5 Reasons Why Microsoft Will Not Launch Surface Pro 3 in India

Published: Thursday, May 22, 2014, 13:00 [IST]

On May 20th 2014 in a New York City based event, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella introduced the new Surface Pro 3 to the press along with Panos Panay, corporate vice president, Microsoft. The Redmond-based tech company claims that the new tablet is a full PC and can replace the needs of your tablet. "It is the most powerful, thinnest, and lightest Surface Pro yet."

The successor to the Surface tablet range including Surface 2 and Surface Pro comes with a brawny 4th-generation Intel Core processor, a bigger 12-inch ClearType Full HD display, up to 8GB of RAM, 9 hours of battery life and storage options varying from 64GB to 512GB.

The pre-order for the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is already open starting at $799 going up to $1,949 for Canada and the United States. In next few months, the sleek hybrid will hit 26 additional markets, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom. But can you see India, missing in the list? Which is one of the fastest growing mobile markets in the world.

According to IDC, India's overall tablet shipments for CY 2013 stood at 4.14 million units representing a year-on-year growth of 56.4% over CY 2012. So what could be the reason which scares away Microsoft every time to launch its premium Surface range in the market?

Well, today, GizBot will dig into the 5 main reasons as to why, Microsoft has not released any of its Surface hybrids in the market so far and never will in the near future. Take a look at it below.

Only Low Cost tablets drive Sales in India

As quoted by research firm IDC, Indian tablet market is majorly driven by strong demand for low-cost tablet models. The segment is occupied by Samsung with 18.7 percent share, followed by Micromax (8.9 percent) and lastly Apple which holds only 7.5 percent.

Also the research firm predicts that the sales will go down, as "growing popularity of phablets is likely to obstruct the growth in the tablet category."

Already Microsoft is far behind the market leaders, when it comes to sales figures of Windows-powered tablets, hence the manufacturer doesn't wants to take that risk to bring Surface Pro 3 in India.

India - A tough market for Surface Pro 3

Honestly speaking, the prices of Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 variants are spike high, and the buyers over here won't find any reason to spend around 1 lac on a tablet hybrid. Basically, the spending power is comparatively lesser than the US and Europe markets.

Marketing Cost and logistic expenditure will not be recovered

By the rules of economics, if income exceeds business expenses, the business will have effectively made a profit. On the other hand, if expenses exceed income, the loss is yours. And certainly, its not logical for Microsoft to release Surface Pro 3 in India. Just like Apple has a niche market in India for the bigger iPads, Microsoft will also get a miniscule percentage of sales and market share. And a company like Microsoft which is still overcoming losses in the Surface tablet line and holds such a hefty price tag for the device, India will be a big risk as a market in terms of expenditure on marketing campaign, supply chain and of course logistics.

There is no Black Friday here!

Definitely or maybe the buyers in the US have a reason to shop, but we Indians shop only when there is a necessity. Even during our festive seasons, we are looking forward for some amazing discounts on the hot-selling mid-tier devices. So, no chance for Surface Pro 3 again!

Indians buy budget Android tablets

Into a market which is full of low-end Android tablets and buyers who are budget-conscious, a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 might be a bit too pricey. On the other hand, some may find it difficult to switch from Android OS, iOS to a Windows-based ecosystem.

Meanwhile, you can take a look at the unique features of the new Surface Pro 3 below:

Surface Pro 3 - Docking station

Surface Pro 3 has a docking station, a gigabit Ethernet port for up to 1Gbps wired network speeds, Mini DisplayPort for HD video of up to 3840x2600 resolution, five USB ports (three USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports) and 48W charging system.

Surface Pro Type Cover — Black side view

Surface Pro 3 comes with a backlit Surface Pro Type Cover featuring a QWERTY keyboard, a full row of Function keys (F1-F12), Windows shortcut keys, media controls and an improved touchpad. Flip the cover back, and take Surface Pro 3 from laptop to tablet in an instant. When closed, Surface Pro Type Cover shuts down your display to preserve battery life. It will be available in five colors - purple, red, blue, cyan and black

Surface Pro 3 - kickstand

Surface Pro 3 comes with a continuous kickstand for perfect viewing angle. Surface Pro 3 takes you from tablet to laptop and back with the optional Surface Pro Type Cover and Docking Station for Surface Pro 3. The thinnest and lightest member of the Surface Pro family, Surface Pro 3 has a sleek frame - just 0.36 inches thin and only 1.76 pounds.

Surface Pro 3 – display, camera, battery

Surface Pro 3 features two 1080p HD video cameras, 5MP rear- and front-facing cameras. The Surface Pro 3 36W power supply gives up to 9 hours of Web-browsing battery life and includes a 5W USB for charging accessories.

Surface Pro 3 – Surface Pen

Surface Pro 3 also comes with a custom Surface Pen, crafted with aluminum finish, and it looks like a fountain pen.

Surface Pro 3 – Windows 8.1 Pro

Yes, the new tablet will come running on Windows 8.1 Pro, which will include Microsoft Office, multitasking and with Surface Pen, users will also be able to capture, draw and sketch on the newly launched OneNote.

Internal Storage

Starting at an estimated retail price of just $799, Surface Pro 3 will be offered in multiple configurations featuring 4th-generation Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors. Also there will be different variants based on internal storage options including 64 GB, 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB.

Snap View

With Windows 8.1 Pro, you can download apps from the Windows Store and use them side by side with Snap View, or load custom line-of-business apps for your workforce.

Palm block technology

A click of Surface Pen opens OneNote, so you can capture, work and automatically save. Double-click the back of Surface Pen to instantly capture a screenshot with Palm Block technology, you can rest your hand as you write without unintended inputs and marks.

Surface Pro 3 – A replacement to laptop

Surface Pro 3 is a full-powered PC, so of course it can run all Windows apps including Office and desktop apps. And of course it has great multi-tasking and can be shared with multiple user accounts.