Microsoft Trims 128GB Core i5 Surface Pro 3 Price By $200

If you need proof that a new Surface Pro is on the way, look no further than a new round of price cuts that Microsoft has bestowed upon its aging tablet. The model that is receiving attention in particular today is the Surface Pro 3 with the Intel Core i5 processor and 128GB solid state drive (SSD).

The tablet usually retails for $999, but Microsoft is running a one-day special, which sees the price drop by $200 to a more palatable $799. While the Core i5 processor and 128GB of RAM is quite respectable, you’ve been warned that the device is only paired with 4GB of RAM. So while the $200 discount is a nice gesture, you’re going to be stuck with 4GB of RAM with no way to upgrade in the future.

With that being said, you will still get all of the other niceties afforded by the Surface Pro 3 platform including the 12-inch 2160 x 1440 ClearType display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, magnesium casing, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, 802.11ac, and a full-size USB 3.0 port.

In our eyes, this is an effort by Microsoft to clear excess inventory for one of the best Windows tablets/convertibles on the market. The first such effort was the introduction of a new entry-level Core i7 SKU in late June, which was likely an effort to dump Core i7 inventory that Microsoft had laying around (after all, before the arrival of the new $1,299 SKU, prices started at a hefty $1,549 for Surface Pro 3 tablets powered by a Core i7 processor).

The current Surface Pro 3 went on sale in June 2014, so the tablet is long overdue for a makeover. With Windows 10 now upon us, it’s about time for Microsoft to deliver a new and improved fourth generation model for consumers. “Thinner, lighter, faster” seems to be the mantra when it comes to new product releases, so we’re eager to see what Microsoft has in store for us with the inevitable Surface Pro 4.