The new tablets will feature 10-inch screens - around the same size as a standard iPad, but smaller than the 12-inch screens used on the Surface Pro laptop line. The new Surfaces, priced about $400, will have rounded edges like an iPad, differing from the squared off corners of current models.

They'll also include USB-C connectivity, a first for Surface tablets, a new charging and syncing standard being used by some of the latest smartphones. The tablets are expected to be about 20 percent lighter than the high-end models, but will have around four hours fewer of battery life. The current Surface Pro can last 13.5 hours on a single charge.

Microsoft has tried a consumer-oriented hardware push before. In 2012 with the launch of the original Surface RT. At the time, it was priced starting at $499. After the tablets didn't resonate with consumers and product reviewers, Microsoft pivoted to the more-expensive Surface Pro, a line which has gained steam.  The Tame Apple Press insists that is because everyone really wants an iPad, which Apple launched in 2015 and looks remarkably like the Surface.