Though the Surface isn't the smash hit Microsoft had hoped, the company has been received a lot of praise for its Touch Cover and Type Cover accessories with built-in keyboards. Now it looks like Redmond plans to increase the utility of its cases even further. The second version of Microsoft's Surface Pro is rumored to be launching later this year, and rumor has it Microsoft will also release a case with with a built-in battery.
Paul Thurrott of Winsupersite corroborates Neowin's report that this so-called Power Cover will later this year. He says the cover will work with Surface Pro, the Surface Pro 2, and the Surface 2. As opposed to the super slim Touch Cover, it looks like this cover will use the slightly bulkier Type Cover-style keyboard, and will "significantly" extend the battery life of the Surface (though it's not clear what capacity the battery will be). It will apparently be double the weight of the current Type Cover (1.1 lbs vs .55 lbs), and almost double the thickness (9.75 mm compared to 5.33 mm). Ultimately, this sounds like more of a dock than a cover, so it'll be interesting to hear how Microsoft pitches this one.
No word on release date, though the device isn't expected before the launch of the Surface 2/Surface Pro 2. The Surface is rumored to pack Intel's Haswell (Core i5), Windows 8.1, 8GB of RAM, and an improved kickstand. The current generation of Surface Pro is on permanent discount, so we probably don't have long to wait for the next verison.
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