What will 'Surface' from Microsoft's May 20 mystery announcement? - Daily Digest

Much anticipation has been building ahead of Microsoft's May 20 press conference in New York, with speculations that the tech company will introduce a Surface mini tablet with a stylus as well as a larger, 12-inch Surface model.

So, what is Microsoft expected to roll out on Tuesday? According to InformationWeek, the headlining debut will be a 7- to 8-inch Surface mini powered by an ARM Qualcomm microprocessor and running Windows RT. It will feature a highly sensitive stylus for digital note-taking and have a 4:3 aspect ratio, making it comparable to the iPad, a change from 16:9 ratio thus far found in most Microsoft tablets.

In addition to Surface mini, Microsoft is expected to launch several other models in its flagship tablet line, including a Surface powered by an Intel processor and thus supporting a full version of Windows 8.1. Also rumored is a 12-inch Surface Pro with Intel chip and Windows 8.1, an answer to Samsung's Galaxy Note Pro and touchscreen ultrabooks. The Surface currently on the market has a 10.6-inch screen.

The Surface Mini is expected to be priced to compete with Apple's non-Retina iPad Mini, which retails starting at $299. The larger Surface models could cost more than $1,000, according to InformationWeek.

In addition to tablet announcements, InformationWeek also hypothesizes that Microsoft may introduce a Surface-branded wearable device, such as a smartwatch, for which it filed a patent. Microsoft could also debut "blades," the touch-sensitive accessories alluded to at last year's Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 launch that connect to the keyboard and used to create and mix music.

Hardware announcements aside, what is well-known is that Microsoft still lags behind Apple and Samsung in the tablet market, with only 1 to 2 percent market share. Microsoft's new CEO Satya Nadella is expected to be the presenter at the May 20 event.

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