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Microsoft said to be planning Surface RT price cut

As early as next week, Microsoft could slash the price of RT models by $150, following a string of discounts to specific niches.

Joan E. Solsman Former Senior Reporter
Joan E. Solsman was CNET's senior media reporter, covering the intersection of entertainment and technology. She's reported from locations spanning from Disneyland to Serbian refugee camps, and she previously wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. She bikes to get almost everywhere and has been doored only once.
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Joan E. Solsman
CNET

Microsoft has a Surface RT price cut in the offing, according to a report by The Verge, citing anonymous sources.

Microsoft said it doesn't comment on speculation.

As soon as next week, Microsoft plans to cut the price of each of its Surface RT models by $150, bringing the devices to a range of about $350 to $450 without a touch keyboard and $450 to $550 with one, according to the report.

The discounts could presage a new generation of the device, which has been a topic of chatter recently as well.

It comes a few weeks after Microsoft reduced the price of a version of the tablet for schools and universities for a two-month window this summer. Under that program, Surface RTs without keyboards sell for as low as $199.

Before that, Microsoft was offering substantial discounts on Surface RT and Surface Pro devices to attendees of some of its recent conferences.

Surface sales have been tepid, failing to ignite at first as Microsoft kept distribution limited.