Microsoft to Unveil a Chromebook Rival Before the Next Surface Device

Fans are expecting a new Microsoft Surface device as it has been quite a long time since Microsoft Surface 4 was released. However, Microsoft is gearing up to launch a new laptop that would compete with the Chromebooks powered by Google Android.

As per the latest reports, Google-powered Chromebooks are on the rise in the U.S and Microsoft is allegedly planning a Surface laptop to counter the devices from Google. Microsoft is planning to introduce the new device at a low budget so that it could compete with Chromebooks in the market. The specifications of the device, however, is not made official.

There are speculations of a device that will be powered by Windows cloud platform. The new Surface device will also be targeted at educational institutions and low-cost markets too. Since Windows-based PCs have lost market share in the U.S., Microsoft is planning to change the strategy and introduce a low-cost device so it could appeal to more customers and gain some market share, reported PCWorld.

Spring is around the corner and Microsoft has the perfect opportunity to showcase new Surface device. The company has confirmed that it will launch a new Surface laptop but will not launch Surface Pro 5 at the Spring event, as reported by Forbes. The new laptop will reportedly run a new edition of Windows 10 that is expected to be cloud-based and specially built for low-cost devices.

The leaked details reveal that the new Surface laptop will allegedly have a ten-hour battery life for all-day use and will resume to login in just under two seconds. These numbers are comparable with most of the Chromebooks that are available in the market currently.

The recommended specifications which were leaked include a quad-core processor, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage which will be eMMC or SSD based. A 40Whr battery is recommended and the leak also points to an optional pen or touch-enabled screen. The device definitely sees the light of the day as Microsoft is using the hashtag #MicrosoftEDU. The device is expected to be unveiled on 2nd May.