The launch of Microsoft's new Surface Book is not far away, as the new hardware is already in mass production, according to sources from the related upstream supply chain in Taiwan.

Its is beleived that an official announcement of the new notebook should be expected in end of March or April.

Digitimes.com reports that the new Surface Book will adopt a clamshell design instead of its traditional 2-in-1 and will feature a starting price lower than that of its predecessors.

Microsoft has recently cut the prices for its existing Surface Book products with the Core i5 128GB model dropping from $1,499 to $1,299. The move could help Microsoft clear its inventory to welcome the new product's arrival.

The new Surface Book continues to feature a 13.5-inch display and chassis made of magnesium-aluminum-alloy. The product is expected to be priced at around US$1,000, much lower than the starting prices of Microsoft's existing Surface Books, which range from US$1,500-3,500.