Microsoft and BlackBerry slash tablet and smartphone prices

In a sign that the mobile market is getting tougher than ever, Microsoft and BlackBerry have slashed the prices of their flagship products in an attempt to boost sales.

Microsoft has dropped the price of the Surface RT tablet (32GB) from £400 to £279 in the UK, and the 64GB model gets a similar cut to £359.

In the US, the cheapest Surface tablet is down to $349 (£230) from $499.

MORE: Read our Microsft Surface RT review

Meanwhile, BlackBerry has reduced the price of its Z10 smartphone in the US to $49 with a contract (it was $199 four months ago).

BlackBerry claims to have shipped one million Z10s – which uses its new BB10 operating system – in the first quarter of 2013.

MORE: Read our BlackBerry Z10 review

By Andy Clough

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Andy Clough

Andy is Global Brand Director of What Hi-Fi? and has been a technology journalist for 30 years. During that time he has covered everything from VHS and Betamax, MiniDisc and DCC to CDi, Laserdisc and 3D TV, and any number of other formats that have come and gone. He loves nothing better than a good old format war. Andy edited several hi-fi and home cinema magazines before relaunching whathifi.com in 2008 and helping turn it into the global success it is today. When not listening to music or watching TV, he spends far too much of his time reading about cars he can't afford to buy.