Update: 4G LTE-powered Microsoft Surface 3 launch imminent

By Gabe Carey Published October 1, 2015

Update 7/21/2015 1:10PM: AT&T has released details about how it will offer the Surface 3 LTE. The base, 64GB model will be free with a $30/month plan. There’s also a combo offer for the tablet with a Lumia smartphone for $399. In both cases, the Type Cover and other accessories are extra. AT&T’s offers will launch on Friday.

Original text: When Microsoft revealed the Surface 3 in March of this year, many were roused by the omission of Windows RT, and the tablet’s full-on adoption of Windows 8.1 with x86 software compatibility. Unfortunately, those looking to browse the web on the go were shorted as every variant of the tablet available appeared to be Wi-Fi only.

Recommended Videos

Now, starting in Japan, Microsoft is releasing a 4G LTE-enabled version of the Surface 3, according to Tom’s Hardware. Mobile broadband service for the tablet is available through Japanese carrier Y!Mobile as the Surface 3 with 4G LTE makes its way to Germany (Deutsche Telekom) and the U.K. (O2) on July 3rd, as well as France (Orange Business Service) and Spain (Movistar) at an undisclosed point in time.

The first shipment of mobile broadband-enabled Surface 3 devices will be available exclusively to businesses and sales groups. Microsoft expects this offer to appeal more to businesses and less to everyday consumers, hence the priority of enterprise buyers. It’s likely that the update will roll out to consumer customers at some point as well.

When the new Surface 3 does retail commercially, it will be available in Germany, France, the U.K., and the U.S. with two models available for purchase. The cheaper one, presumably, will ship with 64GB of storage and 2GB of RAM, while the more expensive unit will hoist 128GB of storage and 4GB of memory. The pricing has yet to be declared for either model of the Surface 3 with 4G LTE.

Given its reputation as a hybrid machine, wielding the powers of both a laptop and a tablet, 4G LTE is just icing on the cake for businesses seeking an inexpensive alternative to the high-end, albeit costly Surface Pro 3. With Windows 8.1 pre-installed, the guarantee of a free upgrade to Windows 10, and now, built-in 4G LTE functionality, this announcement may be just tempting enough to push some indecisive customers over the edge.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

A freelancer for Digital Trends, Gabe Carey has been covering the intersection of video games and technology since he was 16…

Computing

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 vs. Surface Book 3 13: Which 2-in-1 wins?

microsoft surface go pro book pen headphones adorama best buy home office sale 7

If you're in the market for a 2-in-1 and you're particularly enamored of Microsoft's Surface line, you have several outstanding choices. The Surface Go 2 rounds out the bottom end and the the 15-inch Surface Book 3 marks the high end. But in the middle, where most people are shopping, things get murky.

The Surface Pro 7, and the Surface Book 3 13 are a bit more equally matched. They are different sizes and take different approaches to making a laptop work as a tablet, so the choice between them can still be confusing. Which better suits your needs? Here's everything you need to know.
Design

Computing

This Lenovo ThinkPad is usually $1,739 — today it’s under $1,000

The Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 laptop on a gray background.

If you're browsing laptop deals for a reliable device at a nice price, you can't go wrong with Lenovo's ThinkPad laptops. Here's an offer to consider: the Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 with a 43% discount on its estimated value of $1,739, so you'll only have to pay $980. We're not sure how much time is remaining on this chance to buy this laptop for under $1,000 though, so we highly recommend hurrying with your purchase if you don't want to miss the $759 in savings.

Why you should buy the Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 laptop

Computing

Microsoft might add a Copilot guided tour to Windows 11 to help new users

Copilot+ PC laptop.

Microsoft could be adding a guided tour to its Copilot app in Windows 11, making it easier for users to get started, according to TechRadar. The six-step guide appears at the top of the app for easy access, and it was Windows leaker @PhantomOfEarth who first spotted it. Microsoft has not officially confirmed the feature, and it is unclear which Insider build it may be tied to, if any.

If you want to try the guided tour, the prompt to start it appears above the Copilot panel. The guide, in its current form, moves at a reasonably fast pace. The first step introduces the prompt box, where users can type or speak requests. This is the main way to interact with Microsoft's AI assistant. The third step guides you through the upload button, which allows you to add documents, images, and other files for Copilot to work with. The pop-up also notes that Copilot can summarize, rewrite, or edit supported content.