As expected and rumored for the last couple of days, Microsoft has now officially unveiled the Surface Pro 3 12-inch tablet at an event in New York.

The Surface Pro 3 is powered by a choice of Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs, it has a kickstand and stylus support and aims, at least according to Microsoft, to replace your notebook. Designed around a 12-inch 2160x1440 screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio, the Surface Pro 3 tablet follows Microsoft's Surface design language. The Start button is moved to the right side. Microsoft managed to slim it down to 9.1mm which is rather impressive for a 12-inch slate with Haswell inside. The exact dimensions of the Surface Pro 3 are 29.2x20.1x9.1mm (11.5x7.93x0.36-inches) and it weighs around 800g (1.76lbs).

Quite a few CPU, RAM and storage options

So far, Microsoft has revealed that the Surface Pro 3 will be powered by Intel's latest Haswell CPUs, while the rest of the hardware specifications include choice of either 4GB or 8GB of RAM, depending on the SKU and 64, 128, 256 or 512GB of integrated storage.

It also packs front and rear 5-megapixel cameras capable of recording 1080p video, front stereo speakers, while connectivity includes full size USB 3.0 port, mini DisplayPort output and microSD card slot. It also comes with 802.11ac WiFi and will, of course, run on Windows 8.1 Pro OS.

It would not be a Microsoft Surface table if it did not come with a plethora of accessories so we now a new cover, the Type Cover, which will have a larger trackpad, the new Surface Pen with pressure sensitivity, as well as a new Docking Station and Surface Etherenet Adapter. The Surface Pro 3 also comes with a new integrated multi-position kickstand.

Where and when can we buy it?

Pre-orders for the new Surface Pro 3 tablet starts tomorrow and it will be available in the United States as of June 20th, while the rest of the world should get sometime around end of August. The price starts at US $799 for the Core i3 SKU with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, US $999 for the Core i5 version with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and US $1299 for the Core i5 version with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage space. The Core i7 equipped Surface Pro 3 tablet will start at US $1549, pack 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage space while the top offer will be the Core i7 version with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage setting you back at US $1949.