Published in AI

One million Surface RT tablets sold in Q4

by on15 January 2013



Not a great start, but still…


Microsoft’s Surface RT tablet is off to a relatively slow start, but we wouldn’t call it a flop just yet. The tablet is still not available in many markets and it’s an entirely new platform, so there is still a chance sales could pick up.

However, it is hard imagine Redmond is too pleased with the figures. According to UBS, Microsoft sold a total of 1 million Surface RT tablets in Q4 2012. UBS originally estimated first quarter sales to hit 2 million.

Analysts point to multiple factors behind the unimpressive results. Microsoft’s restrictive distribution strategy is one of them, as the tablet was only available through Microsoft’s online and physical stores for weeks, but now it is also trickling down to traditional retail outlets.

Let’s not forget the Surface Pro, either. There is a good chance that many consumers are simply holding out for the pricier x86 model, which promises full compatibility with x86 legacy applications, which can’t be used on Windows RT.

All things considered, there is no reason to be too optimistic about Surface RT sales in the long run. The tablet is relatively pricey and doesn’t exactly feature the latest hardware, plus its ecosystem is still rather limited and nowhere close to what consumers have grown to expect from Apple’s and Google’s offerings.

More here.

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