Microsoft's Surface Shift: What's Behind the Price Changes?

Microsoft has made some moves that might make customers think twice. They've stopped selling the basic 256GB versions of the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop. This isn't a price hike, but it sure feels like one. The company has also bumped up the cost of some accessories. The Surface USB-C Travel Hub now costs 120 dollars instead of 100 dollars. The Surface Arc Mouse is now 90 dollars instead of 80 dollars. Some replacement parts have also gone up in price. The Surface Pen and Surface Pro keyboard covers are still the same price. This isn't the first time Microsoft has raised prices. They recently increased the cost of Xbox consoles. They also warned that some game prices could go up to 80 dollars later this year. For those who act fast, there's still a chance to snag a 256GB Surface device. Best Buy, for instance, is selling a Surface Laptop 7 with a 256GB SSD for 799 dollars. That's 100 dollars less than the new 13-inch Surface Laptop. But these deals won't last forever. Once they're gone, they're gone. So, what's behind these price changes? Import tariffs could be one reason. The Trump administration's tariffs might not directly affect PCs and smartphones, but they can still mess with global supply chains and shipping costs. For the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, Microsoft might be trying to make the new models look more appealing. By discontinuing the old 256GB models, the new 12-inch Pro and 13-inch Laptop seem like better deals. But is this really fair to the consumer?