Newsbytes
  • India
  • Business
  • World
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Auto
  • Lifestyle
  • Inspirational
  • Career
  • Bengaluru
  • Delhi
  • Mumbai
  • Videos
  • Visual Stories
  • Reviews
  • Phone Reviews
  • Fitness Bands Reviews
  • Speakers Reviews
  • Find Cricket Statistics
Hindi
More
In the news
Cryptocurrency
GST
Stock Market
Indian Rupee (INR)
Newsbytes
Hindi
Newsbytes
User Placeholder

Hi,

Logout


India
Business
World
Politics
Sports
Technology
Entertainment
Auto
Lifestyle
Inspirational
Career
Bengaluru
Delhi
Mumbai
Videos
Visual Stories
Reviews
Phone Reviews
Fitness Bands Reviews
Speakers Reviews
Find Cricket Statistics

More Links
  • Videos

Download Android App

Follow us on
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube
 
Home / News / Business News / Will Microsoft's new Surface line-up work for India? Unlikely
Business

Will Microsoft's new Surface line-up work for India? Unlikely

Will Microsoft's new Surface line-up work for India? Unlikely
Written by Shiladitya Ray
Aug 08, 2018, 03:57 pm 3 min read
Will Microsoft's new Surface line-up work for India? Unlikely
Credits:

On Tuesday, Microsoft launched its new Surface line-up in India comprising two devices - the Surface Laptop, and the Surface Book 2. Unveiled and launched in 2017 in other parts of the world, the arrival of these two products in the Indian market, given their prices, might be disappointing for most, except for Microsoft Surface loyalists. Why? We explain.

Indian market
India is a highly price sensitive market

First things first: understanding the Indian market. India is a highly price sensitive market where good products often fail because of bad pricing - Indians are rarely willing to burn holes in their pockets for any product that is anything short of exceptional, revolutionary, or aspirational (we're looking at you, Apple). Case in point: Surface Pros never really caught on despite being great products.

Pricing
The new Surface line-up is very, very expensive

For those unaware, Microsoft's Surface Laptop has prices ranging from Rs. 86,999 to Rs. 2,39,999, and it's not even Microsoft's most premium product. The premium Surface Book 2 has a price ranging from Rs. 1,37,999 to Rs. 2,57,999 for the 13.5-inch variants, and a price ranging from Rs. 2,22,499 to Rs. 2,95,999 for the 15-inch variants. Are Microsoft's offerings at par with this pricing?

Processors
The Surface Laptop's processors are dated

To start with, the Surface Laptop series will be powered by 7th generation Intel m3, Core i3, and Core i7 processors. It's worth noting that these processors are around two years old and considerably weaker than 8th generation processors being offered by many other competitors. While the premium Surface Book 2 will offer 8th generation Intel processors, the price tag still seems extremely high.

Other specs
Microsoft offers nothing exceptional or new, specs wise

As far as other specs go, the new Surface line-up offers pretty much standard gear found on any premium or mid to high-end gaming laptop. Depending on variants, Microsoft is offering between 128GB to 1TB SSD, 8GB to 16GB of RAM, and graphics options ranging from integrated Intel HD 620s to discrete, top-notch NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060s.

Competition
Microsoft's Surface line-up is rather pricey compared to competition

Insofar as competition is concerned, Surface Laptop's price range puts it in direct competition with premium thin-and-light laptops like the Lenovo Yoga 920, Dell XPS 13 9370, all of which offer 8th Gen processors and equivalent hardware. Coming to the Surface Book 2, there are a host of gaming laptops out there which offer similar, if not better specs at lower prices.

Display
Saving grace: The new Surface line-up's display is exemplary

Yet, while the new Surface line-up lacks somewhat in the processor department, it's worth mentioning that both the devices come with Microsoft's PixelSense displays that are so sharp that they're nigh-unmatched save for 4K displays. The devices have an odd 3:2 aspect ratio, but their high-resolutions and brilliant colors make them untouchable for even Apple, if a pixel-by-pixel comparison is done. That is, perhaps, the only reason to buy them.

Verdict
It's unlikely Microsoft will even capture the tech-savvy Indian's imagination

Its display and portability apart, Microsoft's new Surface line-up has nothing novel or exceptional to offer, and pales in front of competition that offers better specs for lower prices. Neither do the new Surface products carry the intangible aspirational value Apple products do. Given these facts, and the exorbitant pricing, it's unlikely that Microsoft will capture even the tech-savvy Indian's imagination.

Share this timeline
Facebook
Whatsapp
Twitter
Linkedin
Shiladitya Ray
Shiladitya Ray
Mail
Budding social scientist with a keen interest in social studies of science and the sociology of knowledge. Cinephile. Liverpudlian. Metalhead.
Latest
India
Microsoft
Ram (Random Access Memory)
Microsoft Laptops
Microsoft Surface
Related
Latest
#DealOfTheDay: Save Rs. 27,000 on ‎MSI GF63 Thin gaming laptop
#DealOfTheDay: Save Rs. 27,000 on ‎MSI GF63 Thin gaming laptop Technology
Jesse Lingard signs for Nottingham Forest: Decoding his stats
Jesse Lingard signs for Nottingham Forest: Decoding his stats Sports
Did you known these fruits can make your hair stronger?
Did you known these fruits can make your hair stronger? Lifestyle
How has Serena Williams fared at the US Open?
How has Serena Williams fared at the US Open? Sports
5 yoga asanas older adults can safely practice
5 yoga asanas older adults can safely practice Lifestyle
India
Wait is over: CBSE declares Class 10th results. Details here
Wait is over: CBSE declares Class 10th results. Details here Career
Decoding Keto diet for Indians
Decoding Keto diet for Indians Lifestyle
Best planetariums in India to introduce your kids to astronomy
Best planetariums in India to introduce your kids to astronomy Lifestyle
5 places in India to enjoy hot air balloon rides
5 places in India to enjoy hot air balloon rides Lifestyle
Indian Railways orders 39,000 wheels from Chinese manufacturer
Indian Railways orders 39,000 wheels from Chinese manufacturer India
More News
Microsoft
Global outage rocks MS Teams users; Microsoft announces investigation
Global outage rocks MS Teams users; Microsoft announces investigation Technology
'Toll Fraud' malware detected: How are Android users getting affected
'Toll Fraud' malware detected: How are Android users getting affected Technology
Microsoft's Surface Laptop Go 2 launched in India: Check price
Microsoft's Surface Laptop Go 2 launched in India: Check price Technology
Abortion ruling: US companies reach out to women employees
Abortion ruling: US companies reach out to women employees World
#EndOfAnEra: After 27 years, Microsoft ends support for Internet Explorer
#EndOfAnEra: After 27 years, Microsoft ends support for Internet Explorer Technology
More News
Ram (Random Access Memory)
#NewsBytesExplainer: What is virtual RAM technology in smartphones?
#NewsBytesExplainer: What is virtual RAM technology in smartphones? Technology
Ram 1500 BackCountry Edition truck, with new equipment, breaks cover
Ram 1500 BackCountry Edition truck, with new equipment, breaks cover Auto
Samsung Galaxy A72's support page goes live, launch imminent
Samsung Galaxy A72's support page goes live, launch imminent Technology
Black Shark 4 certified by TENAA; to get 6.67-inch display
Black Shark 4 certified by TENAA; to get 6.67-inch display Technology
ASUS ROG Phone 5 gets TENAA certification, certain specifications revealed
ASUS ROG Phone 5 gets TENAA certification, certain specifications revealed Technology
More News
Microsoft Laptops
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 launched at Rs. 1.03 lakh
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 launched at Rs. 1.03 lakh Technology
Ahead of launch, Microsoft Surface Laptop 4's prices leaked
Ahead of launch, Microsoft Surface Laptop 4's prices leaked Technology
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go launched in India at Rs. 63,500
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go launched in India at Rs. 63,500 Technology
#FinancialBytes: Discounts, offers provided by laptop companies for students
#FinancialBytes: Discounts, offers provided by laptop companies for students Business
#FinancialBytes: Discounts, offers provided by laptop companies for students
#FinancialBytes: Discounts, offers provided by laptop companies for students Business
More News
Microsoft Surface
Microsoft Surface Earbuds' release date delayed to 2020
Microsoft Surface Earbuds' release date delayed to 2020 Technology
All you need to know about Microsoft's foldable device
All you need to know about Microsoft's foldable device Technology
From Surface Duo phone to Earbuds: Everything Microsoft announced yesterday
From Surface Duo phone to Earbuds: Everything Microsoft announced yesterday Technology
Microsoft announces October 2 event: Expected product launches
Microsoft announces October 2 event: Expected product launches Technology
More News
Related
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 debuts in India at Rs. 1,04,500
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 debuts in India at Rs. 1,04,500 Technology
Microsoft Surface Pro X launched in India at Rs. 94,000
Microsoft Surface Pro X launched in India at Rs. 94,000 Technology
Microsoft Surface Go 3 arrives in India at Rs. 43,000
Microsoft Surface Go 3 arrives in India at Rs. 43,000 Technology
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 launched with improved design and hardware
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 launched with improved design and hardware Technology
Next News Article
Next News Article

Love Business news?

Subscribe to stay updated.

Business Thumbnail
India News Business News World News Politics News Sports News Technology News Entertainment News Auto News Lifestyle News Inspirational News
Career News Bengaluru News Delhi News Mumbai News Mukesh Ambani Indian Premier League (IPL) Karnataka Samsung Xiaomi West Bengal
Bihar Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma Haryana Narendra Modi Arvind Kejriwal Tamil Nadu Gujarat Yogi Adityanath YouTube
Instagram Hollywood News Uttar Pradesh Kerala Netflix Bollywood News Mamata Banerjee Maruti Suzuki Rahul Gandhi Elon Musk
Shah Rukh Khan Chelsea FC OPPO Akhilesh Yadav Indian Cricket Team Apple Manchester United Salman Khan Cryptocurrency OnePlus
Amitabh Bachchan ICC Women's World Cup Vivo India vs Sri Lanka
About Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Contact Us Ethical Conduct Grievance Redressal News News Archive Topics Archive IPL 2022 Schedule IPL 2022 Points Table Find Cricket Statistics
Follow us on
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Youtube
All rights reserved © NewsBytes 2022