Microsoft Surface Book 2 Tipped to Ditch 2-in-1 Design, to Launch in March or April

Microsoft launched the Surface Book, its 2-in-1 laptop, in 2015, and decided not to upgrade it last year. Instead, it concentrated on making the laptop available in many regions gradually. However, a fresh report claims that the successor is finally coming and has even entered mass production. The Surface Book 2 is expected to launch as soon as the end of this month or in April.

DigiTimes reports that the Surface Book 2 has entered into mass production, and one of the big change from the predecessor is the ditching of the 2-in-1 design. Apparently, the Surface Book 2 will be a regular laptop with no detachable or 360-degree hinge that can transform the laptop into a tablet, prop it up in tent mode and also be able to use it flat on a table top. Design wise, that's quite disappointing, but the Surface Book 2 will be cheaper starting at $1,000 (roughly Rs. 65,500).

The real reason for this change is unknown, but it could be that Microsoft wants to make its Surface Book lineup look significantly different than its Surface Pro line-up. The report also says that only 500,000 Surface Books were sold in 2016, and the high price tag attached were the reason for such poor numbers. With a cheaper price tag, Microsoft hopes to gain more revenue from its Surface Book lineup. In fact, the report estimates the shipment figures to be around 1.2 million to 1.5 million units which is significantly higher than last year's numbers.

Lastly, the report also claims that the Surface Book 2 will continue to sport a 13.5-inch display, and a body made of magnesium-aluminium alloy.