Surface 3 hits shelves today!

If you’ve had your eye on the newest Surface, I’m happy to report the wait is over. Surface 3 is now on sale in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States! New accessories, including Surface 3 Type Cover, Surface Pen, Surface 3 Docking Station and Surface 3 Screen Protector are also available for customizing your Surface 3 exactly the way you want. And starting May 7, Surface 3 will be available to even more people in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

To celebrate the arrival of Surface 3, we’re introducing a limited-time offer to thank our Surface fans: In Canada, the United States, and Puerto Rico: trade in your working Surface RT or Surface 2 and get up to $150 towards a new Surface 3. We are also hosting parties at full-line Microsoft stores in the United States and Puerto Rico at 4:00 p.m. local time today. Join us! Students and parents in particular should come learn more about the Microsoft store education offer – 10%+ off an array of awesome products, including Surface 3. Click here to find your local store, or visit our Facebook page for details.

When we introduced Surface 3 in March, we showed its premium craftsmanship, thin and light design, and powerful, get-stuff-done software . The same day we introduced Surface 3, we invited people from across the country to Los Angeles and New York to experience Surface 3 for the first time. Many of those who got an early look at Surface 3 have posted about it on YouTube or elsewhere. This is one of my favorites from Sean Ong, a longtime friend of Surface.

We’re also seeing strong interest from business and education customers. Customers like BMW and Coca-Cola are loving Surface Pro 3 because it provides the mobility and power they need in a very portable package. Surface 3 allows customers to consider Surface for a different type of user – one who will benefit from a more affordable and more mobile offering. BASF, Prada, and Emirates have already chosen Surface 3 and we’re excited at the early interest from many others. Surface 3 is also an amazing device for students and teachers at any level. With best-in-class digital inking capabilities, and paired with the OneNote Class Notebook, Surface 3 can replace all the paper in a classroom.  As part of Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to Education, we recently announced a 10% Education discount on Surface 3.  And we are already receiving positive feedback on Surface 3 from early adopter schools who cite the precise digital inking capabilities and versatility of form factor that provides students with the rich experiences that deliver on 21st Century skills, helps teachers cater to any learning style and activity, and allows administrators to drive positive transformation of learning within their budgets.

Surface 3 is a labor of love for us, built from years of learning in the lab and on the feedback and insights we’ve heard from our customers. On behalf of the entire Surface team, I want to thank everyone who helped make Surface 3 a reality – including you. So head out to your nearest Microsoft store, Best Buy or other Surface retailer today. We know you’re going to love your Surface 3.

Brian Hall

General Manager – Microsoft Surface

@isforat