Windows 10 Surface Pro challenger Eve V sells out in 3 hours, starting at $699
Fans of Microsoft Surface Pro challenger the Eve V have snapped up all 500 of the devices within three hours on an Indiegogo fundraiser.
The Finnish startup on Monday also finally revealed prices for its sleek, black Windows 10 device, whose design and core features have been constructed from feedback from around 1,000 fans.
Eve has ended up with a 2-in-1 that shares a likeness to Microsoft's Surface Pro but with newer Intel processors, a bigger battery, loads of new and old-style ports, four speakers, and a fingerprint sensor cleverly embedded in the power button. It's also promising not to weigh down the device with bloatware.
The brief Indiegogo campaign earned Eve over $500,000 to begin manufacturing the first batch of devices. However, Eve V fans can still preorder each of the three models, which will be delivered in April or May, shortly after the first 500 are sent to early backers.
The starting price for the Eve V is $699 for the Intel Core m3 variant, which also features 8GB RAM, and a 128GB solid-state drive, or SSD.
The Core i5 model costs $959 and comes with 8GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD, while the top-of-the-line i7 model costs $1,399 and features 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD.
Pre-order prices are significantly lower than the expected retail price of the Eve V. At current prices, it's drastically cheaper than a similarly-equipped Surface Pro 4. However, the discount for the i7 model is $770, so after the pre-order period ends it will cost $2,169, which is pretty close an equivalent Surface Pro 4.
Fans who don't have the cash to pay the full pre-order price upfront can reserve a device with a down payment. The fee is $399 for the i7 model, $299 for the i5 model, and $199 for the m3 model.
While Eve has stated that the device will ship with GPS, the company has not confirmed the feature's availability in its final proposed spec sheet.
Eve says it will include GPS if it can confirm it works in the Wi-Fi model. If it doesn't, GPS will be included in a yet-to-be confirmed LTE model.
Pre-order prices are significantly lower than the expected retail price of the Eve V.