Microsoft is looking to add a touch of class to its Surface Pro range with the new Signature Type Cover. Announced during the Milan Design Week, the new cover is made from a unique fabric known as Alcantara. Sourced directly from Italy, it’s designed to improve with age, an ethos Microsoft is pushing with its regular updates for the Surface range.
Alcantara is most often used in high-end car interiors, on furnishings and expensive clothing. That’s no doubt why this cover comes in priced at $160, but it does look good. It features a soft texture and a two-tone gray finish that is said to darken and mature over time, making it an ever evolving part of your technological collection.
“Like a good leather jacket,” as Microsoft put it in its release.
Each one of the covers is said to take as long as five weeks to make, with endless crimping and needlework needed to get it just right.
In terms of how it fits the Surface Pro devices, the cover shields the entirety of the metal frame work, slotting in between the keys, covering the wrist rest, surrounding the touchpad and coating the back — making your entire Surface soft to the touch.
None of this should contribute anything in thickness, and not much in weight, to the overall design, meaning the portability of the Surface won’t be affected. Indeed it may be that with a soft, cushioned “surface” instead of a metallic one, you will reduce the chance of impact damage to a slight extent and reduce scratches on the frame work, keeping your Surface Pro looking newer for longer.
If you’d like to pick up one of the premium Signature Type covers now, you can do so through Microsoft stores in a variety of countries, including the U.S.