Microsoft just announced the next generation Surface tablets and with hopes of keeping the brand alive, the company has released one with 4G LTE support as well as new accessories. Having a 4G LTE enabled tablets to offer to consumers will be a first for Microsoft and it just might be enough to garner the attention needed to keep them coming back for more. According to the company, the Surface 2 with 4G LTE support will be ready to ship around the beginning of 2014. This information comes from the Surface team answering questions via the Reddit website.
Microsoft announced the Surface 2 and the Surface Pro 2 this week and along with it came a bunch of new accessories that turn your Surface tablet into a device that is even more productive than before. Pricing was not revealed at the time for the 4G LTE model of the tablet that operates on the Windows RT 8.1 software. Microsoft also did not mention what mobile carriers would be ready to support the tablet in the United States, but you can guess that AT&T will be one of them. The Wi-Fi model of the tablet was announced Monday and it said that it will be selling to consumers for just $450.
The Wi-Fi model will be shipping by the end of October, or the 22nd to be exact. If you decide to pick up the LTE model of the Surface 2 you will be also getting GPS support, as well, in fact there are videos online showing the tablet being used as a navigation system in a car. Third party companies have already developed mounts that fit the iPad, iPad Mini, Nexus and Surface RT tablets, so there is no reason to believe they would skip passed the Surface 2.
Microsoft is still trying to compete with Apple, as are all other companies in the mobile world, but with the addition of the LTE support and other features that it brings, some wonder if it will be enough to gain the attention needed from consumers in order to make the sales. Sales for the original Surface models were slow and with the Surface RT selling for $500 when it arrived, some thought that the tablet would compete with the iPad based on the price. Consumers did not bite and Microsoft was forced to write off more than $900 million and cut the price to just $350.
October 22, 2013 at 8:23 am
I will buy this product if MS is also the mobile carrier. No more ATT, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile etc. It is my hope that MS will one day be my communication provider phone, TV, radio, computer the works.