After a quiet launch in Japan via ‘Y!Mobile’, Microsoft have announced that the Surface 3 with 4G LTE support will begin to distribute to more markets, first arriving in Europe. The Surface 3 LTE tablet will support an internet connection over 4G LTE however will be exclusive to certain networks for the initial launch period.
This Friday, July 3rd, the Surface 3 LTE will be available to business users in the UK and Germany, with more European countries following soon after. Firstly, O2 will be distributing the Surface 3 LTE in the United Kingdom, and Deutsche Telecom offering the device to its business customers. Spain and France will receive the device a little later, distributed via Movistar and Orange. When the 4G LTE model releases in the US, it will be sold through T-Mobile and Verizon. Price difference when compared to the current Surface model varies between regions.
The tablet will be exclusive to business users for the first few weeks of launch, and later release to the general public in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France. The release date has not been specified, however we have been given a rough estimate of ‘the coming weeks’ by General Manager of Surface, Brian Hall.
It has been confirmed by the Surface team that a 4G LTE unlocked model will be coming in the future.
It is not surprising to see this being focused at business users, mainly due to the ease of use of a 4G LTE device. According to Microsoft, there has been high demand from this audience. Many consumers are able to use personal hotspots, and keep on one data plan, however is understandable to business users who have the available money for such a device at work. This release may not be revolutionary for many, but is a perfect addition for the travelling businessman.
Source: Microsoft
Matt was a regular ICXM contributor in 2015, publishing 110 articles across game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news. Their work focused on hands-on reviews, platform commentary, and breaking-news reporting during the Xbox One’s first full year of post-launch coverage, including the early days of Backwards Compatibility and Windows 10 gaming. They post on X as @RTEnvi.