Microsoft Officially Unveils The Surface Pro With LTE
by Brett Howse on October 31, 2017 6:00 AM EST
Earlier this year, Microsoft announced the next generation of their popular Surface Pro, and at the launch event, a new LTE model was also announced, but without a release date. That release date is now a bit more firm, with the company announcing that Surface Pro with LTE Advanced will be available to business customers beginning in December 2017.
The new model will feature a Cat 9 modem, which would be capable of up to 450 Mbps, and it will support 20 cellular bands for “global connectivity” over LTE. This isn’t the first Surface device to utilize LTE, but previously it was only the non-Pro models with the option. They only had Cat 6 modems, so the Surface Pro with LTE offers a 50% higher peak throughput for wireless data. While not as blisteringly fast as the latest smartphone modems, the Surface Pro with LTE does match the 2017 iPad Pro modems. Microsoft is utilizing a Qualcomm Snapdragon X16 modem for the task, and they are using up the free space where the fan goes on the Core i7 model to locate it, so the Core i7 model will not be capable of being equipped with LTE.
We got a chance to test out the latest Kaby Lake powered Surface Pro back in June, and for a full rundown on the changes, please check out our review.
| Microsoft Surface Pro | |||||
| Processor | Intel Core m3-7Y30 (2C/4T, 1.0-2.6GHz, 4MB L3, 14nm, 4.5w) Intel Core i5-7300U (2C/4T, 2.6-3.5GHz, 3MB L3, 14nm, 15w) Intel Core i7-7660U (2C/4T, 2.5-4.0GHz, 4MB L3, 14nm, 15w) |
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| Memory | 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB Dual-Channel | ||||
| Graphics | Intel Core m3-7Y30 Intel HD 615 (24 EUs, 300-900 MHz) Intel Core i5-7300U Intel HD Graphics 620 (24 EUs, 300-1100 MHz) Intel Core i7-7660U Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 (48 EUs, 64 MB eDRAM, 300-1100 MHz) |
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| Display | 12.3" 2736x1824 3:2 PixelSense LG Display, Touch and Pen support 100% sRGB color + enhanced color, individually calibrated panels |
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| Storage | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB PCIe NVMe PM971 | ||||
| Networking | 802.11ac, 2x2:2, 866Mpbs Max, 2.4 and 5GHz Bluetooth 4.1 Marvell AVASTAR Optional LTE-A Cellular Modem, Cat 9, 20 bands |
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| Audio | Stereo Speakers (front facing) Dolby Audio Premium |
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| Battery | 45 Wh, 45 W AC Adapter with USB charging port | ||||
| Right Side | USB 3.0 Mini DisplayPort 1.2 Surface Connect Port (charging and docking) |
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| Left Side | Headset Jack | ||||
| Power Button Volume Rocker |
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| Keyboard Connector | |||||
| Dimensions | 292 x 201 x 8.5 mm (11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 inches) | ||||
| Weight | Core m3: 766 grams (1.69 lbs) Core i5/i7: 786 grams (1.73 lbs) |
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| Cameras | Rear: 8.0 MP auto-focus Front: 5.0 MP auto-focus and Windows Hello support |
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| Extras | Surface Pen and Dial (sold separately) Surface Dock - 2 x mDP 1.2, 4 x USB 3.0, 1 x Gigabit (sold separately) micro SD card slot TPM 2.0 |
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| Pricing | 128 GB Intel Core m3 with 4GB of RAM: $799 128 GB Intel Core i5 with 4GB of RAM: $999 256 GB Intel Core i5 with 8GB of RAM: $1299 256 GB Intel Core i7 with 8GB of RAM: $1599 512 GB Intel Core i7 with 16GB of RAM: $2199 1 TB Intel Core i7 with 16GB of RAM: $2699 |
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For those that have been waiting for the LTE model, the wait is almost over. Microsoft hasn’t announced pricing or availability yet, other than it will be shipping to business customers in December 2017. Expect a small price hike over the non LTE models to accommodate the modem and antennae costs. Hopefully we’ll see it available for order soon on the Microsoft Store, where they should have all of the particulars.
Source: Microsoft at Future Decoded in London
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BrokenCrayons - Tuesday, October 31, 2017 - link
That decision was probably driven by the need to fit the Surface into certain price categories without driving up costs too high due to a wider array of motherboards. Like any other tightly integrated system, components like memory are surface mount soldered so that 8GB m3 version would mean another production process step and another inventory item.I agree the m3 with 8GB would be nice and it stinks that Microsoft won't absorb the cost, but I see why they're doing it.
Topweasel - Tuesday, October 31, 2017 - link
We probably would have if memory prices didn't skyrocket. That extra ram isn't cheap. I mean in terms of our cost it isn't. But for the manufacturer it might push it into another price bracket to keep margin up. The other part is the more variance in build options for a system that tightly integrated the harder it is to manage stock.Gunbuster - Tuesday, October 31, 2017 - link
LTE likely faster than the pathetic Avastar WiFi they insist on using in every single piece of Microsoft hardware.Lolimaster - Tuesday, October 31, 2017 - link
Ryzen mobile APU's made intel chips obsolete. Microsoft needs a quick update.15w Ryzen 4c/8t + Vega, flawless victory
Tkan215 - Wednesday, November 1, 2017 - link
Yes microsoft will announce amd raven soon. Intel will be off the chart. They are not friend when profit is toward amdserendip - Tuesday, October 31, 2017 - link
Maybe AMD are being very conservative by only using Ryzen APUs in laptops and convertibles for the time being. I hope someone out there is brave enough to try an APU in a Surface tablet-style form factor: the increased GPU performance would be enough for basic CAD and video editing compared to the anemic iGPU in the m3/m5 chips.peevee - Tuesday, October 31, 2017 - link
Even the base price is on the upper side, but upgrades cost arm and leg. $600 for extra 256GB of SSD and 8GB or RAM? Even separately they cost like $150 retail.Tkan215 - Wednesday, November 1, 2017 - link
Im also waiting for this i couldn't find any date