Microsoft Surface Pro 3 to Sport Larger Display, Start From $799: Report

Tuesday is shaping up to be a big day for Microsoft fans, not only because the firm is expected to unveil its long-anticipated Surface Mini tablet, but is also expected to unveil the rumoured Surface Pro 3 tablet.

In the meantime however, pricing details and some alleged specifications of the rumoured Microsoft Surface Pro 3 have hit the Web just a day ahead of the tablet's expected launch.

According to a Windows Phone Central report, the rumoured Surface Pro 3 tablet will be available in five different storage variants, and with a choice Intel Core processors ranging from Core i3 to Core i7.

The purported Surface Pro 3 configurations include Core i3 with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage ($799), Core i5 with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage ($999), Core i5 with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage ($1,299), Core i7 with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage ($1,549), and Core i7 with 8GB RAM and 512GB storage ($1,949).

It has been also understood that the alleged Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablet might sport a larger screen than the Surface Pro 2's 10.6-inch display. The larger screen would result in a new type of smart cover based on the device. The smart covers are said to arrive in Black, Cyan, Purple and Red colour variants, out of which the Red cover could be a Microsoft exclusive.

Another detail that has been leaked about the alleged Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is that the device will sport a small bezel with the Windows Home button placed on the right or left side of the tablet, unlike the bottom in previous iterations.

Last week, Microsoft briefly listed the Surface Pro 3 tablet on its support website. The website referred to the Surface Pro 3's camera on a Microsoft support article titled 'Add recording support H.264 for modern communication apps in Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2.' Microsoft removed the reference on the page soon after.

The alleged Surface Mini tablet, which is said to go on floors along with the Surface Pro 3, is said to be powered by Qualcomm-based chipsets, instead of Nvidia Tegra SoCs. The rumoured Surface Mini is also said to sport an 8-inch display, run Windows RT 8.1 and be based on an ARM chipset. Reports also say that the rumoured Surface Mini tablet will come with stylus support and OneNote integration, which is Microsoft's note-taking software.