Microsoft has revealing the next in its line of their Windows 8 tailored tablet devices, announcing the Surface Pro 2 at a press event in Redmond overnight (thanks Mass).

As the name suggests, the Surface Pro 2 is a souped up version of the original 10.6" Surface Pro tablet with improved internals, boasting both performance and battery life increases.

Surface Pro 2 is the successor to Surface Pro and, like its predecessor, is a true laptop replacement, capable of running virtually all your Windows software including the full Microsoft Office suite, as well as apps from the Windows Store. Surface Pro 2 offers the portability and simplicity of a tablet when you want it and the power and flexibility of a laptop when you need it. It is powered by a fourth-generation Intel Core i5 processor which, combined with other improvements, delivers increased performance and up to 75 percent longer battery life than Surface Pro.

Surface Pro 2 is gearing up to ship with the new Windows 8.1 OS update in October, and somewhat surprisingly, will be finding its way onto Australian shelves at the same time as North America -- October 22nd 2013.

A blog post from Microsoft Australia executive Tina Flammer confirms local launch pricing for the Surface Pro 2, and it's ARM-based, non-desktop-application-capable counterpart Surface 2:

• Surface 2 32GB – AU$529 RRP*
• Surface 2 64GB – AU$639 RRP*

• Surface Pro 2 64GB + Surface pen – AU$1019 RRP*
• Surface Pro 2 128GB + Surface pen – AU$1129 RRP*
• Surface Pro 2 256GB + Surface pen – AU$1469 RRP*
• Surface Pro 2 512GB + Surface pen – AU$2039 RRP*

Watch the video below for a product overview.