Skip to main content

You can buy a fingerprint reader keyboard for your Surface Pro 3

You can buy a fingerprint reader keyboard for your Surface Pro 3

Share this story

Microsoft announced a lot of new hardware yesterday. If you’re a Surface Pro 3 owner then you might be more than a little envious of the new Surface Pro 4, but there’s a quick way to give your existing machine something new. Microsoft has built a Surface Pro Type Cover that includes a fingerprint reader. While it’s designed to be sold alongside the Surface Pro 4, it also works just fine on the Surface Pro 3. You'll also get the benefit of a bigger glass trackpad and better key spacing.

If you’re interested in using the new Windows Hello feature of Windows 10 then this is a great way to get access to it. Unfortunately, Microsoft only sells the new fingerprint keyboard in black (the onyx option) and it appears to be limited to the US store right now. That’s an odd decision as people outside of the US have fingers too, but it’s likely related to stock levels at launch. You can pre-order the fingerprint reader keyboard for $159.99 in the US, so it’s not a cheap addition unless you really want a much easier way to log into a Surface Pro 3 with just your finger. On the new Surface Pro 4 you don’t need the fingerprint keyboard because the tablet has a camera that scans your face to let you log in.