Microsoft Delays Surface Hub Shipments, Increases Prices

Microsoft will not start shipping the Surface Hub on January 1. The company has subtly announced yet another delay in the shipping of the 4K-capable, large touch-enabled computer, pushing beyond its early January time-frame previously promised. Furthermore, Microsoft has also increased the retail price of the Surface Hub models.

The Redmond-based giant had unveiled the Surface Hub in January. At the time, the company noted that it would begin taking pre-orders for the large computers on July 1, and begin shipping on September 1, 2015. The company later delayed the shipping date to January 1, 2016. It has now revised the shipping date to Q1 2016.

Microsoft has also revised the pricing of the Surface Hub models. At the time of unveiling, the 55-inch Surface Hub was priced at $6,999 (Rs. 463,000), and the 84-inch model fared at $19,999 (Rs. 1,324,000). The company has now announced that the 55-inch Surface Hub will cost users $8,999 (Rs. 596,000), and the 84-inch model will cost $21,999 (Rs. 1,457,000).

Why the sudden surge in pricing, you may ask. Essentially, the company believes that you should be paying more for the Surface Hub. "After evaluating the market opportunity and considering the unique collaboration scenarios Surface Hub offers, we believe these are the right prices to drive the business and the category forward," a Microsoft spokesperson told ZDNet.

The Surface Hub is touted to be an innovative conference room computer. It comes with an integrated conference room PC that allows a user to hold video conference with Skype for Business while using the display to view and collaborate using OneNote and Office apps. It runs Windows 10.