Microsoft's next-generation Surface Pro tablet to be powered by Intel Haswell processors: Report

The Surface Pro might not have been received as warmly by PC enthusiasts as Microsoft would have hoped, but that apparently hasn't stopped the Redmond giant from building the next iteration of the tablet that becomes a portable computer with its special keyboard covers.

While murmurs suggesting that Microsoft was working on the next-generation Surface tablet have been around for quite some time, a new report by Neowin sheds some light on the specifications of the purported Surface 2 tablet, citing its own sources.

The website mentions that the Surface 2 will be powered by fourth-generation Intel core 'Haswell' processors, most likely an Intel Core i5. It's expected to come with an option of up to 8GB RAM, as per the report.

The site also informs that the new tablet will look similar to the current Surface Pro, however, Microsoft has "refined" the kickstand that comes with the device and helps in using the tablet as a notebook. It clarifies that while it's not aware of specific changes to the kickstand, it's speculated that the kickstand could be more robust or could offer alternative viewing angles.

It also adds that Microsoft would start a new marketing campaign to promote the new Surface Pro and that there won't be a major change in terms of the device's pricing. The site says that it does not have knowledge of the next-generation Surface's launch time frame.

Meanwhile, Paul Thurott of WindowsSite has also confirmed that the next-generation Surface Pro will indeed feature a Haswell Core i5 processor, but has clarified that Microsoft will offer a choice of RAM, most likely between 4GB and 8GB. He also added that the new Surface tablets will come with a two-position kickstand and that it will look similar to the current Surface Pro.

Microsoft had unveiled the Surface tablet in two variants, Surface RT based on ARM architecture running Windows RT, a tablet version of Windows that did not support legacy apps, and Surface Pro, an Intel-powered version that runs Windows 8, in June 2012. While the Surface RT was available in October, the Pro variant was released in February 2013.The Surface tablet has not been doing well and Microsoft is yet to make any profit on it. In fact it had to slash prices of the Surface RT tablet by $150 in the US market.