could not vie with Apple's merchandise. Surface 2 is best positioned to vie with iPad, and Surface professional two makes an attempt to require on MacBook Air still as competition from Lenovo, Samsung, and HP."

She more that Surface isn't simply a stage for Windows, however conjointly workplace, Skype, Bing, and Skydrive.

"Microsoft's future depends on customers and businesses victimization these services, and Microsoft seems like it cannot trust entirely on hardware partners to deliver these experiences any longer. The enhancements to Surface will not create it associate degree long best-seller – Microsoft still features a long road ahead to convince customers and businesses."

Microsoft aforementioned that customers buying either device can receive free Skype business to landlines in additional than sixty countries for one year, unlimited Skype local area network on their Surface two or Surface professional two at quite two million hotspots worldwide for one year, and two hundred GB of free SkyDrive storage for 2 years.

The company has conjointly six new accessories, as well as 3 new forms of the cowl, a tying up station for the Surface Prothat lets users connect their pill to to desktop computer peripherals like associate degree external monitors, Ethernet, speakers and power provide, an automobile charger with a USB port and a special-edition Arc bit Mouse that has been updated to match the planning of Surface.

Customers will pre-order the Surface two and Surface professional two from 13. 00 BST nowadays, either on-line at http://www.MicrosoftStore.com, in Microsoft Stores, or from choosing retailers as well as John Lewis. The device can become on the market on twenty two Oct.

"The original Microsoft Surface was well received by our customers and we're extremely excited concerning the new agent, lighter and quicker devices," aforementioned Harry Boughton, junior emptor for tablets and telecoms at John Lewis. "You are assured that we are going to offer our leading 2 year guarantee at no additional price once these launches in our stores on the twenty second October".