Microsoft Surface Pro Sales Figures: 900,000 Units Shipped in Q1, Says IDC; Second-Generation Surface Tablet Coming Soon?

By Michael Oleaga / m.oleaga@latinospost.com (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: May 02, 2013 04:46 PM EDT

Microsoft has yet to disclose the sales figures of their Surface tablets, but the International Data Corporation (IDC) has released their findings.

According to the IDC, the Redmond company shipped 900,000 units of the Surface tablet. The unit figures equate to 1.8 percent of the first-quarter market share for 2013. The percentage presents both Surface with Windows RT and Surface with Windows 8 Pro tablets, however, IDC noted most of the shipments were of the latter.

The 1.8 percent is enough to land Microsoft in fifth place among unit shipments and market shares, behind Apple, Samsung, ASUS, and Amazon, respectively.

"Recent rumors have circulated about the possibility of smaller screen Windows RT and Windows 8 tablets hitting the market," said IDC's Mobility Tracker Program's Manager Ryan Reith. "However, the notion that this will be the saving grace is flawed. Clearly the market is moving toward smart 7-8 inch devices, but Microsoft's larger challenges center around consumer messaging and lower cost competition. If these challenges are addressed, along with the desired screen size variations, then we could see Microsoft make even further headway in 2013 and beyond."

The rumors include a report, such as one via DigiTimes, stating the second-generation Surface tablets are to be announced at Microsoft's Build Developer Conference, currently scheduled for June 26-28.

There is hope for Microsoft's current Surface tablets as it's still scheduled to launch across 20-plus countries.

As Latinos Post reported, the Surface with Windows RT recently launched in Malaysia on April 25 while Mexico will start distribution by the end of this month. South Korea and Thailand will also see the Windows RT variant but in June.

As for the Surface with Windows 8 Pro, a larger launch is expected by the end of May. The countries currently scheduled to see the Pro variant are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand will also see the Surface with Windows 8 Pro in June.

The Surface with Windows RT is already available in 29 other markets, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.