Microsoft Will Kill Surface 3 In December

Microsoft is killing off the Surface 3, its budget hybrid device. Production will end by December 2016.

The news was originally reported on Thurrott.com, where it was noted that several variations of the Surface 3 are no longer available for purchase on Microsoft's website. The only model in stock has 64GB of storage, 2GB of RAM, WiFi, and LTE. For all other models, shoppers can opt to have an email sent when stock is refreshed.

It's unlikely the hybrid has seen a popularity spike in recent weeks, especially given how old the device is. Rather, the lack of inventory for Surface 3 was more likely a sign Microsoft had decided to stop making it. The company confirmed this, as well as an end-of-production date:

"Since launching Surface 3 over a year ago, we have seen strong demand and satisfaction amongst our customers," a company spokesperson said to Thurrott. "Inventory is now limited and by the end of December 2016, we will no longer manufacture Surface 3 devices."

The publication did note that retailers including Staples and Best Buy are still selling the Surface 3 through their online stores, though it's not likely to be found on shelves.

:story: InformationWeek