Microsoft Surface Production Increases, Extends to Retailers in US & Australia by 'Mid-December,' Microsoft Confirms; Surface 2013 Rumors

Reports of the Microsoft Surface launching in retailers have been confirmed.

As Latinos Post reported yesterday, Windows Weekly Co-host Paul Thurrott stated the Surface with Windows RT tablet would be sold at retailers not affiliated with Microsoft.

Microsoft is now confirming the report, adding it will hit shelves as soon as "mid-December."

"The public reaction to Surface has been exciting to see," said Microsoft Surface General Manager Panos Panay. "We've increased production and are expanding the ways in which customers can interact with, experience and purchase Surface."

The retail release will be for Australian and US customers, however a number of other countries will be such availability "in the coming months."

"Our plan has been to expand the retail presence for Surface after the first of the year," said Microsoft Retail Sales and Marketing Corporate Vice President Steve Schueler. "Based on interest from retailers, we are giving them the option to carry Surface with Windows RT even earlier."

The news comes amid various reports of the upcoming Surface tablets.

The first is the battery life of the upcoming Surface with Window 8 Pro that will launch next month. A tweet from the official Twitter page of the Microsoft Surface stated the battery life will be "approximately half" of what the Surface with Windows RT has.

It also comes as three other Surface tablets are rumored to launch sometime in 2013.

According to a "well-known Microsoft leaker" named "MS_nerd," three new Surface tablets will launch in 2013.

The leak reported:

- The Surface RT 2 with 8.6-inch display and Qualcomm chipset. The use of Qualcomm is new compared to the current NVIDIA Tegra chip used in the current Surface with Windows RT tablet.

- A Surface with Windows 8 Pro with 11.6-inch display and will use the AMD "Temash" APU (accelerated processing unit) instead of the Intel Core i5 CPU (central processing unit) that the upcoming January launch will have.

- A Surface tablet called the "Surface Book" with 14.6-inch display and will use an Intel chip.

Related Articles:

For reviews on the Microsoft Surface with Windows RT, click here.

For the iPad 4 vs. Microsoft Surface with Windows RT, click here.

For the Microsoft Surface with Windows RT specs and definitions, click here.

For the Microsoft Surface with Windows RT tablet drop test, click here.

For the iPad Mini vs. Microsoft Surface with Windows RT specs, click here.

For the comparison of the Microsoft Surface vs. Kindle Fire HD 8.9, click here.