Released late 2012,  the Microsoft Surface RT has only had a ‘modest’ amount of sales.

The Surface RT has not been short of coverage, though; just weeks after its release there were reports that the included accessories were prone to damage, as well as the fact the operating system takes up half of the 32gb storage space.

With Microsoft set to release a Full-HD Surface Pro within the next month or so, attention is turning to the Surface RT’s successor.

Microsoft has seemingly confirmed the existence of the new Surface range through an online job listing which appears to confirm that the tablets are already in development.

We’ve rounded up rumours from all corners of the internet about the tablet, which has been given a rather underwhelming moniker: ‘The Surface RT 2.’

Microsoft Surface RT 2: Models

Most of the speculation appears to come from a rather mysterious "@MS_nerd" Twitter account. Although the MS_nerd’s Twitter feed is set to private, reports from across the internet say his tweets reveal that MS would be unveiling no less than three newcomers under its Surface brand.

The first will be a 8.6-inch tablet in order to rival Apple’s new iPad mini. The Twitter leaks suggest it will run on a Qualcomm chipset instead of Nvidia’sTegra 3. The 8.6-inch tablet is set to replace the current Surface RT which was criticised for its large form factor in our recent review.

The second device rumoured by the apparently ‘relatively reliable’ tipster is the ‘Microsoft Surface Pro 2’ which will supposedly have an upgraded 11.6-inch display and an as-yet-unreleased AMD ‘Temash’ APU.

The third - and perhaps most unexpected - device is a 14.6-inch ‘Surface Book.’ A tablet-laptop combo featuring a next-gen 22nm “Haswell” chip from Intel.

Source: TechCrunch

Microsoft Surface RT 2: Specs

Taking into account the current device’s specs, TechRadar has released an article with some interesting ideas that could see the Surface RT 2’s sales take off in the fashion Microsoft expected for the original Surface RT. Whilst the following details are purely speculative, there are some very interesting ideas. Microsoft: take note.

First off, is the inclusion of NFC technology could perhaps see the tablet being used as a wireless charger for mobile phones by utilising the technology shown off by Fulton Innovations at this year’s CES.

Alongside NFC technology, the speculation is that the RT 2 could be one of the first tablets to use the new high-speed, low-power 802.11ac Wifi standard.

Source: TechRadar

Microsoft Surface RT 2: Xbox Surface

One of the more ‘out there’ rumours about the Microsoft Surface 2 is the possible inclusion of Xbox Surface.

Multiple sources have reportedly revealed to The Verge that Microsoft is building a 7” gaming tablet dubbed Xbox Surface. They say the Xbox Surface will include a custom ARM processor and high-bandwidth RAM designed specifically for gaming tasks. Apparently the device will run a custom Windows kernel with a focus on gaming.

The device is reportedly being developed using a secret hardware production process, separated from Microsoft’s usual manufacturing partners.

Expected to debut ahead of Microsoft’s next Xbox console, the company is remaining tight lipped on the Xbox Surface with a spokesperson saying they do not comment on rumours or speculation.

Source: The Verge

If these rumours are to be believed, it is clear to see that Microsoft is fighting hard for a slice of the tablet market it; but with Apple and Android having the OS monopoly is it too late for the software giant to make its mark? Let us know your thoughts via the comments box below.