Microsoft Corp.’s megatablet is back. The technology giant today announced a successor to its original model in the form of the Surface Hub 2.

The original Surface Hub, launched in 2015, went on to become a surprising smash hit, surprising mostly because not only was its size large, so was its price. But three years later, Microsoft’s latest take is brighter and likely to be priced at a premium again.

What we know so far about the Surface Hub 2 is that it will be 50.5 inches in size, down from the 55 inches of the main original version, but the second incarnation will support 4k resolution versus 1080p on the original.

Designed for teams, the Surface Hub 2 can be utilized in a collaborative workspace of up to four hubs in either landscape or portrait mode, allowing for one very large wall panel of interactive, 4k megatablet displays (pictured). The devices will include built-in support for Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Whiteboard, Office 365, Windows 10 and what Microsoft describes as “the intelligent cloud.”

What Microsoft hasn’t detailed is what will be powering the Hub 2, although it will likely employ a more modern Intel processor than its predecessor.

Panos Panay, Microsoft’s chief product officer, said the company is aiming to create experiences that “allow the technology to fade into the background, so people and teams can be as productive and creative as possible.” The original Surface Hub advanced this mission, he said, making it possible to join a meeting or open a whiteboard with a touch, and now the Surface Hub 2 takes it even further with multiuser sign-in.

“Using multiuser sign-in, multiple people can authenticate in the same Surface Hub 2 workspace, allowing them to simultaneously access their documents and ideas, merging them with the ideas of their teammates – and making collaboration as natural as meeting at a whiteboard,” he added.

The original Surface Hub sold for $8,999 for the 55-inch model and $21,999 for the 84-inch model. Microsoft has mentioned nothing so far about a larger model, but the new 50.5-inch-model could come in at a lower price point than the original given the declining costs of screen technology. Moreover, it now has a cheaper competitor in the form of Google Inc.’s Jamboard, which launched a year ago for about $5,000.

Photo: Microsoft