US vs UK version?

[Infiniteey]

Hi, just a question for US owners which is probably 99% of owners at the moment.

My cousin is in the US on holiday in Oregan (tax free?) and said she might be able to pick up a Surface for me.

I currently already have the i5 128gb on pre-order in the UK with a student discount for a price of ?765

However she can get it for $999 (?600) or the i5 256gb for $1299 (?780). So it seems like a no brainer to ask her to get me one.

Does anyone know if there are any differences between the US and UK version?
I assume only the charger would be slightly different? No one has done a review of the charger so I can't find the voltage it will take, anyone know?
It also seems to take a 2 pin figure 8 power lead so it would be easy to replace with a UK lead.

Also for those that don't know in the UK we have a slightly different layout so I assume the type cover in the UK would also be adjusted which I will still purchase in the UK. Just to check, can I change the language and keyboard setting to the UK version?

Many thanks!

 

[EDDS]

I've imported a US version of the i5 256GB 8GB of RAM to the UK on the cheap.

The power supply does use a standard 2 pin figure 8 lead, i'm using my old one from my now useless hd dvd drive and it works fine.

I didn't import the type cover because as you say the layout will be slightly different on the U.S. model.

Finally you can change the language and keyboard settings to the UK, I did this a few days ago.

 

[Infiniteey]

Thank you very much.

I'll tell her to buy one asap

 

[kristalsoldier]

One thing to be aware of is the warranty - while I am not sure how the standard 1-yr warranty works (I hope it is international/ global), I have received conflicting reports about the 2-yr extended warranty. Some say that it will apply in the UK (if the SP3 is bought in the US and/ or Canada) when it is released (in the UK, that is) while others have said that it will not apply. I guess I have an interest in this because I bought my SP3 (the i5/ 4GB version) from Canada where I was on a mini sabbatical on release day. Aside from the language packs etc., there are no differences of any kind between the HW that is currently available in North America and what will be available in the UK (Type Cover aside, that is - though I bought the Type Cover too).

Edit:

Naturally, the charger will also be different and this is something that I will buy from the UK MS Store since it is already available.

And, yes, I should add - I don't regret a bit having bought the SP3. It's really a very good device. Good luck with your cross-Atlantic purchase.

 

[stephen_az]

Hi, just a question for US owners which is probably 99% of owners at the moment.

My cousin is in the US on holiday in Oregan (tax free?) and said she might be able to pick up a Surface for me.

I currently already have the i5 128gb on pre-order in the UK with a student discount for a price of ?765

However she can get it for $999 (?600) or the i5 256gb for $1299 (?780). So it seems like a no brainer to ask her to get me one.

Does anyone know if there are any differences between the US and UK version?
I assume only the charger would be slightly different? No one has done a review of the charger so I can't find the voltage it will take, anyone know?
It also seems to take a 2 pin figure 8 power lead so it would be easy to replace with a UK lead.

Also for those that don't know in the UK we have a slightly different layout so I assume the type cover in the UK would also be adjusted which I will still purchase in the UK. Just to check, can I change the language and keyboard setting to the UK version?

Many thanks!

Microsoft will not honor the warranty on a US serial number device outside the US (and vice versa). For that matter neither will any other American company. US warranty terms are not the same as those in the UK or Europe, nor is the import tariff structure. This is BTW about international law, protectionist import restrictions, and variances in laws governing defective products in various countries around the globe, not some quirky decisions by US executives. Buy it and have a problem and be prepared to have it shipped back to the US at your expense for servicing, if they will even service under the US warranty at all. Quite a few US companies treat the US warranty as null and void even if returned to the US if purchased as grey market for use in another country. Same deal as buying a Nikon or Canon DSLR in in the US with a non-US serial number.

Much of the difference in the price between the US and UK is the cost of doing business, including more robust UK & EU warranty protections, much higher import duties and tariffs, differences in corporate taxes, and (of course) shipping) so those rules are not subject to flexibility. Microsoft also has a long challenged relationship with regulators on the other side of the Atlantic. They will not honor the warranty on that US serial number, nor should they. Buy at your own risk....

 

[Anubhav Raj Singh]

How to get Xbox music subscription in India....???

 

[EDDS]

Microsoft will not honor the warranty on a US serial number device outside the US (and vice versa). For that matter neither will any other American company. US warranty terms are not the same as those in the UK or Europe, nor is the import tariff structure. This is BTW about international law, protectionist import restrictions, and variances in laws governing defective products in various countries around the globe, not some quirky decisions by US executives. Buy it and have a problem and be prepared to have it shipped back to the US at your expense for servicing, if they will even service under the US warranty at all. Quite a few US companies treat the US warranty as null and void even if returned to the US if purchased as grey market for use in another country. Same deal as buying a Nikon or Canon DSLR in in the US with a non-US serial number.

Much of the difference in the price between the US and UK is the cost of doing business, including more robust UK & EU warranty protections, much higher import duties and tariffs, differences in corporate taxes, and (of course) shipping) so those rules are not subject to flexibility. Microsoft also has a long challenged relationship with regulators on the other side of the Atlantic. They will not honor the warranty on that US serial number, nor should they. Buy at your own risk....

Except they will honour the warranty, I've registered my Surface already on myservice.surface.com without issue, it even states on the website....

"Your Surface is configured for a different country or region from your ship to address. This means that you are attempting an exchange in a different country or region than the one in which your device was initially purchased. Your device will be exchange for a device configured to the country or region of your current ship to address."

So if you did need to have your Surface serviced you would bet a UK one back.

 

[Adam_ation]

I picked up an i5 256gb/8gb SP3 while on holiday in the US, it was a no brainer for me as it worked out around ?300 cheaper! I asked in store about warranty and they said the only problem would be that there are no brick and mortar stores in the UK yet so i would have to send it off if i ever came across any issues - Adam

 

[markyjns]

About to pick up an SP3 and just have a quick question regarding the power supply. Whilst I know the end of the cord that attaches to the Surface is a proprietary connector is the plug in the wall end a moulded plug or does the plug head detach to reveal a USB connector that I can simply unattach the US plug and attach a UK plug?

 

[Adam_ation]

The plug head doesn't detach its a moulded plug, Just stick a UK converter on the end thats all i've done - Adam

 

[markyjns]

Cheers, will do that

 

[kristalsoldier]

Except they will honour the warranty, I've registered my Surface already on myservice.surface.com without issue, it even states on the website....

"Your Surface is configured for a different country or region from your ship to address. This means that you are attempting an exchange in a different country or region than the one in which your device was initially purchased. Your device will be exchange for a device configured to the country or region of your current ship to address."

So if you did need to have your Surface serviced you would bet a UK one back.

Thanks. I did the same (I bought mine in Canada). I am now interested in the extended warranty in the UK. Just one point - the MS store in Canada/ Toronto from where I bought my SP3 told me that after the SP3 is released in the UK, they will handle warranty-related returns in the same way as they do with the Surface lines - Pro and RT that are currently available from the MS-UK site.

 

[Adam_ation]

Im trying to process a warranty issue with mine at the moment but the website wont let me follow through with it after

"Your Surface is configured for a different country or region from your ship to address. This means that you are attempting an exchange in a different country or region than the one in which your device was initially purchased. Your device will be exchange for a device configured to the country or region of your current ship to address"

Im guessing ill have to wait until the release day over here in the UK before i can process through with it - Adam

 

[dolphinparty]

The plug head doesn't detach its a moulded plug, Just stick a UK converter on the end thats all i've done - Adam

No need for a converter. Just swap the cable like EDDS has pictured it is a standard figure of 8 cable.

 

[kristalsoldier]

Im trying to process a warranty issue with mine at the moment but the website wont let me follow through with it after

"Your Surface is configured for a different country or region from your ship to address. This means that you are attempting an exchange in a different country or region than the one in which your device was initially purchased. Your device will be exchange for a device configured to the country or region of your current ship to address"

Im guessing ill have to wait until the release day over here in the UK before i can process through with it - Adam

Yeah I noticed that too when trying to buy the Extended Warranty. Now its only a few days left for the SP3 to be released in the UK then we can see how MS plays this warranty game.

 

[Infiniteey]

Just to update, my cousin picked up the i5/256 model with a student discount for $1149 which converts to around ?700... over ?400 cheaper than full retail price Good stuff :evil:

Its now a long wait until Wednesday when she gets back :unhappysweat: