Microsoft cuts Surface RT price by 30 per cent

published 15 July 2013

Microsoft has slashed the price of its Surface RT tablet by around 30 per cent in the UK, with the 32GB device now selling for 279.99.

The software giant has reduced the price of both the 32GB and 64GB versions of the tablet by around 120, with the latter now retailing at 359.

We've been seeing great success with pricing and cover promotions over the past several months.

Users that plump for a 32GB Surface RT/Touch Cover bundle will need to stump up 359 or 439 to get the 64 GB tablet included instead.

At the time of writing, the Surface Pro was still retailing on the Microsoft online store at full price.

A Microsoft spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal the price cut will help the firm capitalise on the success of similar pricing promotions in other parts of the world.

"We've been seeing great success with pricing and cover promotions over the past several months on Surface RT in the US and other markets," the spokesperson said.

"People who buy Surface love Surface, and we're excited about all those additional people out sharing their excitement for Surface with other people."

Over the last couple of months, Microsoft has been offering significant discounts on the tablets at its developer and user conferences, with many queuing for several hours to snap one up.

This is on the back of criticism about the firm's Surface pricing strategy, which prompted market watcher IDC to warn Microsoft earlier this year that the high cost of the Surface RT could stop the device being a success.

News of the price cuts are sure to fuel speculation Microsoft is trying to jumpstart sales for the device, which the firm's CEO Steve Ballmer admitted back in November had been "modest" since its release on 26 October.

According to a slide displayed during a keynote presentation at the firm's Worldwide Partner Conference last week, Microsoft is reportedly gearing up for a refresh of the Surface RT and Pro devices in the coming months.

Caroline Donnelly is the news and analysis editor of IT Pro and its sister site Cloud Pro, and covers general news, as well as the storage, security, public sector, cloud and Microsoft beats. Caroline has been a member of the IT Pro/Cloud Pro team since March 2012, and has previously worked as a reporter at several B2B publications, including UK channel magazine CRN, and as features writer for local weekly newspaper, The Slough and Windsor Observer. She studied Medical Biochemistry at the University of Leicester and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism at PMA Training in 2006.