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Surface 2 with LTE available tomorrow for $679

Surface 2 with LTE available tomorrow for $679

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Microsoft is finally launching its Surface 2 tablet with LTE support. Priced at $679, a 64GB LTE-ready version of the Surface 2 will be available from Microsoft Stores and Best Buy tomorrow. Microsoft previously promised support for AT&T LTE and Vodafone internationally, but only the AT&T model will launch tomorrow in the US. Despite this, the Surface 2 with LTE will ship unlocked with support for LTE bands 4, 7, and 17.

Aside from the price and LTE support, there’s little change to the actual Surface 2 hardware. Microsoft has placed the SIM slot on the left-hand side of the frame, just beneath the volume rocker. Windows RT 8.1 powers the ARM-based tablet, and Surface 2 with LTE owners will be able to make use of the mobile broadband feature to share the connection as a hotspot for other devices. Like the Surface 2 before it, the LTE version also includes 200GB of OneDrive storage for two years, and a year of free Skype calls to landlines.

No Surface Pro 2 with LTE

Microsoft isn’t announcing any further hardware today, so the 64GB model is the only choice if you need a Surface 2 with LTE support. Alternatively, a 32GB version of Nokia’s Lumia 2520 is available for just $399 (with an AT&T contract). It’s not clear if any additional Surface LTE models will be made available, but Surface chief Panos Panay does tease that "it promises to be an exciting year for Surface. More on that later!" Microsoft is rumored to be preparing a Surface "mini" with a 7- or 8-inch display, and the company has previously ruled out bringing LTE support to its Surface Pro 2 range of devices.