Surface 3 stocks diminish, sold out in Microsoft Stores, no word on a successor

Back in March 2015, Microsoft’s Surface 3 was the second third-generation Surface device to be released by the company after the well-received Surface Pro 3 in summer 2014. At the time, both devices had successfully iterated on the hybrid Windows device concept that Microsoft pioneered back in 2012, with the Surface 3 moving away from the Windows RT operating system that prevented previous versions to run full Win32 apps.

While the Surface 3 remains the most affordable Surface model as of today, the product is clearly on its way out as Microsoft warned earlier in June that it would cease production by the end of December 2016. And now it looks that Microsoft won’t release a successor to the 10-inch 2-in-1 device as the company only announced new Surface Book models and a new Surface Studio all-in-one PC during its Windows 10 event in New York last week.

In the meantime, you may wonder if the Surface 3 is still widely available just a few weeks before Microsoft finally stops manufacturing them. According to a new report from Neowin, it turns out that stocks are already dwindling fast in most markets:

• In the US, all Surface 3 models are currently out of stock on the Microsoft Store, though you can still find some on Amazon (some refurbished) and Best Buy.
• In the UK, the Microsoft Store is also completely out of stock while Amazon is still selling a model with 64GB of storage, 2 gigs of RAM and 4G connectivity for £519.99 (two other models are available through third-party retailers).
• In Australia, the Microsoft Store still has stock of one model with 64GB of storage, 4 gigs of RAM and 4G connectivity for AUS$929 while Amazon doesn’t sell Surface devices in the country.

Considering that many PC manufacturers are now selling affordable 2-in-1 devices, it probably makes sense for Microsoft to focus on its more premium offerings. Indeed, while the company doesn’t disclose it Surface sales, we previously noted that Microsoft has been consistently hinting during its quarterly earning statements that sales of the Surface line have been actually driven by the Surface Pro and the Surface book.

If you’re currently in the market for a good 10-inch Windows tablet, the Surface 3 is still highly recommended, though we definitely recommend you to get the version with 4 gigs of RAM. However, you better hurry up to get one before it finally becomes out of stock.