Microsoft Surface 3 With 4G LTE Coming Soon, Priority On Business Customers

News
By Rexly Peñaflorida
published

The Surface 3 was initially revealed in March, forsaking the Windows RT operating system and an ARM-based processor in exchange for Windows 8 and an Intel Atom processor. When the device finally hit store shelves in May, though, its connectivity options were restricted to Wi-Fi only. That could change in the coming weeks as Microsoft plans to slowly roll out a Surface 3 model with 4G LTE capabilities.

In fact, it's already available in Japan, with mobile broadband service through Y!Mobile. The next phase will see the Surface 3 head to Germany (Deutsche Telekom) and the United Kingdom O2) on July 3, with France (Orange Business Service) and Spain (Movistar) following right behind them at an unknown date. However, this first batch of Surface 3 devices with 4G LTE will only be available to businesses and sales groups, as Microsoft believes that they have the most to gain from the new upgrade.

After the business-related customers get their hands on the tablet in the aforementioned countries, only then will Microsoft have the Surface 3 with 4G LTE commercially available in Germany, France, the UK and the U.S. Customers will be able to choose between two models: one with 64 GB of storage and 2 GB of memory, and the other with 128 GB of storage and 4 GB of memory. Prices for both models have yet to be revealed.

The addition of 4G LTE on the Surface 3 is a much-needed feature. There are times when the local Wi-Fi hotspot is used by a large number of people and the bandwidth is quickly clogged. There's also the case of hotel Wi-Fi, which requires you to pay for a connection that only gives you low bandwidth speeds. And that's not to mention, of course, the security issues inherent in publicly-available Wi-Fi hotspots. In any case, having a mobile broadband connection can help with a faster connection, provided you have a good signal from a cell tower.

From a business perspective, adding the 4G LTE option is just another way for Microsoft to paint the Surface 3 as the only device a given professional might need. The tablet also works as a small laptop, thanks to the optional keyboard, and the switch to the full Windows 8.1 operating system gives it a familiar face and also opens the door to an upgrade to the new Windows 10 at the end of the month.
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Rexly Peñaflorida
10 Comments Comment from the forums
  • 2Be_or_Not2Be
    I was hoping to see an announcement that the Surface Pro 3 will get integrated 4G LTE, or even a Surface Pro 4 with integrated LTE.

    After all, isn't the Pro series meant more for business use than the regular Surface?
    Reply
  • bwohl
    I have to agree with 2be, MS is too late with this. I bought the Surface 2 because it had 4G. I want to upgrade to the 3 with 4G. MS Store ran a promo to upgrade, but the voucher is expiring before this device comes out - how stupid id that? I turn in a 4G Surface 2 for $150 towards the Surface 3 - and the voucher expired BEFORE the new tablet is out? WTF MS.
    So I went and bought 100 iPad Air 2 with Apple SIMS for my company.
    Too late MS.
    Reply
  • jasonelmore
    I have to agree with 2be, MS is too late with this. I bought the Surface 2 because it had 4G. I want to upgrade to the 3 with 4G. MS Store ran a promo to upgrade, but the voucher is expiring before this device comes out - how stupid id that? I turn in a 4G Surface 2 for $150 towards the Surface 3 - and the voucher expired BEFORE the new tablet is out? WTF MS.
    So I went and bought 100 iPad Air 2 with Apple SIMS for my company.
    Too late MS.

    those air 2's cant even compare to a full windows machine.. i expect those ipads wont last but about 3-4 years. pretty bad decision to go apple for business imo. Windows 10 is about to revolutionize business and intergrated computing across all platforms.
    Reply
  • Arabian Knight
    I never understood why people need 4G built in their notebooks/Tablets.

    Just buy a Mifi device and leave it in the notebook/Tablet bag ... it is smaller than the power adapter !!! and has a 10 hours built in battery , and will save the battery life on the notebook/Tablet. and finally can be used as a router for any device you have , being Mobile phone , or a friend next to you.
    Reply
  • falchard
    Now if they can just give a 6" version with a 41 MP camera and phone service.
    Reply
  • codo
    I was hoping to see an announcement that the Surface Pro 3 will get integrated 4G LTE, or even a Surface Pro 4 with integrated LTE.

    After all, isn't the Pro series meant more for business use than the regular Surface?
    not necessarily. I opted for it because I'm a power user
    Reply
  • 2Be_or_Not2Be
    16165105 said:
    I never understood why people need 4G built in their notebooks/Tablets.

    Just buy a Mifi device and leave it in the notebook/Tablet bag ... it is smaller than the power adapter !!! and has a 10 hours built in battery , and will save the battery life on the notebook/Tablet. and finally can be used as a router for any device you have , being Mobile phone , or a friend next to you.

    One reason why it's not as easy as built-in LTE is that it's "yet another device" that the end-user has to carry around. Sure, a small Wi-Fi hotspot is small & easily portable, but when it comes to supporting & carrying such items as a business traveler, less is always better than more. Some of the same items that you mention as positives can just as easily be a negative.

    1) You have to make sure your VPN works through it as it usually is a NAT router & some VPN clients have issues with multiple NATs
    2) You have to make sure it's charged, and then you have to turn it on & off as needed, especially when traveling for business over many days, otherwise risking not having it charged when needed
    3) You have to make sure you bring it with you, and you have to make sure you don't lose it or get stolen
    4) It doesn't really save power as you have to keep Wi-Fi going on your Surface to connect to it; integrated LTE can sip as little power as Wi-Fi does

    I'm sure we could nitpick the items above, but I can tell you myself that when I travel for business, it is a relief not to carry another device.
    Reply
  • Arabian Knight
    16167964 said:
    16165105 said:
    I never understood why people need 4G built in their notebooks/Tablets.

    Just buy a Mifi device and leave it in the notebook/Tablet bag ... it is smaller than the power adapter !!! and has a 10 hours built in battery , and will save the battery life on the notebook/Tablet. and finally can be used as a router for any device you have , being Mobile phone , or a friend next to you.

    One reason why it's not as easy as built-in LTE is that it's "yet another device" that the end-user has to carry around. Sure, a small Wi-Fi hotspot is small & easily portable, but when it comes to supporting & carrying such items as a business traveler, less is always better than more. Some of the same items that you mention as positives can just as easily be a negative.

    1) You have to make sure your VPN works through it as it usually is a NAT router & some VPN clients have issues with multiple NATs
    2) You have to make sure it's charged, and then you have to turn it on & off as needed, especially when traveling for business over many days, otherwise risking not having it charged when needed
    3) You have to make sure you bring it with you, and you have to make sure you don't lose it or get stolen
    4) It doesn't really save power as you have to keep Wi-Fi going on your Surface to connect to it; integrated LTE can sip as little power as Wi-Fi does

    I'm sure we could nitpick the items above, but I can tell you myself that when I travel for business, it is a relief not to carry another device.

    1-I agree with the VPN part , but it is not a big deal if the IT department supports the MIFI.
    2- If you forget to charge them , they work on USB normally as any USB LTE Modem or built in Modem.
    3- If it gets stolen , well then the whole things can be stolen as well , I never remove it from the Bag.
    4- as for Wifi vs LTE batery , I need to see tests . but I agree not a big deal.

    5- we never carry Notebooks without bags , and as I said the power Adapter with the cables are Larger than the MIFI , and there is always a Place for Mifi in any bag if it has the place for a power adapter and a mouse.

    6- it reduces costs alot , if you make sure every Notebook or Tablet you buy comes with LTE thats a $200 upgrade , you pay that price each time you buy a new device. if you buy a MIFI ? you pay it just once !

    7- Give it a try ;) , but make sure you pick a good MIFI , with USB connection option in case it is not charged or if wifi is not allowed in some places.

    Reply
  • 2Be_or_Not2Be
    @Arabian:

    With all that you said, you didn't address the main point - it's yet another device to carry. No matter how small the MiFi might be, it's not smaller than NOT having to carry it at all. From that viewpoint, integrated LTE beats having to carry an additional device every time. In this situation, less complicated is better than more complicated.

    Reply
  • Brian Blair
    That is just a beautiful GPU! But I am happy with my 970 SC, These ultra high end cards are very nice, But since most gamers replace their GPU in 2-3 years anyway, It never makes any sense to buy cards like the 980 Ti and Fury X. I know some will argue about 4K, But lets be honest, Even the 980 Ti and Fury X are not very good at 4K yet. 4K still has a long way to go down in price, And GPU's still need to catch up in performence. Hell most 1080p monitors are still too pricey! The cheapest 1080p monitor is around $150, And even though some may think that is cheap! $150 is a bit pricey for just a monitor! You can buy a good mid-range GPU for $150! The price of monitors is really the only thing hurting the PC gaming market. But a 4K should only cost around $150, a 1440p should only cost around $115, And a 1080p should only cost around $80. Hell it only cost corporations like Asus and Acer about $30 dollars labor and all to build a 4K monitor.
    Reply