Microsoft Announces New Surface All Access Subscription Service

Microsoft just announced a bunch of new hardware: the Surface Studio 2, Surface Laptop 2, Surface Pro, and…Surface Headphones. To go along with all this new hardware, Microsoft has announced a new subscription service for Surface: Surface All Access.

With Surface All Access, you can purchase any Surface device over a 24-month contract, starting at $24.99 a month. Once you have the subscription, you get free access to Office, as well as in-store training and top-tier support form the company. You can use the service to buy any Surface device you want and pay for it over a 24-month contract. Here is a breakdown:

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Surface All Acess is much like Microsoft’s Xbox All Access, so this isn’t a huge surprise. Either way, if you haven’t been able to afford Surface devices in the past, this could be a good option to look into. It’s only available in the United States, by the way.

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Conversation 25 comments

  • smadore

    02 October, 2018 - 5:44 pm

    <p>Is this USA only? Or will something similar be available in Canada?</p>

    • chris.bridgland

      Premium Member
      02 October, 2018 - 6:21 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#337739">In reply to smadore:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>USA only. So a total bust for those of us not in the US.</p>

      • Daishi

        Premium Member
        02 October, 2018 - 6:31 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#337751">In reply to chris.bridgland:</a></em></blockquote><p>So they’re just missing that 96% of the people in the world…</p>

        • ym73

          02 October, 2018 - 7:40 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#337757">In reply to Daishi:</a></em></blockquote><p>You realize that they are doing the financial through another bank. They don't finance it themselves. That usually will restrict where they can offer this product. </p>

          • Daishi

            Premium Member
            03 October, 2018 - 1:27 am

            <blockquote><em><a href="#337811">In reply to ym73:</a></em></blockquote><p>And you realise that there are banks all around the world. In fact there are individual financial institutions that operate all around the world. If they wanted to offer this program in more markets it would be a simple matter of making the deals. </p>

        • locust infested orchard inc

          02 October, 2018 - 7:51 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#337757">In reply to Daishi:</a></em></blockquote><p>Only Trump Land matters to Microsoft.</p>

        • Lauren Glenn

          02 October, 2018 - 9:35 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#337757">In reply to Daishi:</a></em></blockquote><p>Often many reasons for this are the laws in your country, not necessarily the US's laws.</p>

        • easya

          06 October, 2018 - 3:17 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#337757">In reply to Daishi:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yeah, MS usually ignores the rest of the World. If they'd paid it some attention then Windows Phone could have been a success. Cortana was always a waste of space for me as they never adapted for where I live. </p><p><br></p><p>If they had opened their eyes to the wider world, the last few years could have been different. </p>

  • gregsedwards

    Premium Member
    02 October, 2018 - 5:50 pm

    <p>All those people who said they would never do a consumer version of Microsoft 365, may I have your attention, please?</p><p><br></p><p>Booyah.</p><p><br></p><p>That is all.</p>

    • evox81

      Premium Member
      02 October, 2018 - 9:20 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#337743">In reply to gregsedwards:</a></em></blockquote><p>I'm not following… This is finance to purchase. Microsoft 365 is a SaaS licensing scheme. There's a huge difference.</p>

  • judgejewelz

    02 October, 2018 - 6:18 pm

    <p>Microsoft, you're bonkers. Why don't you offer this in Great Britain? I'd bite your arm off!!</p>

    • chris.bridgland

      Premium Member
      02 October, 2018 - 6:23 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#337748">In reply to judgejewelz:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>I got excited for about two seconds. Then I thought, this will surely be US only. And of course, it is.</p>

    • Pierre Masse

      03 October, 2018 - 1:00 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#337748">In reply to judgejewelz:</a></em></blockquote><p>Not even in Canada. Grrrrr!</p>

  • Bats

    02 October, 2018 - 6:30 pm

    <p>You know what? With 0% internest. this is actually a good DEAL! It's actually an EXCELLENT deal. For the price alone, people should automatically consider this as an option to own a Surface product. However, with all the problem the Surface line is having, I would like to know what does "World Class Protection and Support" mean? Are we talking next day replacement or loaner? Lost or accidental damage insurace? What? This is a Surface product. It will have problems. When it does, you don't want to be connected to a person in India, who is only going to relay the incident to another tech person somewhere in the USA.</p><p><br></p><p>To be honest, I don't trust Panos Panay. Obviously Surface computers don't sell well. That line where Panos talked about his dad teaching him to make importance in doing quality work to only find out weeks later how the Surface computers are so unreliable, paints him as a con-man to me. </p>

  • shameermulji

    02 October, 2018 - 6:35 pm

    <p>"<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&nbsp;It’s only available in the United States, by the way."</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Gee, why am I not surprised.</span></p>

  • dcdevito

    02 October, 2018 - 7:50 pm

    <p>Wow, this is really great. I will be in the market for a laptop on 2019 and the Surface Pro is now on my short list. </p><p>"Surface as a Service"</p>

  • eeisner

    Premium Member
    03 October, 2018 - 1:21 am

    <p>"<strong>Q: Can I trade in my device after 24 months and receive a trade-in value to put towards a new device?</strong>&nbsp;</p><p>A: Not at this time. "</p><p><br></p><p>Somewhat understandable. Not sure if a trade-in program similar to the program Apple has for the iPhone makes sense for laptops/desktops. But being able to trade-in for partial value would be nice, which I believe Microsoft has done in the past, even with Macbook's for credit towards Surface products. </p>

  • PeterC

    03 October, 2018 - 2:24 am

    <p>sorry to be a party pooper – but seriously. US only. Like Xbox all access and a lot of recent app features.</p><p><br></p><p>Microsoft are retreating in more ways than one people. No ambition.</p>

    • danmac

      Premium Member
      03 October, 2018 - 5:20 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#339658">In reply to PeterC:</a></em></blockquote><p>While I also hate stuff that is US only, I at least understand that this is due to the financing aspect of it. They possibly need to use a different company in each country. </p><p><br></p><p>The stuff that peeves me is limiting apps and features to the US, I'm in Australia and it really isn't that hard to add a few extra U's to words like colour for it to work here. And hell, usually we ignore that stuff anyway. </p>

      • PeterC

        03 October, 2018 - 6:58 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#339787">In reply to danmac:</a></em></blockquote><p>Except they have existing uk banking financing relationships for services and product, as well as in other strategic territories. Look I know it’s anumbers game, if they’re confident of units sold in a business quarter they will simply launch the finance program. However Microsoft’s retrenchment is at play here, and the key word is confidence. They’ve taken a battering internally and externally speaking over the last 5 years, and it shows up in so much of Microsoft’s statements, language and ahem…. reasoning.</p><p><br></p><p>I tried to to buy the surface connector to usb-c dongle this week. It’s not for sale In the UK and there’s no planned release date. ??? Just think about that. Is it available anywhere outside the US? Do let me know.</p><p><br></p><p>Retrenchment is affecting this companys psyche in ways they’re not fully appreciating and they’re leaving gaping holes for their competitors to occupy, and not just in the specific areas they decided to pull back from. </p><p><br></p><p>There only 2 reasons for this. 1 is because they’re not making the sales required, or 2 they’re not confident of making the sales required. </p><p><br></p><p>Do the same issues affect Microsoft 365 product service offerings? No in my opinion. </p><p><br></p><p>Microsoft have a crisis of confidence in hardware and its showing, big time. At some point they will have to show some ambition or just retreat to the software/services model only.</p><p><br></p><p>ive had a few surfaces, but the problems with them and the docks have been too numerous to mention. Not the design or the form factors, but the actual hardware. I love the surface, however Microsoft should probably do themselves a favour and sell it to another OEM. Focus on software, leave hardware. It’s clearly going to happen with Xbox gaming as they deliver on the streaming platform in the coming 5 years. </p><p><br></p><p>Look at the surface refresh that just happened. My immediate reaction was how many refurbed models or unused inventory are they sitting on wrapping in new cases trying to sell? I didn’t want to think that – but I did.</p><p><br></p><p>sorry for the lengthy reply – but I seriously think people are missing what’s occurring here. </p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

  • Daekar

    03 October, 2018 - 6:10 am

    <p>So… the only thing stopping this from being a no-brainer, in my opinion, is that after the 24 months there isn't an option to get the new version of the product and continue paying the fee. At that point, it really would be hardware as a service. As it is, this is really a hardware financing bundle where you get Office 365 thrown in.</p><p><br></p><p>Two years really isn't that long as far as subscription services go. Microsoft, give us a service where my wife gets a new Surface with Office 365 on it every two years without worrying about anything, and you'll have her money for a good long time.</p>

    • maethorechannen

      Premium Member
      03 October, 2018 - 11:21 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#339822">In reply to Daekar:</a></em></blockquote><p>I'd rather own the device after 24 months and then start another 24 month contract for another device than pay more or less the same and own nothing at the end of every 24 month period.</p>

  • Rcandelori

    Premium Member
    03 October, 2018 - 9:57 am

    <p>The US-only nonsense belies Microsoft's claims to be a global company. Heck, they have a retail presence in Sydney so I fail to see why this wouldn't be offered to someone buying very expensive hardware. Short-sighted.</p>

  • rmlounsbury

    Premium Member
    03 October, 2018 - 11:42 am

    <p>So it would seem the biggest change from the previous program is that you can no longer trade your Surface in for a new Surface after 12 months (or at all) and it comes with Office365 as part of the deal. </p><p><br></p><p>Also interesting that it looks like Dell is handling the program?</p>

  • SaintKaze

    03 October, 2018 - 4:28 pm

    <p>The problem with the new method, you need to have a Dell Preferred Account. Dell accounts are a lot harder to get and fewer people approved for them.&nbsp;This also means you have to head over to Dell dot com navigate their site and apply for one. I like the old Klarna method you could do it from the checkout and they approved more often. I really don't see why they didn't just make a deal with Klarna for the same 0% APR deal.&nbsp;It's not like Microsoft isn't&nbsp;paying APR&nbsp;for the customer.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Normally this how that 0% APR works in retail. </p><p><br></p>

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