Microsoft gears up to dump Surface RT stock with $150 price drop

If you’ve been holding out for one of Microsoft’s Surface RT tablets — despite their myriad issues — you’ll soon be able to get one at a steep discount.

Microsoft is planning to lower the price of Surface RT by $150 across the board, bringing the cheapest model to $349, the Verge reports.

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Staples’ latest ads show the lower price will take effect on July 14, and we’ll likely see further confirmation from Microsoft and other retailers soon.

While it’s easy to view this as Microsoft losing faith in the Surface RT, the price reduction is also a necessary step to clear out stock and make room for newer models. At its Worldwide Partner Conference this week, Microsoft noted that Surface upgrades are on the way this year (not that we expected any less).

Microsoft hasn’t revealed much about its Surface RT sales, but the harsh early reviews and the fact that there weren’t many Windows 8 apps for it to run (RT doesn’t support older Windows apps), likely didn’t help push it off shelves. (On the other hand, I found a lot to like about the more expensive Surface Pro.)

Now that we’re significantly beyond the Surface RT’s launch, Microsoft has ironed out some of its slowdown issues, and there are finally some nice apps available in the Windows Store. I wouldn’t recommend anyone purchase a Surface RT at its initial price, but the $150 discount could be tempting to some. (Honestly though, you should just wait for the newer models.)