14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft announced in late 2013 that an LTE SKU of its Surface 2 tablet could be released at some point this year and new documents published by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) come to confirm that such a device is on its way.
Redmond has recently received the FCC approval for a so-called “portable computing device” that comes with the same 10.6-inch display just like the standard tablet.
In addition, it boasts AT&T-ready LTE and HSPA support, which means that the Surface tablet could finally become a device that could be easily used with Internet connectivity on the go.
Redmond has refused to release comments on this new project, but Panos Panay, head of the Surface division, confirmed a few months ago that Microsoft is working to expand the Surface product lineup, so this new SKU pretty much makes sense.
At the same time, people familiar with the matter are hinting that a Surface Mini is also under development in order to give Microsoft a chance to compete against the likes of iPad mini and Nexus 7.
Once again, Microsoft remains tight-lipped on any potential expansion of the Surface product family, but it’s pretty clear that the software giant wants to do that in order to continue its transition to devices and services.
According to people familiar with the matter, the Surface Mini would be equipped with an 8-inch screen and could run Windows RT, in another attempt to give the tablet-oriented operating system another chance to succeed.
Microsoft has made several changes to the core operating system in order to become suitable for smaller devices, including optimizations that would allow it to be used in portrait mode in the Metro UI. The company has already announced that Windows would be optimized for smaller devices, so expect even more devices to see daylight in the coming months.