Microsoft says Surface 3 tablet is 'built for business'

New tablet includes one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal

Microsoft has revealed that its new Surface 3 tablet is available for pre-order.

According to the firm's announcement, the tablet is "built for business". The vendor cites Emirates and Prada as commercial clients which before the product's release said they would use the offering in their companies.

"Having explored multiple platforms, we are confident that Surface 3 meets the expectations of our experienced and professional flight crew," Captain Alan Stealey, divisional senior vice president of flight operations at Emirates, said in a statement. "The device's innovative design and functionality prove to be the choice for our EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) initiative."

The tablet and its 4G LTE version come with Windows 8.1 but can be upgraded to Windows 10 for free when the OS is released this summer.

In addition, the Surface 3 includes a one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal, as well as OneDrive cloud storage.

Microsoft claims the Surface 3 is comparable to its Surface Pro 3 – which starts at $799 (£542) – but cheaper.

"Surface 3 brings what customers love about Surface Pro 3 to more people, delivering the premium design and productivity of Surface in a more affordable device," Panos Panay, corporate vice president of Microsoft Surface, said in a statement.

"We've taken everything we learned making Surface Pro 3 and poured that innovation into this newest Surface."

Pricing for the tablet deemed the "lightest" and "thinnest" Surface ever starts at $499.