Reports from the Far East indicate that second-generation 7-inch and 9-inch Surface devices from Microsoft are in the works, with a big reveal planned for June.
One of the interesting bits of speculation floating about is that one of the devices may be a specific Xbox-oriented Surface device designed primarily for ardent gamers. Microsoft is due to reveal its next-generation Xbox games console to the press on 21 May, ahead of the E3 games conference in LA in June.
Taiwan news service DigiTimes has reported that hardware makers in the region have already shipped components for 1.5m Intel-based units.
It has been reported by The Verge that ahead of Microsoft’s intended Windows 8.1 upgrade, the software giant has been working with OEMs to bring cheaper and smaller Windows tablets to market, with a leaked 8-inch Acer tablet suggesting an imminent launch.
In related news, Microsoft confirmed last week that the Surface Pro Windows 8 tablet PC will arrive in the UK and Irish markets, as well as the rest of Europe and New Zealand and Australia at the end of May.
The Surface Pro is the more heavy-duty version of its predecessor, the Surface RT. Unlike the Surface RT, which ran on an ARM processor, the Surface Pro will run on an Intel Core i5 chipset.
