Oliver Haslam·

Microsoft Increases UK Surface Book Prices By £150 Because Brexit

Microsoft has today increased the price of its Surface Book notebook computer in the United Kingdom following a similar move by Apple. The increase in price comes as the British pound continues to weaken following the decision to leave the E.U. in June’s referendum.

Microsoft had already increased the price of its products in the enterprise industry, but had left the prices of consumer products as they were.

However, today’s steps see Microsoft increasing the price of all Surface Book models by £150, which bumps the entry-level Surface Book price to £1,449. This is exactly the same price as Apple’s 2016 base model 13-inch MacBook Pro, which is no coincidence considering the company has been pushing its own computing machines as a direct competitor to Apple’s Mac range.

Apple took similar steps back in October, increasing the price of its entire Mac line by approximately 25%. Apple also recently increased the prices of its iOS apps by the same percentage, again citing the weak pound as the reason for the increase. That of course protects Apple’s growing bottom line, but is increasingly unfortunate for those buying Apple’s hardware and software in the U.K.

As for Microsoft, the price change has come into force today, but does not impact those making bulk purchases using Microsoft’s volume licensing contracts.

“In response to a recent review we are adjusting the British pound prices of some of our hardware and consumer software in order to align to market dynamics,” said a Microsoft spokeswoman.

Microsoft’s has never shied away from marketing the Surface Book as a MacBook alternative, and this latest positioning of the Surface Book at £1,499 same as the 2016 MacBook Pro is no accident. While it’s a shame the company could not maintain the £150 price advantage that it offered over Apple’s notebook it should perhaps not be surprising. Companies will always seek to make as much money as possible, especially if their margins are tight.

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