Microsoft reveals Surface tablet will start at $500

Microsoft has revealed that the pricing for its Windows RT Surface tablet starts at $500, with an added $100 if you want to shell out for a keyboard cover.

The pricing and specifications of the new Surface tablets were briefly revealed at Microsoft’s online store today on a page that was quickly pulled. The 32GB version of the ARM-based Surface tablet running Windows RT (a version of Windows 8) will set you back $500. If you want the TouchCover keyboard case in black then you can add another $100. The 64GB version with the black TouchCover keyboard case will set you back $700.

You’ll be able to pick up additional TouchCovers in a range of colors for $100 a pop and the TypeCover keyboard will go on sale at $130.

Microsoft is gearing up for a major advertising push into the holiday season and The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the company has placed orders to produce 3 to 5 million of these devices in the fourth quarter. That’s reportedly on a par with the numbers Amazon and Google ordered of the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 respectively, but way below the 10 million iPad minis that Apple has supposedly ordered.

We expect the tablets to go on sale on October 26 in Microsoft stores immediately following the Microsoft Windows 8 event on October 25.

The 32GB Surface RT is hitting the same price point as the iPad 16GB at $500. The tablet war is well and truly on. The speculation about the pricing for the Surface tablets has been rife; at one stage we were hearing a possible price of just $200. With the long-rumored iPad mini widely expected to be announced on October 23, Microsoft could have a hard act to follow. Can the Surface make a splash at this price point? We’ll find out very soon.

In the meantime, check out the first Surface TV ad which ran on U.S. television on Monday night.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Microsoft Surface RT pricing and availability surfaces, goes after the iPad

A slip-up at the Microsoft online store has finally lead to the unveiling of the Surface tablet’s pricing. Scheduled to hit store on October 26, the pricing of the Microsoft Surface starts from $500 without the cool Black Touch Cover with keyboard.

However, chances are that you’ll want the cool accessory, which basically transforms the Surface into a fully-fledged notebook replacement. In that case, you’ll need to shell out $600. Both prices apply for the 32GB version of the slate.

The 64GB variation is priced at $700 with the Black Touch Cover included. The Touch Cover is also available for purchase separately for $120 a pop and comes in red, black, white, blue or purple. There’s also the Type Cover retailing for $130, but that’s only available in black.

Unfortunately, the listing on the Microsoft online store isn’t available any longer.

With the Surface’s advertisements already showing on TV and all over the Internet, and rocking the same price as the iPad 3 (32GB), Microsoft’s slate is ready for a fight in the upcoming holiday season.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

iPad mini nudges closer to reality, leaked inventory shows pricing

MobileGeeks.de has got hold of an alleged inventory photo from German electronics retailer MediaMarkt concerning the pricing, storage capacity and colors of the yet unannounced iPad mini.

According to the leaked image the iPad mini will be offered in Black and White with storage options ranging from 8 GB to 64 GB, Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi and Cellular with prices starting from €249.

The iPad mini Wi-Fi variants are €249 for the 8 gig version, €349 for 16 GB, €449 earns you a 32 gig model and €549 for the 64 GB one. If you want all the trimmings just add another €100 to the quoted prices to receive a cellular option.

These prices are obviously meant to put the iPad mini at odds with its most direct competitors the Asus Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD. The Google pureblood offers 16 GB (and even rumored 32GB) of storage for the price of an 8 GB iPad mini (€249), while Amazon gives you 32 GB worth of storage on a Kindle Fire HD for the same asking price.

I’m rather disappointed that the iPad mini would be only 100 euro cheaper than the equivalent 10-inch iPad configurations. Unfortunately, Apple continues the trend of heavily overpricing storage. A 16GB iPad mini would have made lots of sense at around the €250 euro mark.

Still, things could wind up totally different so stay tuned for the unconfirmed October 23 event at which Apple could make the iPad mini official.

MobileGeeks seems to be down at the moment, but still, you will find a link to their article below.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

Lumia 820 and 920 wireless charging accessories pricing revealed

Since the next generation Lumia announcement lots of people have been wondering on the pricing of those shiny wireless charging accessories. Well, the good news is that it has now been reveals, but the bad news is that you probably won’t like it.

Clove UK is already taking pre-orders for the wireless charging shell, plate, stand and pillow. The accessories will release alongside the Lumia 820 and 920, whenever the two smartphones launch launch.

Starting off with the Lumia 820 wireless charging shell – that’s a new battery cover that will enable the wireless charging functionality on your smartphone. The cover costs £20 (€25), but you still need to buy the plate, stand or pillow to get wireless charging working. The Lumia 920 back is already equipped to work with the wireless charging accessories, so you won’t have to buy a new shell for it.

The wireless charging plate costs £55 or €68. The stand goes for £70 or €87 and finally the Fatboy pillow can be yours for £80 or €100.

In case you are interested in the official Nokia JBL Playup portable wireless speaker, you can pre-order it for £145 (€180).

Are you ready to pay such prices for those accessories have just suddently lost interest in the wireless charging functionality of the Lumia duo?

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

Detailed Nintendo Wii U specs leak, official pricing for Japan revealed as well

The Nintendo Wii U, the successor of the highly successful Wii, has been officially announced with pricing and a launch date for Japan. Later today there will be a Nintendo event where they’ll reveal the worldwide launch plans. The exact specs of the new game console are still not clear though.

Luckily, someone posted a pretty extensive specs sheet based on the site for Wii U developers.

Here go the highlights of the new Nintendo console:

• Tri-core IBM PowerPC-based processor; 3MB cache
• 1GB of RAM
• AMD Radeon-based GPU7 (DirectX 10.1, OpenGL 3.3 equivalent functionality)
• 8GB storage (Optional 32GB); SDHC card slot; support for external HDDs
• 4 USB 2.0 ports
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
• Up to 1080p output resolution
• HDMI, DVI, component, RGB and S-Video TV-Outs
• 6 channel audio support via HDMI

Sounds pretty good, considering the very limited hardware that the Wii had. The GamePad controller features a 6.2″ LCD screen of FWVGA resolution (158ppi) along with hardware game controls, stereo speakers, a microphone and camera plus NFC support.

The price of the Wii U in Japan is set at 26,260 yen ($340) for the regular version (available in white only) and 31,500 ($405) for the Premium version (with 32GB storage, available in black only). The Premium version comes with a GamePad and three stands – one for the Wii U, one for charging the GamePad and one play stand.

The bad news is that the fancy GamePad controller accounts for half of the price – a new one will set you back 13,440 yen ($170). Wii U Pro controllers (they look like standard console controllers) are priced 5,040 yen ($65).

The Nintendo Wii U doesn’t come with a Wii Remote controller or Sensor Bar, but you can get some separately.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com